New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-17
HOW THE NOTION WAS LOST.
MR.. SMILE TELLS WHY THE ACADEMI.
CLANS VOTED AGAINST THE PRO-
POSED ALLIANCE

Only six members of the National Academy Of
Design. at the special and secret meeting held In
the Academy Wednesday evening 70 consider the
report Of the Committee Site and Plan. voted In
favor OF the ma orty report proposing that bust.
alliance for building purposes with or without
actual union OF property. might be preferred) BE-
made between the Academy and the organizations
now owning the Fine Arts Building In West Fifty.
seventh-st.: the Society OF American Artists the
Architectural League Of New-York. ard the Art
Students League OF NewYork
There hfty-sx members present, but, while
there undoubtedly majority OF members
who voted against the proposed business alliance.
most OF the members VINO favored the plan. realz-
ing that they would be defeated did no, vote when
a show OF hands called for by the president
Thomas W. Wood. There about ninety Acade.
mcians, and. some OF them live abroad, II would
probably be impossible under the most favorable
circumstance TO get more than seventy-hve to-
gether An outline OF certain features OF the meet
ing was given 20 a Tribune reporter yesterday by
James D. Sme, the chairman OF the Committee
on Site and Plan. whose majority report favored
the alliance mentioned. and who opened the dis
cusson by urging upon the members the adoption
OF this cooperative combination for business pur-
poses.
1T was no. the aasco reported IN a vote OF fifty
against six in favor OF this alliance" said Mr..
Smile. THE meeting one Of the largest ever
held in the Academy. and members came from
Washington Annapolis. Philadelphia, New-Haven
and Boston to attend Il. The discussion was very
free. frank and without acrmony Daniel Hunting
ton in opposition. made passionate appeal. going
back lessons Of warning TO the early history OF
the Academy. The majority in opposition TO tho
report ade themselves evident that when IL came
o a vote minority let It by default. and.
far as know, there is no record or the VOTE wnich
by holding up hands.
After the vote taken there some further
discussion as to new committee. and #
49, @f,. cf $50 INIT
tee should be left to the Council OF the Academy.
this committee work in common. far as pos.
sible with the Council The committee will be APP
pointed next Monday evening. All differences that
might have existed healed by the application
OF series OF resolutions presented by f. Wood
Perry. These resolutions said that the failure to
to the needs OF the Academy. and that the action
re md feeling towar S the societies in Ftysev
but 0m a. belief nat m He n T more ere
Client co-workers in the great cause OF the advance
1T er on ss and @ r e
The opposition turned wholly upon the determine INA
the institution separate and upon It's bottom
all hazards The possibilities of good results In
many ways following such plan Of COOPERATION
did not think them sufficient to Offset the disad-
The matter was not discussed in detail at ALL but
only upo1 those broad lnss The only question
ever or shall It at all hazards stand alone: The
new Site Committee viii be confronted with the
same difficulties tina, met the old Site Committee.
How they will dispose OF them remains TO be seen.
Naturally am disappointed. but DO not fattef
myself that all the wisdom OF the Academy rests
with me. That the members have decided on .
course different from the one ] had in mind does
not necessarily mean disaster TO the Academy
accept the result fortune OF war. had con.
victions and the courage OF my convictions. but
able 10 convince the majority OF the Acad-
envy that my way OF thinking was for the best. and
accept their decision without murmur. and stand
ready give my best efforts in behalf OF the Acad
envy 10 any otner enterprise that may command
my approval.
"As have said. the vote In favor OF the alliance
defauted. Only few OF the members who were
in favor OF II put up their hands. and without
nouncing the vote. President Wood simply declared
that the motion 10 adopt was lost. It was agreed
among ourselves that II 1t likely that the vote
would be close. We did not wish TO win by small
majority. the plan could not be made operative
without a large majority. There is strong feeling
among Academiclans In favor OF our report. and
was quite satisfied that our strength as developed
before the meeting justified my faith In the scheme
But after Mr.. Huntingtons earnest address, II was
evident that he had the majority Of the members
present with him.
The report of the meeting in The Tribune to-day
Is headed Defeat for Fusionists.' This Is CHROME.
Fusion was not advocated nj all but CO.
operative alliance with other existing art corpora
tions for business purposes only. was advised