The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-11-22


building. This brings up at once the whole
question of the future public improvements
Of Washington. It is most unfortunate that
under our government there is no way of
securing any consistency or continuity of
plan in such work as the laying out aud
improvement of parks and the erection of
buildings at the Capital of nation which
is growing so rapidly, and which has before
1t such a wonderful future of power and
greatness, and We may hope of beneicence
for the human race.
Many cases might be cited where this lack
OF system involves great waste of money, and
results unsatisfactory in every sense. But
perhaps nowhere is the lack of any general
plan more unfortunate than in the location
and architecture of our public buildings and
the arrangement and care of our parks. Per-
manent buildings, costly in design, are begun
aud carried forward singly, without any
attention TO the results which might be
attained by anticipating tine wants of future
years, and by grouping in the most appro-
pirate and convenient places the massive
structures which will sooner or later be
needed in administering the public affairs Of
60 vast population. The natural advan.
tages of Washington are SO striking, and
some of its buildings are SO satisfactory and
80 easily brought into harmony with others
that may be erected, that it is a pity that
Itn mi
brought into substantial unity as to some of
the more important points that ought to be
regarded in projecting future improvements.
AS we survey the terrain 1t will be seen
that the mos. important feature to be con-
s!dered is the Mall, or central series of reser-
vations taken in connection with the Obser-
tory grounds and the Flats, which will soon
constitute an important addition thereto.
The location OH the Mall of the Smithsonian.
Agricultural Department, and National Mu-
scum show the inevitable tendency to group
the public buildings in the most suitable
central location. The chief beauty of the
sites occupied by the Capitol, Treasury, Ex
ecutive Mansion, and State Department
Buildings is their outlook upon the Mall and
the Potomac, and there can hardly be two
opinions as to the undesirability of filing up
all the available park space with future
buildings.
Taking it for settled that another building
must be begun very soon-and 1t ought to
be begun at once-the question of where to
place it cannot be decided too promptly. And
it seems to us that on this point there need
be little conflict of opinion. Future public
buildings should be placed on the ridge
west of the War Department. There is no
other site which possesses the same advan-
tages. With this end in view, there should
be no delay in securing the strip of land be-
tween the Observatory grounds and the
White Lot. This should be improved, and
then the next public buildings required
should be placed upon the squares fronting
this new extension of the Mall. II the archi.
lecture is good, the effect looking up from
the river or from the park will be very beau.
tiful.
In reforming the House rules one of the
most salutary amendments would be to de.
clare that motion " to adjourn out Of re-
spect to the memory" " of a deceased member
or to appoint a day for the delivery of always
useless and sometimes ridiculous obituaries
(such as that upon Mr.. Herndon, of Ala.
bama, for instance) should nerer be in order.
An exception might perhaps be made for the
Christmas holidays and the long vacation,
when members might show their respect in
marked way by coming together in spe.
cial session for the purpose. Perhaps if
Congress set a good example in this respect
the Departments might drop their pernicious
custom of shutting down on public business
and setting all their clerks at liberty unex-
pectedly, because some forgotten parsonage,
who was at the head of the Department! half
century before, has happened to die. But
without this the reform in Congress would
be great gain, and would help to solve
the problem how Congress is TO perform the
sworn duty of its members, specially i'm
posed by an article of the Constitution, to
legislate +" in all cases whatsoever ~ for the
District Of Columbia.
There appears to be a general disposition
to pour yials Of wrath upon the head of Mr..
Secretary Rndicoit, who is credited with hay
ing secured the appointment of Mr.. saltonstall
as Collector Of the Port OF Boston when the
Democrats of the State had rather unani.
mously declared in favor of Mr.. Peter Butler.
But how will the fierce columns of heated
comment which have been written upon this
assumption sound after il Is learned that Mr..
Rndicotps support of Mr.. Saltonstall was by no
means strenuous. Such, We are informed, was
the case, and that Mr.. Endicott did not urge
his views upon the President, only expressing
his preference for Mr.. Saltonstall after his
opinion had been asked.
Tho rapid dwindling Of the formerly large
Republican majorities in Iowa Ii widely com
nented on. The kind of stun that aided 10
produce this result may be found iu the plat
form adopted by the Republicans in that State
before the recent election. In this, after a
mendaeious assertion that the policy of the
emOcratic party on the tariff Is " British, 4"
llay a. invita- all peonle of Irish blooa whn