Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-02
No Defacing of Our Public BUILDINGS.

No Defncfng of Our Public buildings.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
Next to the protection of our public mon
| uments from the indignity Of being boxed
| up and concealed from view at the very
time the thousands that flock to the capital
tc the Inauguration are entitled to sec
them, We trust the inaugural subcommit-
| tee on street decorations, etc, will be very
strict in forbidding the DETACHMENT and
concealment of the porticos of the treasury
building by any temporary stand, however
fanciful in architecture or brilliant in dec
ora ton. The idea of street decoration in a
city like Washington becomes the extreme
OF absurdity when these. the greatest
ornaments the city possesses, the only fea-
ture that gives real dignity and beauty to
the streets of the capital, are allowed to be
dlSflgured and turned into the aspect of a
nuge, cheap grand stand of a country fair.
mere are good many buildings on Penn
syivanfa avenue that might be entirely con-
ceaied from view by spectators seats with
great advantage. but, happily, government
puild ngs are not of this character and 1
question very much the right of the public
employees who are assigned to duty in anv
OF the department buildings to regard these
noble edifices as their own. to deface as
they pleased with cheap lumber structures
on the day when the people come here to
see their own buildings in festal array The
oHense to the eye Of the fine porticos of
the treasury boxed up out of view is even
surpassed by the offense to good sense and
good manners when the peoples employees
presume to use this building as their own
private premises, to treat as they please
regardless of the good appearance of the
city and of the purpose for which good
architecture exists. Not even the govern
ment itself has the right to abuse for any
private ends or convenience any public
property, and least of ali is il becoming in
the name and preter.se of festal "decora-
uon, to allow wholesale procedure of
ols s OF our national capital, COW
erlng up Its distinguishing objects of
peauty, and erecting in place cheap stands
winch may yield a money rroiit 1t would
De much more in accordance with true re-
publican principles for the government to
use an amount of money such as has been
heretofore spent in Disagreement of our
1alr city in erecting some truly worthy
scheme of street decoration such as a num-
per OF your correspondents have suggested
mat would enhance the dignity and beauty
OF the national capital at q time when the
people have right to see it at its best
sucn system might easily include the
comfortable seating of as many as desired
such accommodation, and this without any
offensive or obstructive erection whatever
Inc mere following in an old routine be-
cause II Is the easiest course is not the
way Tor public-spirited community such
as our national capital ought to be- If this
object be to make this inaugural occasion
a truly splendid and dignified national fes
llVai' then let the committees have their
eyes open to what intelligent and advanced
cities of similar rank do elsewhere and
they will see that this idea of gauging the
style OF decoration by the income from
seat buyers and the consent of the clerks
in the public departments to our preventing
the abuse of our own buildings is one be-
longing to rustic period of the past and
should no longer be encouraged. 1t takes
more than paper flags, cheap bunting and
rough lumber to make a city with Wash
1ngton's possibilities more beautiful when
uEadorned. What is needed is some sound
arustic sense, broad vision of these pos
slblhtieS, the courage to undertake them
and a contempt for all petty and selfish
policies which have in the past made in
augural day in Washington day of pub
lie humiliation, far as the outward as
pect Oh the city IS concerned. f. S.