The Taney Statue Matter

Mayor Latrobe said yesterday he did nor propose to engage in a controversy concerning the matter of his declining to preside at the ceremony of the unveiling of the Taney statue. He bad. he said, used his best efforts to be excused from accepting a position which he had decided would be unpleasant to him, and he had intimated his desire that other arrangements might be made. He would have preferred to have been permitted to lay the matter before the city council in a message that would have recognized the munificence of Mr. Walters and appreciated his public spirit. The council could have designated the mode of acceptance of the gift on the part of the city. Or he would have been satisfied to let the plans remain as they had been first arranged, and the mayor of the city could have been represented at the unveiling. He did not think there was enough in the affair to require that it should be given public importance. He had asked to be excused from the acceptance of an unpleasant position, and he was ready to do anything outside of that to serve Mr. Walters, for whom he had great respect. Mr. Walters said yesterday that the statue was received several weeks ago and was consigned to the city when. Mr. Hodges was yet the mayor. The unveiling was delayed to admit of the presence of Cardinal Gibbons and other gentlemen. Mayor Latrobe was asked to preside because of his position as chief city executive.