Evening star., 1898-12-06


OF the minor recommendations made by
| President Mckinley in his message to Con-
SresS none is at once more time and more
| important than his suggestion that the CEN
tennlal of the founding of the city Of Wash
ington shall be made a notable event Only
little more than year remains in which
| to accomplish that result, and commemora-
tons OF a national character cannot be ar
| ranged in a day. The President recon-
mendS that a committee to undertake. .he
/ management OF the project be appointed
| and tnat Congress make an appropriation
for the purpose. AS the head of alton
that Is soon to celebrate so important an
event he could do nothing less.
The President says but little on the sub
ject. but it is obvious that he feels deeply
Washington is today a beautiful. city, but
it does not yet begin to do justice to the
great people who own it as their seat of
government. 1t is his idea that there
should be some lasting memorial of the
occasion, something which will teach COM
ing generations that the people of this age
were not without artistic aspira tions and
patriotism. Had he argued for two or three
such memorials he would not have gone
too far As he says, the people of the
country are justly proud of their capital
city. and they have a right to be But the
work of making that city beautiful has
only begun If an arch of any character be
erected there, 1t should be one of Importance
and of artistic merit. Those who would
protest against such an outlay are OF so
small proportion of the population that
their voices would scarcely be heard and
even if heard, would be of no consequence
compared with the overwhelming sentiment
in its favor
Let US face this subject in a patriotic
spirit. The erection of triumphal or histor-
ical arches should not end the work here
recommended. Paris is today the most
beautiful city in the world because the
people of France have spent millions of
dollars year after year in adorniug its
streets with just such memorials as the
President has In mind. With its enormous
resources this nation should equal the re-
su is achieved in the French capital. The
nobleSt statues Of our heroes should adorn
more of its prominent streets. Its rivers
should be SCANNED by the most beautiful
bridges. Its streets should be further i'm
proved. if that is possible. A thousand rea-
sons for such a policy come easily to mind
No foreigner visits this country without
visiting the capital and without returning
to his own country to tell what he saw
No native citizen goes thither without hav-
ing his patriotism stirred and feeling more
and more inclined to fight more determin-
edly for his country. These are the great
reasons for carrying out the presidential
recommendation. 1t need not be feared
that there VIII not be any adequate return
-or the amounts expended. The cost to so
great a people would not be felt, and every
where the effect would be to enhance the
prestige of the whole people among the ma
tionS of the world.
1t is hazarding little to predict that the
committee for which the President has
asked will be named and that an appropria-
| ton will be made hut there should be no
| halfway business in the promises. The
CONNIE moration should be notable one and
| should carry the fame of the United States
| to the farthest corners of the earth.