The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-27

use, aud the central break in the sky line was
either too small or too large 1t had to be
removed altogether or be lifted up to
worthiness of its expanded surroundings.
Happily congressional economy did not
prompt adoption of the former alternative,
and n new and far grander dome soon rose
toward the sky. 1t was dome which We'd
in grandeur and magnificence with the
domes of st. Peters and ST. Paul's, and
with characteristic American energy and
ingenuity it was erected in q few years.
And there stood the capitol as we see it
today, saving only the western terrace.
The expansion horizontally and vertically
had improved and not harmed its symme-
try. Though the original idea was now
nothing but u nucleus, q being dropped,
godlike, out of the clouds and with gods
appreciation of the fine and beautiful
would say the man who built this great
pile and built it all and planned it all as
complete entity. Viewed from without,
there is nothing that one would add or
take away. 1t is perfection in magnifi-
cence
There wns another distinct stage Of this
process of evolution, and it, like it's prede-
-cessors, harmonized admirably with that
of which it became the complement The
builders of the capitol and the builders of
faced their palace in the wrong direction
With its front to the east they thought
they were facing it toward the seat of
wealth and population of the future city.
But as it turned out they placed the back
door of the capitol where the front should
have been, and the new national statehouse
soon found the capital city growing I'D as
its back yard.
For this result the ubiquitous Yankee
real estate speculator was to blame He
gobbled up most of'the desirable building
lots on the hill to the cast of the capitol
and held them at such high prices that the
settlers of the city were compelled in self
defense to buy ground In the other part of
town. Consequently there was for long
time agitation in favor of doing something
to turn the capitol about. rs it were, to
improve its western facade. At length
start was made on this work, and now,
after the lapse of some six years, we have
reached the centennial anniversary of our
great building with n beautiful terrace
adjoining the western front and serving to
make that side of the structure look more
like IL front than back door
In good time, if we can ever yet n con-
gress here that will not he dominated by
the idea of economy, the process of evolu-
ton will be Carried still further by the
erection OF splendid colonnade along the
western front Thus the feat of turning
the capitol around, or, more strictly speak
ing, of giving it two fronts instead of one.
will have been accomplished. 1t is work
which should be done, and it cannot be
done too soon, for the city of Washington.
which is rapidly becoming one Of the most
beautiful cities of the world, and which is
the American city most admired by foreign
ers, is growing almost entirely to the west
OF the capitol, and it is shame to have
the principal facade of our grand state
house on the wrong side
There is another thing that should he
done, and it is such a simple matter that |
do not despair of its accomplishment in the
near future. 1t is to turn the face of the
Goddess of Liberty toward the west. For
~ years. or some such matter, the beauti-
iul goddess has stood there with her eyes
looking toward the Atlantic ocean. Not
only is the major part of the city of Wash
lnSton behind her back, but also that great
empire over which she holds sway, and
whose institutions and freedom She is the
symbol Of. For two or three wears have
been advocating Il change in the position of
this our patron goddess, and am willing
&c go on recor! with the prediction that in
the next five years she will look toward the
tion of tho ocoon s''S7 80 ''-o ''iec
While sat vestar1,v ,;.,,,ir A..
spccch of president C,Inv.in,d 49, -, w
yersarv EXERCISES I corlI nnt ,s,,,.s 90 III
thought that this Great hn;I,,in,, hoe d',n
ing the mast century Lonn ,l,c .c,.no 81 -
history making than any other building in
the world. Within lis halls the mightiest
experiment in human government ever
Known has been successfully carried on 4
form of institutions has hon ,,nlio,,a,1
within its ,vnll.th.,t ,,',,'I.'. CIV
olution i'm the science If o,,..,.,,,,a,,t
Burned bv the voudol h,,G. ~ ,,n.,,n,,
tarilv victorious bnstijcs nl,r,nl ~ a.