Stephen A. Douglas statue to be removed from IL state capitol grounds

Douglas statue, right, with Abraham
Lincoln in Freeport, Illinois

The erasure of history continues.

Yes, Stephen A. Douglas, a Democratic US senator from Illinois, assisted the cause of slavery. But he at least partially redeemed himself after the Civil War broke out when he supported his longtime rival's leadership in the early months of that conflict. Douglas died in the summer of 1861.

From his seat in the Senate Douglas aided the transition of Chicago from frontier post to a major city.

Now Douglas has been "cancelled."

From the State Journal-Register:

Statues of Stephen Douglas and Pierre Menard will be removed from the Illinois Capitol grounds, the board of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol decided Wednesday.

The board also decided that a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King should be moved onto the Capitol grounds from its location by the Illinois State Library across the street from the Capitol. Moving the statue will require a change to the rules that govern what statues are allowed to be placed on the grounds.

The board followed through on a request from House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, that the statues be removed because both men were slave holders and Douglas had a history of making racist comments. He also said he would sponsor a resolution in the House to remove a portrait of Douglas that hangs in the chamber. Madigan said it should be replaced with the portrait of someone who reflects the modern positions of the Democratic Party such as former President Barack Obama.

Menard, a slave owner, was an early Illinois lieutenant governor.

When will the "cancel culture" come for the Lincoln and Douglas statues at their debate sites in Illinois?

From my post at Da Tech Guy:

The war on statues may never end