The morning news., 1892-01-04
THE qE,FAIR ACADEMY.
eome Suggestions for the People O
Savannah.


.bat the people generally Of Savsnnah are
rot so much interested as they might be,
-, 90 much indeed as they should be, in
,be Telfair academy. However this may
- II will doubtless be well TO try to make
,bsr better acquainted with its merits, as
s,,rad that the more they know Of it the bet>
tar they will like it.
In this period Of the great and increasing
,rosperity of Sc sannah. the Telfair
academy, young giant In Possibilities, Is
1reak and la1guishing for want Of support.
Now. what has made the city Of Savan-
nah go bright aud prosDerousi Because it
has stirr cd itself, shaken the sand from of
n nut on in good part new attire and
Dreseuted a more agreeable appearance has
dotted In part its old and dirty habit and
donued q new and better.
Three years ago about had the honor, il
not the exception at the time, of forestating
that the beautiful would win; handsome
buildings, beautiful public places ard neat
nass OF ornament and care in and about
nrivate houses. And what a change
since that time! Did aUy citizen for
ace It'll How bright aud cheerful
the city now compared with what IL was
and how prosperous In business. Was not
money well spent IN g great, beautiful and
attractive hotelf Would any one who gave
Il for the construction OF that noble house
have his money back, il with 1t the old
ststu quo, the old s8gnation and the old
inertia, dead as the bluff along the river
aod stained with its dirtl
Andnow that some money has been so
well spent In so great and good and profit
able an enterprise may not the people OF
Savannah we'll make another venture in
the same direction, brighten the gem they
have ready SET the diadem of Savannah,
the Telfair academyl A veritable, not
are, but art light; and yet would
It were an electric light aud
such as would quicken the
minds and enlighten the eyes OF some
who thiak not well of it, the Telfair scad-
envy. And whys 1t is said there are some
who look at it askance and with purposad
slight, and say, No good, no good for US
it's for class. Is it, then, a class institu>
tionl Men for ostentatiOn spend money in
class clubs, entertainments, and in the or ma
menting OF their private dwellings, but in
giving money for public institution do
they do it for a classl No; the saying it were
contradiction in terms. No; there Is no
truth in it; if said or meant, it would imply
only ignorance, prejudice and ugliness. Let
us who are OF a better mind pierce it
through phe prejudice, nail it TO the wall
and clinch the nail. Howe By giving yet
more, if we have given some. Of our money.
the next reception that comes round TO
entertain US and a. alike; lay down or give
our names for money, and silence all the
oarpings of ill-will Let US of
smaller means who may have given
fifty or hundred. or some
hundreds, give as much again or more.
And TO those who have given more, it is
not for one who has given less TO say what
they should give, and one need not; the gen.
erous are always generous.
But who is this, the reader may ask, that
50 talks Of giving; by what right, and what
has he given and what has he done? Little,
he has to confess, but he Will give more
Will all say as much?
Writing thus and very much a stranger,
and kept thus far from publicly noticing
passing events, lest l should seem to pre-
sumptuously meddle in others matters, |
now assume bolder manner and say what
think. pursuaded that If know no ones
business no one will Eurt me. And now let
me say pardon, reader, the egotism) that
were l in position in society las am not
10 warrant it, and were [ in health
and strength as l am not) to endure it, |
would not rest till had
cauvassed the city of Savannah in the in
terest Of tue Telfair academy; till l had
worked, If not as hard, at least with as
good will as he had who hath made it
what 1t is, in whose behalf, were | per-
mitted would reckon up in facts and
figures what he has done. In facts the her
oulean work Of first gathering and then Of
setting up for best effect paintings in one
part and statues and busts in another,
casts Of the Elgiu marbles in another and
nne engravlngs In others. In figures ex-
penses incurred in frequent visits to Europe
and expenses there, and all for the academy
and more than all, far more, in the money
value Of a great and successful artists time
which is money. But ! am not at liberty.
And with all it was not Of Mr.. Brandt aud
the academy that l had thought to write,
but OF the academy and the people Of Sa-
vannah.
And now what have to say more to the
people Of Savannah! Nothing but what l
write for them all alike. And yet they are
not ell alike; were they, and bad they been,
the Tefeir academy had never existed
thanks some should thank God for all
that's good, for especially the benevolent
good, good lady. not to distinguish her
n self, 1t may be believed, but to do good
bequeathed money for what is the TelfaiI
Academy Of Arts ard Sciences of Savan.
81 nah, and some hke-minded and
moro especially one, to whom all
due honor, have taken In hand
the bequeSt OF the good lady, and have
Done, have we any good reason to question
what was best for the academy the people
Of Sayannaha
work and have now il hand, and study the
devslng OF ways and means to support ah
even to support, IL one may believe report
TO say nothing Of endowing the academy
and this, they say, is plan proposed to
give tickets to the more friendly of the
& friends of the academy, to be given by
them to others, and so to induce, not &c
say hire, some to go to the
academy and be treated there
n at, OF course, the expense Of the academy
us way rather than means; or rather
Is one of two ways, one to the right and
Tue other to the left. and it is the left that
q schosen, which if pursued will lead to the
n objections OF depriving the academy of the
entrance fees Of the some favored ones, I'd
Tue cost in time of enter aiming them to the
prejudice of some others.
Gentlemen. this will not do Let there
De equality and, if may be. fraternity; all
ailke IN privilege as they are in law.
MeA, tnen. II not so, howa Downright
nard work must take the place OF expedi
ents and shifts. How is theater sustained
now does Snowman thrives How does {
merchant dispose of his goods? The theater
manager, to fill his house goes to work will
a"lIl, puts to press his posters and hires
men TO post them, and so conspicuously tha
ne that runs may read them. The show
man comes to town, pitches and spreads hi
tent and posts himself with trumpe
call that makes the welkin ring
with elephant, lion and a troop o
OF actors in gay attire. All this and more
ne does and has to do to get the public ey,