New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-11
A PLEA FOR AMERICAN ART.
WHY WORKS OF ART SHOULD BE PLACED
ON THE FREE LIST
An URGENT MEMORIAL TO THE MILLS COMMITTEE
FROM AMERICAN ARTIsTs-How ART
NAY BE HANDIcAPPEp.
fpr TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRIBuSE-{


WASHINGTON June IO.-Ihe House will at
tempt TO 20 ON this week with the Mills grind"
r,ere s probably no better indication of the per-
s;stcncy with which the Ways and Means Com
,o;,,ee and the Democratic caucus have insisted
on protecting where protection was not needed or
..sed for. and refusing protection where it was
URGENTLY and obviously demanded, than is pre-
ssntcd in memorial just forwarded to that COM
mittee by the artists in New-forlS. with the In
do,sement of the Union League Club some time
since given to IT,
The main features of the presentation were
.dopted in the form OF a petition by the American
artists in Rome some time ago. and the petition
was directed against the tax on works OF art Ur-
rant representations of some Of the New-Yo-k men
have succeeded in impressine upon the Mills Com
mi,tee the consideration that no harm and great
public benefit might result from placing works of
ART on the free list, but the Democrats in caucus
struck out that part of the bill. The American
artists say
h,t that IL is not required by country justified
nv any necessity II It be levied for the pcrpose OF
rrotccon Of American artists we submit that they are
onpccd TO such protection. They neither need 1t nor
desire it. On the contrary, they consider 1t to be at
variance with personal interests well as with the
General interests American and TO be as Injurious
o the public home it is irritating and offensive to
artists and Governments abroad.
The application OF the principle OF protection TO pro-
ducts Of is in opinion, serious mistake II not
an absurdty The protection OF American manufactures
NAV enable us finally produce at home work OF an
eous or even Of superior merit TO that executed by
,oreign nations and similar scarcely TO be distin
rIshed from t but amount Of protection VIII enable
an American artist produce works similar to those Of
any foreign artist, undstinguishabe from theh
Manufactures thing; art is another
The character value OF work OF art depend upon
The individual genius ability Of the artist himself and
this can Meth be transferred to another nor can he be
deprived OF 1t or anv law any prohibition BY weight
Ing with heavy Duties the works Of the great masters o
the pa,, such as Tntorcto, or by virtually pro-
hbtine Of modern masters such as Foruny or
Miet Meissonier De Nitts we make no step toward
creating in our country Titians, Tntorettos For
iunys Mnets or Me:ssoners Or tho contrary, by pre-
venting the introduction of their works. we deprive
our artists at home Of opportunities Of study comparison
ard training them abroad for their educa
ou and under tho precncc Of helping them, we burden
,hem with dincules. rot only the artist is thus
injured but the public also suffers and art is hapdicapped
As well might seek TO develop the literature OF America
by prohibiting the works of all foreign authors
There would seem to be no answer to these ar
guments except the inquiry of Free-Trader COBB;
Of Alabama What's the use OF them TO me ana
my constituentS?" ?"