Evening star., 1896-12-09
LIBRARY BUILDING
Opposition to Its Use for the Inau-
gural Ball.
SENATOR MORRILL'S RESOLUTION
Further Expressions Of Opinion From
Representatives.
obj ECTIONS ST ATE ID

The first move made in Congress to pre-
| vent the new library building from being
| used for purposes of the inaugural ball was
made in the Senate today. Mr.. Morrill, in
| troduced resolution providing that no
! part Of the Library building should re
used for any purpose other than that le-
| Ultimately connected with the Library OF
| Congress-"
This resolution was referred to the COM
| mittee additional accommodations for
| the library and will doubtlessly be reported
| promptly and adopted by the Senate. The
| resolution is the outcome of a very general
| feeling of opposition toward the plan of
crowding the library building with an i'm
| mense mass Of people OH the evening of the
| Inauguration. Since this matter has been
| discussed in The Star very many members
| of Congress have become fully alive 10 the
| great danger that would be encountered
| by having the inaugural ball held IN the
| new building. 1t is expected tina: a similar
| resolution will be introduced in the House
| at an early day and that in snort time
| the matter will be finally dispos Ell of SO as
| to effectually provide for protecting the
| new library building from use for any
purpose not connected with the manage
| ment and use of the Library of Congress.
| Opinion Of Representatives.
|
| House leaders. said to Star reporter this
| morning: My impression is that the build
ing is too fine to be Used for a ball. 1t is a
| gem and ought not to be used for any pur-
| pose that would injure it. The pension Of
| flee. it seems to me, can be used again.
Representative Northway of Ohio said: ::
| There are serious objections, l am in
| clined to think to the use of the new
| building for this purpose. There are peo-
pie who would do anything to secure souv-
| enirs If they had chance"
| EX-Speaker Grow was more positive than
| any of the others in his opposition. There
| is no use in allowing it used for public pur-
| loses said Mr. Grow. The pension office
is the proper place 1t has larger area
| and is better adapted to the occasion.
| law should be passed that the library shall
be used cnly for the purpose for which it
| was intended. Just as certain as the ball
| should be held in the new building some
Yankee would be chipping the toes off the
angels and otherwise marring the adorn-
| ments to secure souvenirs
Representative Gibson of Tennessee said
| that II the damage would be as much as
| indicated he would oppose the use of the
| building for the hall. Il would not object
| to its being used for prayer meeting" he
1 said.
| The democrats, as stated in The Star do
not wish to be quoted the subject, be-
| cat Sc they might be accused Of doing SO
Ior Poll,lcal reasons. If democratic
| PRESIDENT was to be inaugurated," said
| Representative Sayers, Il would oppose the
use of the building for a ball"
Not IL Good Place.
Nearly all the republican leaders ex-
pressed their opposition and approved the
course of The Star seeking expressions of
| opinion on the subject. Representative
| Dalzell said: The Star is on the right
| track. In my judgment the library is MOI,
a, good place for the ball In the next place
! the use of it would be a perversion of the
| purposes for which the building was erect
| ed. The chief ground for my opposition
| would be that it would subject the finest
6aiis 1aiiunns tne government owns to the van
dalsm of crowd such is to be expect
| ed on an occasion of that kind. 1t would
| result IN lrreparabie damage to the build
ing and the works of art it contains"
| Representative Jenkins Of Wisconsin: II
am opposed to the use of the building for
| dancing purposes"
Representative Blue of Kansas: Il am
| opposed to the use Of the building for the
| purposes alleged. 1t wasn't made for
| ball room. The interior of the building is
| tastefully and extensively decora ted suited
| Tor the purpose for which 1t was intended
| To use it for an inaugural ball would be a
| direct perversion and ought not to be toler-
| ated''
| Representative Hepburn of Iowa: There
| is no propriety In using this building for
| ball. when there is one the pension office
| which is better adapted to the purpose
| Mr. Hanna Given Some Informa ti0n.
1
We're in Speaker Reeds room they met
Representative Quigg of the library COM
| mittee, who is opposed to the holding of
the ball in the library building, and had
| talk with him.
| While thus engaged Senator Morrill, came
over from the Senate side and expressed
| himself most emphatically in opposition to
| the plan. Senator Morrill, detailed at some
| length his reasons for holding to the opin-
ion that the library building is not the
place Tor an inaugural ball. He said the
| building would not furnish room for such
| a purpose. to begin with, and that 1t would
not be right to run the risk of defacing the
decorations of the interior for one nights
| entertainment, after so much time labor
| and money had been expended
Mr.. Hanna did not meet with much en-
ccuragement upon the House side in his
proposal to hold the inaugural ball In the
| library building, and, after talking with
| several members. he and Gen. Porter went
over TO the Senate to see if they could make
more impression upon the Senator'S
| To Consider Mr.. MOrrill's Resolution
| A meeting OF the committee on additional
| accommodations for the library of the Sem
ate will be held one day this week to con-
| slider Mr.. MorrIll's resolution providing
that the new library building shall be used
| for no other purpose except tlrat contem-
plated in it's construction. 1t is known that
| Mr.. VOORHEES, Is strongly in favor of Mr.
! Morrills resolution, and it is thought that
| nearly every member of the committee is
similarly inclined.
1t Is understood that no one would have
| authority to permit the use of the library
building for the purposes of an inaugural
| ball except Congress. No move has vet
been made to secure this authority and Mr..
| MorrilPs resolution is introduced not neces-
sar,ly Tor the sole purpose of preventing
the inaugural bail from being held there,
but to settle that question for all time.
II his resolution is passed in the Senate
and a similar one goes through the House
| it is believed that in years to come this
| action will be accepted as precedent to
| prevent any invasion of the library build
| ing for purposes other than those for
which 1t was constructed.
NavalsMOvcmcnts.
| The battle ship Indiana left Tomnkins-