Neither New York City nor Congress would pay for the installation of the statue  After the Statue of Liberty was made at the expense of the French government as a diplomatic gift to the US, the committee overseeing the project could not raise enough money to have it installed.

Liberty Enlightening the World, in Aid of the Pedestal Fund 

Statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World"  Advertisement for statuettes by the American Committee of the Statue of Liberty, to raise funds for completion of the Statue of Liberty. 1885 July

Pulitzer used many techniques now commonly used by online crowdfunders to generate excitement and momentum for his campaign  For example, his newspaper published stories about the drive and created an enticing narrative for readers.

One hundred Thousand Dollars  In 1885 Joseph Pulitzer - the renowned publisher after whom the Pulitzer Prize is named - launched an unusual fundraising campaign in his newspaper, The New York World. He was soliciting readers' donations to pay for a plinth for the Statue of Liberty.

Triumphant completion of the World's fund for the Liberty Pedestal 

The contributions funded the construction of the pedestal, as documented in this sketch from Harper's magazine.   There was even some money left over far a gift for the sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, pictured at right.