The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-09

Inc tegaS question: D<so?e the supreme
court raised by Hon. John AcResvy may
safely be left to thar august tribunal. and
no man In the state Of Washington is too
eraIted or too humble to disregard its de-
cislon.
Entirely apart from that. however. 10
the subject Of the course TO be pursued y
the capitol commission when its member
ship is placed beyond controversy. Gov.
McGraw has already, in frank and manly
letter 70 the Seattle Telegraph, explained
the status Of the competitive plans. He
can no. descend to the level Of his IN
scrupuIous detrsctors and excuse his
actions. Nevertheless. the vicious attacks
continue in the columns of the Tacoma
Ledger and the Seattle Telegraph with per-
sistent n alice.
The Telegraph again urges the ridiculous
proposition that every plan selected by
public invited 70 Join in a scramble Of
selection. II there were no other man on
the commission than hon. Thomas Burke
the people OF the state could feel perfectly
confident that the final selection would be
made with strict integrity and good 1udg-
mens. OF the six plans selected By Prot.
Ware the names Of four Of the architects
are as yet unknown. II would be . gross
injustice to those SIX architects to arbi-
trarily cast aside their plans. merely BE-
cause they had been approved by the
greatest authority on architectural
designs In the country. Prof w. R.
Ware - the professor Of architecture
as Columbia college. He has long been
recognized as q man of exceptional ability
and unimpeachable integrity. He no
longer PRACTICES his profession and Is,
therefore. entirely free from suspicion OF
interested motives. He vas president of
the board Of architects appointed to select
the best plan for the New York city hail.
. building TO cost s.. 0oo 900. He had just
completed the selection of q plan for the
public library Mt Milwaukee when he was
summoned to Olympia No architect has
ever publicly questioned Prof. Wares
judgment excep. one. and the official re-
port of the capito, commissioners Of Texas
on the conduct of that critic in connection
with the state building a. Austin il
o sufficient comment on both. Tho
only objection tina. could be urged against
one architect becoming general authority
Is that competing architects might subject
their plans in advance to what they pre-
conceived to be his architectural idiosyn-
crasies. That objection would not, how
ever. prevail In this case. because none Of
tho architects knew his judgment would
be deferred to.
The telegraph yesterday declared that
the Chamber Of Commerce ut Portland
would be built for 70 cents . cubic foot.
That is not true. The chamber will be 100
feet by 200 feet and liz feet high. II is
surmounted by O tower 3ox30 feet and IS
feet high. Ii the total cost is. as the 7efe-
graph says, $4,000, the average will
DO IS cents per cubic foot. Architect
urnl authorities put the average cost Of fire.
proof buildings at az cents per cubic foot
for good Office structures. In such build
ing as state capitol there Is considerable
additional cost for carved capitals. orna-
mental ironwork nd'other aids to beauty.
II is generally conceded that the state of
Washington Is in favor Of o building OF
which the people may be proud. 1t is an
editice which should last for many genera
tions. and the first cost will be the last.
The suggestion to discard entirely the
judgment of the most competent authority.
Endorsed by the judgment OF state officials
who know tho unitarian requirements of
ha az TIA Inn nd
open for selection by the public 10 almost
too absurd to cali for refutation. Nine
men out of ten would be captured by the
prettiest drawing, and not ono in hun
dred would be competent to determine the
relative areas and capacities Of the internal
compartments.
Furthermore. the point to be determined
Is not which of the many plans Is best,
but which OF them il not only the most
slightly. but the best adapted to the BUSH
ness of the several state departments to be
housed within Its walls. and which can be
completed within the limits of the appro-
pristion.
The state Legislature has vested the
power OF selection In board of commits
sioners to consist of tho governor. the
state auditor, and three men TO be Sc
lee.ed by the governor. The gov
eFnor has selected men whose
reputation none dare directly as
sail. and no insinualon against either
Governor Mos'raw or any other member Of
the commission has been sustained by a
angie specific charge.
The attempt 20 cast discredft on tho
commission 10 but part Of the political
endeayor to harrsss him. and will only re.
sult in the discontinue Of his deirsctors.
The best plan. all things considered. will
be honestly and impArtialiy seEecied-of
that the people may res: assured.