Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-01-22
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dLLEG ED FEHILE ARTISTS.
How They Manage 10 shove Their Cheap wares
on Congress.

How They Manage 10 shove Their Cheap ware.
on Congress.
Washington Cor. OF New York World
There * hardlyever any picture offered Ia
Congress below price which would buy q
masterpiece by one of the bcst men in Eu-
rope. The perfectly hideous monstrusitv
upon the Senate side Of the Capitol, known
rs "Perrv's Victory" cost the government
$4,000 The little artist, Powell. who got
this great sum for picture which could not
have been sold for any price in the markets
Of the world, afterwards came back 10 Con-
gress and got 5000 more upon the plea that
he had incurred extraordinary expenses in
Germany In working up the picture, and
that this sum was necessary tosave him from
actual want And good, generous Congress
gave him the money,
Women have been quite successful in sell
ing alleged works of art to Congress. hut
there are limits beyond which even congress
men viii not go. The two pictures now being
considered by tho library COmmittCc-that of
the electoral commission, by Mrs. FasSctt
and the portrait Of Gen. Thomas by Miss
Ransom--will hardly be purchased The
ten. Thomas picture Is a veteran. Ii has
been before Congress now for al least ten
Years. Neither Of the pictures has any arts-
tic merit and their only claim unun tho
meagre attention that has been given them
lies m tho fact that the ladies who PAINTED
them are poor ana deserving.
There Is no woman who has cotton so much
out OF Congress rs Winnie Ream now Mrs
huNic She never had any artistic training
She never COndCsctuded to 90 through any
form Of routine study. She Is as much of Nh
arust as musician would be who PLAYS on
tlrely by ear. Yet she has gotten out of
congress upward OF 80, 600 al different times
Tor alleged works Of art. Congress never
called IN expert opinion in passing upon any
work of art offered them. When Congress
some years ago directed that money should
hc appropriated 10 build statue of Admiral
farfagut, the competition for the desiguinr.
OF the statue was thrown open TO the world.
lhe commission appointed &c eN-
anime the merits of the models sub
nntted were General sherman who
knows no moro about art than an army
mule: Lieut. HoXie, an army engineer,
equally Ignorant and Mrs. Farragut. Winnie
keam, OF course, won the vote Of Gen. Sher-
man at once. She was the only woman
among the competitors. The general looked
at her and not at the models aud gave her his
vote out OF gallantry Lieut. Hoxie fell i'm
rove with her, proposed and was accepted and
mus became an interested party to her sr-
curing the contract, although this was not
known until after the award was made. Mrs
fmragut was pleased 10y the fact that the
likeness of the admiral was good. Ii il In
TINS gihed board that we owe to-day the car
feature of the gallant old admiral Which
stands IN farragut square, and which is
ihnown throughout the town as the Big Po-
liCeman.
II VIII he idle to expect Congress to inn
prove very much in the character OF lis ART
purchases until there shall be wider knowl-
edge and appreciation of art among public
men. Ii would he too much to expect them
To beesme competent judges OF what is good
within any very short space OF time. But il
Is reasonable 10 suppose that the time Is not
very tar distant when Congress will be nj
least disposed 10 first seek the opinion OF ey-
pets before proceeding 10 the expenditure of
any money IN this direction,