The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-05-12
OUR EXHIBIT AT PARIS.
EUROPEs DECORATIVE SENSE FAR
AHEAD OF OURS.


PARIS, May IA study Of the universal
exposition for the purpose of comparing
products into which design enters discloses
two truths concerning American growth.
The Justification in which these truths are
apparent comprises everything in the man
ufac ure OF which beauty is blended with
usefulness. The first truth is that the
the European, and second, that Ameri-
can decorative sense is inferior to
the European. The American has
surpassed the European in mechanism but
the sense of beauty is dull in the national
breast. American artisanship, sreaking
broadly, when brought face to face with
Eu opean artisanship, is more INTEL gent ia
he application of means to ends and in
directness Of method and economy of labor,
but is crude and almost illiterate in taste.
Elmin to from the A uerican exhibit ma
chinery, gold and sllversmithing and the
art of the lapidary and glassmake~,
and there is no American art
remaining upon which one can liuger with
sa isfaction. Even such countries as Italy
aad Switzerland, W lere 'afJ i'll wood carv-
Ing is active, and Roumania, Servia and
Greece, none f the n in close touch with
modern thought, display beautiful produc
o. tee loom. The continental countries,
wao1e Industries are old, retain the suprem-
any which their guilds and schools created
ENGLAND's SHOW.
Z gland until very modern times, ad-
dced slmoSt exClusivelv to trade and to
maunfactures anpertaining rather to the
necessities Of civilization an to the a orn-
mcnt Of life, has accepted tuition from
lg pleS " ose spirit is more artistic than
ners, Her porcelains, furniture, metallic
pr ducts, tapestries, carpets, paper hang
e., velvels, sil 5, saawls aud brocades
g nhtute an impressive portion OF
lcr entire exhibit to cataogue
which requires large volume
each Of tIese divisions of her lab r she
0,Uit the tesching of Germany, Frame.
HoHa and Belgium. If England ba
learned from artIstic Europe how to blend
beauty with usefulness, sne has had no oc-
aasion to ad nit that the people who wrest
from her their political liberty have created
90 even a century a national spirit in form
ard beauty aud able to meet nat ous less
trfe, collectively or Individually, in this
n1tlest field of human toll TIE prohib
tol which parlame sent over to our
iyrgfathers concerning manufactures we
have removed throughout the range of
strictly mechanical products.
THINGS WE FAIL TO SHOW.
Within the month that has glorifed the
centenary of our civil iude- 0dence we
cannot cffer at the congres of the wor DIS
sEili = sOitary ex ample of American porce-
lain, fine text les, superior bro yes, artistic
Manipulation Of wood, decorative paper
and leather. We offer machines
that ca wri e'and talk, machines that pr
~ul al ba lah hfspc gf ha fbat
so.ye most Of the prob ems OF the factory.
In an egs of physics, distinguis led by the
'covery f no new pri lcipal, We have
a,tcnished science itself by new combina-
tic s Of principles and bv the creation OF
resources for the conve ie1ce of ma kind.
But we have added scarcely anything to
the beauty grace and expose of idolism.
A sHoRTsIGHTED POLICY.
While justly boasting Of our rank as
mec1 auics, chemists and electricians, we
still pay transportation to England for our
nat!ve furs skins, leather and cotton, and
art content to p y afterward second trans
uartation, ana the manufacturers prics As
vel. Us the customs tax for products into
which our own raw materials have been
turned. Add to this the yearly
dgail of money unnecessarily lost
millions annually paid for decorative
manufacturers from every factory OF
Europe, and Of to- reviving east, an ap-
proKin ate estimate may made of the
colo sal penalty we pay with incompre-
hensibls stupidity for failing to develop the
sense Of form, color and composition in our
own youth.
THE MIGHT-HAvE-BEEN.
There are American porcelains and wall
papers which might have been ex ibi-ed
nsre with safety, as showing promise if not
achievement. The glass exhib ted has
commanded candid even enthusiastic
praise. In the treatment of Jewels and in
tne Invention or d coration of small ar
ucles of ornament or personal use the
american exhibit is undoubtedly superior.
mere Is surprisi1g exhbi. OF industrial
Dlohz.s from Russian artists like La eery,
W Who dled two wears ago, Liberacn, Poson.
Gra' g zchef and Bachhiering the sculptors.
Iaese Russian brouzes, whether single fig
e. or groups, possess remarkable dra-
matte qualities, and have dalicacy and free
uoW I modelling that enti,le them to
pace IN d e, rather than industrial art.
IN decorative tire tment gold, silver and
!e"eS IN etching and enameling the
american exhibit stands first ia simplicity,
Sie9rnes', elegance and suggestiveness of
u7aiSh, rs well as tie ingeniOusness with
WJHlgh WJni use and beauty are associated.
A." uAe ondlsss copying of exhaust
I'VE patterns proce .ds in European
"ork'hops, the American designer
mlniesting di,cernment in the
seecuOn II types worth preserving
aAu iginality and imag nation in the
t,Ioallon OF new ones posse sing essential
tr' .ral OF beauty. The Tiffany exhibit 10.
y. nces native ideas Of dec ration, taken
,lalKi from the indians aud deve' oped,
- pe'ehting pleasing contrast 10 thu British
an. anu 10 ial designing, VIII ch is haboily re-
isao' The i'll patterns OF I1dia, hack
az ..leyeo at the Indian and Colonial exhibition
s.ts sIi go years ago, and worked to subsequent
'Anausnon at Kensington.
THE UNIVERSAL GOLD PEN.
we have supplied an Intelligent world
.tt'l J'.u readlng, writing and speaking ma
1uIHss We have also given g only uni
,oisa4 gold pen, but with this brief com
,I tne decorative ana industrial art of
Wv. Wv lifted States, impressive in only one
leat hne, comes to an end II isl credit
s'1 nat we should be content to occupy a
,,'v,'''a.llyely insig niticant position. The
90 a. y e sal exposition Slows that our part
" Is not untried. England has taken II
t'- y our eyes. She sent 20 artist countries
S. uyslgners, foremen aud trained artisans.
80 iocated art museums aud established
- lca lca art schools near the centers OF her
lsta .'a'ei lals. She has been educating her
scion.- her artians are acquiring the con
r,o,'',. ess @ of an artist. She sets apart
W. every year for art training OF labor
unto .il. I've en peen DO ng IN small way invol-
o.iRe : iarRe way under the sfres of har uncon.
Su'l able commercial instinct.
PoREIoa TRAINED LABOR
h.