The San Francisco call., 1897-05-16
THE WASHINGTON STATUE.

1t is appropriate that the noblest monu-
ment to Washington outside the capital
of the Nation should stand in Philadei-
phia, and owe its erection to the patriot.
ism of the order of the Cincinnati. While
Virginia claims Washington as her own
by reason of his birth and continuous
residence within her limits. his life during
the period when it was greatest and most
influential is more intimately associated
with Philadelphia than with any other
locality in the Union.
1t was at the city of Philadelphia that
the Congress of the colonies met, and
after proclaimlng their independence ap-
pointed George Washington TO take COM
mand of the army. 1t was near that city
that he guarded the cause or freedom in
his camp at Valley Forge during the dark
est hours of the Revolution. For a
time, moreover, it was the capital of
the newly founded Republic. Around
Philadelphia, therefore, cluster more pat
riotlc associations with Washington than
around any other of our cities. 1t was
there he began his great career, and it was
there that he showed forth most clearly
the grandeur of his soul.
Another fact which makes the place an
appropriate one for special com memo
ration of Washington is the character of
the city itself. As Washington is regarded
as the typical American, SO is Philadel-
phia everywhere looked upon as the typi-
cal American city. While it is neither the
largest. the richest nor the most progress
sive community III America, it is. never
theless, the one which has most fully
realized the American conception of civic
life
1t is the city of homes a well-ordered
community where the virtues OF right liv-
ing are more honored than wealth, where
greater proportion of the people own
the houses they live in than in any other
large city in the world, and where Ameri-
can ideals have been more fully accom-
plshed than In any other of our large
communities II is altogether right that
the first and the greatest of Americans
should be most highly honored in city
that is most truly American.
From accounts which have been given
of it the monument which Philadelphia
dedicated yesterday is the most artistic
staiuesque structure which has thus far
been raised in America. 1t serves as the
standard of our pIishments of the
kind. In its superiority over other under
takings of similar nature it marks the
extent to which we have advanced in our
artistic development and affords high
level of attainment from which to make
the departure for further progress and
higher excellence in the future.
The order of the Cincinnati has proven
its usefulness to the community by rails
ing this noble monument, and it is to be
hoped that it Will continue in the self
appointed task OF stimulating the patri-
otism and the virtue of the people by re-
calling 10 the public mind the virtues of
the great patriot. who founded the order
and with whose fame it is inseparablv
associated. We can never have too many
memorials of our National heroes. and it is
gratifying to know that our taste in such
matters is rapidly being raised to true
standards of excellence. The Washington
monument will serve the double purpose
of reyiving the memory of the founder of
the Republic and of stimulating the
al tistic education of the people, and will
serve not only as an ornament to Phila-
delphia but as benefit to the country at
large.