The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-20
!. The Architect. Arc RInht.

Tho somewhat piquant but entirely justl-
liable letters Of Mr.. BURNHAM to Secretary
CARLISLE. and the Secretary's curt aud in
solent note to Mr.. BURNHAM, putting All
end TO the correspondence. represent the
two sides OF an issue In which the public has
good deal OF interest. Mr.. CARLISLE can
not dismiss the question merely because he
r. angry. Enlightened public opinion is
with the American Institute of Architects.
and against the Administration. In this mat
ter. Tho obstructionlst position which the
Treasury Department has assumed cannot
De maintained long. for IL is determined
solely by Mr.. CARLIsLE's sense Of injured
dignity. and Mr.. CARLIsLE's personal dig
nifty Is of small consequence as compared
with the other considerations involved.
For more than quarter Of a century the
United States Government has been erect
ing for Federal purposes. In different parts
OF tho Union. public buildings which are
disgraces to civilization and blotches on
the fair face OF the earth. The ediflces
erected prior to the MULLErT era are not 30
bad, as rule: they were generally inof-
fensive. for the reason that pretentious
Vulgarity rarely had its own way in de-
signing them. But with MuLLETr and the
tuph uh1b VI iCtOubbIuCblOu pckhh Lho
age Of horrors. Nearly every city and
considerable town In the United States
which had no Federal building. or which
needed new and larger Federal
building, has been disigured with an
architectural monstrosity which flies the
flag Of the Union. and In the minds Of the
majority Of people living In Its neighbor-
hood represents and typifies the Govern
ment Mt Washington. The damage done to
the public taste by the vile standard estab-
lished and maintained by the Federal archi-
tects. 30 called. Is incalculable. The money
wasted In the construction OF the hundreds
of costly Post Offices and Custom Houses,
drearily commonplace or startlingly repul-
Give. according to accident. is nothing In
comparison with the permanent injury in
dicted upon this generation and succeeding
generations by the constant contemplation
Of these degrading objects.
On the other hand. there Ia nothing In the
history Of the world like the general prog
ress Of American architecture. and the rapid
education Of public taste. during the same
period Of twenty-five years. This sudden
impulse is due partly to the fact that the
Eation has reached that stage In its chro-
noiogy when development begins to pro-
coed rapidly along other lines than those
OF mere utllitarianism. and partly TO the
circumstance that we have at this time O
remarkable number Of architects Of genius.
and high and correct ideas. engaged In the
active practice OF their profession. The
change that has been wrought within q
dozen years by the efforts Of these men is
marvellous: and 1t affects every depart
ment and branch Of American architecture.
save the official architecture OF the United
States Government.
That our Federal buildings should con-
tinue to be the frightful examples instead
OF admirable masterpieces of American
architecture 10 preposterous. That one
Supervising Architect after another should
60 on indefinitely, loading the country
with Custom Houses and Post Offices after
'machine-made plans. or the designs Of am
bilious incompetency. 10 contrary to COM
mon sense. When the American Institute
OF Architects succeeds In eifecting the re-
form which 1t has In view. by opening to
competition the designing of every i'm
portant public building which the Govern
ment Is about to erect. or by compelling
the Treasury Department to employ the
best professional ability available. 1t will
have rendered to the country one Of the
greatest services possible.