New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-27
SELECTIONS FROM THE NAIL
THE PROPOSED TAX ON ARr'
GEORGE II sMurJE DESIRES TIE COMMERCIAL
SIDE TO BE RECOGNIZED BY \ TARIFF
nN INFERIOR pICTI RE.

SIDE To BE REcOGNlIED ID y 1870
on INFERIOR PICTURES
To the Editor of The Tribune g.,
Sir. II seems 10 me that your editorial IN sun
days Tribune while wisely condemh'ns ',o ."N
placed upon art in the tarin bill, oVciioons o''c
side of the question. inasmuch as II tahe' "o q.
cornt Of the quantity OF useless and trashy "oIh'
imported into this country oy spectators ""ue'
the head OF foreign art Is 1t not desr""e " "
protected against low and vicious eNaihp'es VI
art" so called? II IL woll-known Iac' wa
quantities of these works flooding the country
purchased for francs abroad and sold lot ooiin'
here The mass OF our people are not discrin'-
mating as pcture-buyers. and take these WORN ~.
what they purport to be-foreign art. Ihe' no "o,
represent ideas" at all. but certain supc''c'ai
cleverness which abounds among painters "o'o"'
not artists whose mode of life is entirely diHereht
fl ON ours.
Would not n specific tarf-sIch as | have urged
before md was urged by Mr.. John Elderkin IN
these columns SundayL6e rosa'i, ~, w weight
upon valuable art work There Is n,CVeineal,y ~"
on foot among TIE dT ris IN o Ills end It Is far
from desire 10 put "a tarliI upon lu sa' ,,ora
before the matter OF ideas In art Is reacheI lneie
viz the technical and commercial, Any , pd p ~
necessity to he considered from commercial stann
point. and do not see that It Is whit T nor MI u
ecuton of the commercial side of his art than ior
the author to seek Copyright tor ms TorN we live
under IL protective tariff. why should me ar.,S , p'
exempt from the necessity more than the nra Sor
except that he lives less for money ana more l"i
the love of his work? lie paints with ms taxed
coors and brushes on taxed canvas. and ~ expect
ed TO compete with a horde of clever painters WIZ
work under entirely different conditions OF Ire,
A friend told me that he saw lately IN fH's
set of very clever illustrative pen drawings TOT
hch the arts; glad TO receive from ~ 10 -
francs each Would any~of our respcctabIe lIlus
traitors bn able or willing TO make drawings TOT =.
or b.? Yet there is nothing Mt present to prevent
publishers sending abroad for this very Grass OF
work | know of publishers OF etchings passing by
our men here. because they could send to France
md get the work done--no better. but lot mucn
smaller price; and then. 1t was 'french you
know. ..-,., -.h,,h ,or,
II seems TO me this is n matter with when COM
merce has a great deal 10 do. ard We can eVaue
A. There are few If any. of our artists VINO Geslre
n "thumping tax levied really good WORKS OF
art-such as take their range among WORKS, or
ideas IL II were practicable. should be gao 10
see specific duty levied on all WORKS lmp0I,usu
below 81 900 in value; but 1t would he SURPRISING
then TO find all imported works so valuabie-uhti
they had passed the Custom House. J., A..
OF course. intelligence would he required III the
ARRANGEMENT Of details. az not to nave such Il
levy bear upon reproductions by photosraph OF
otherwise of works of art or other SUBJECTS lron
abroad They could not be done here ana would
not enter into competition with home productIon,
NO. ~ NV GEORGE II. SMILE.