The courier., 1896-08-08
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WE AND OUR NEIGHBORS @
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WE ANDOUR NEIGHBORS

The statue OF Lincoln contemplated
and finished, a. far ss plaster can finish
II. by John Currie, has fallen into dis
favor with the art critics OF the city and
may not be erected on postoffice square.
1t has been decided, however. to carve
something out Of the marble sent by the
people OF Tennessee to John Currie. A
committee has been appointed to select
q sculptor who can model a statue OF
Lincoln worthy to be carved from the
marble and set up in the most promi-
nent place in the city. The names OF
the committee are unknown to me. bat
il should be composed Of individuals
who. il not practical artists. have studied
and seen the best work OF the best art.
lists enough to distinguish good work
from bad. ln the instructions to the
committee the clause, .'Other things
being equal. select Nebraska man to
model the statue" is unfortunate, il not
fatal to happy choice. No good sculp-
tor lives 10 Nebraska, il he did he would
be dead from starvation. The leisure
class support artists and there is no leis-
ure class here. Such statement can
only be resented by those who deny the
ract that Nebraska is new state and is
situated 800 miles from the Atlartic
coast and hereditary wealth.
Some OF the recent monthly maga-
zines have shown Illustrations of statues
made by q young sculptor who lives IN
New York city. His name is Rhind. and
his latest work lie q statue Cf John C.
Calhoun. 1t shows the combative
energy Of the believer in state rights,
his rugged strength and dauntleee
spirit. No one could stand in front of
the statue without admitting that here
was fighter. To acquire that express
sion took years OF combat. No bucolic
experience cut those eye sockets 90
deep. no mercantile traffic lifted that
noble head in challenge. A foreigner
ignorant OF American history in looking
at the statue modelled by Rhind would
know that the man he was looking at
had had something to do with events in
the United States. Such a sculptor
should model a statue OF the greatest
American for the city OF Lincoln. The
influence OF such u work upon the youth
OF the state can not be reckoned. Mr..
Rhind's price would be much larger
than native Nebraskans' would be,
but considering the indestructibility of
the material. and the expanding knowl-
edge OF the people. any price the CON-
mittee might pay u native sculptor
would be an extrsvagance.
Not that Nebraska cannot produce
sculptors. when she is old enough. but
statesmen come first. Moses had to lead
the people out OF bondage before they
we're able to build ornamental temples.
Since Mr.. Brysnie nomination eastern
people have looked up Nebraska on the
map They have quit asking the west
ern nan how many miles his state is
from chicago and whether he takes
gun with him when he goes to church.
III Sterling Morton is selected by
the boiling democrats the state will get
q reputation Tor timber that may csuse
saw mills to locate here. Mr.. Thurston
has been selected by the republican
campaign committee to answer Mr..
Bryan. Word has come back to Ne
braska that he is considered the only
man who ever equaled Mr.. Bryan in de-
bate. The former sccompliehes his ef