The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-07-07

cone immortal on the otle. side OF the
sea. but it is the fashion OF Americans 70
mention foreign artists and to know mite
or nothing about our own Copley and AIS
TON and Inman and GreenOuSh ana Men
sett. Let the ~afluent fling out OF tnelr
windows and into the backyard ValueiesS
daubs on canvas and call in these splehuid
but u~n.ewarded men and tel them 70
adorn YOUR walls. not only with that Whlcn
shall please the taste, but enlarge the
minds and improve the morals and save
the souls of those who gaze upon them. All
American cities need great galleries OF arr.
not only open annually for a few days on
exhibition. but which shall stand open AL
the year round, and from early morning
until 10 o'clock at night and fLae to all who
would come and go.
What n preparation for the wear ana
tear Of the day a five minutes look IN the
morning at some picture that will open q
door into some larger realm than that IN
which our population daily drudge! Or
what a good thing tie half hour Of artistic
| opportunity GA the way home in the even
I ic3 from exhaustion that demands recu-
peration for mind and soul as we'll as
body. Who will do fer the city where you
live what w. w. Corcoran did for Wash
inSton and what others have done for
Boston and Philadelphia and New York?
Men Of wealth, if you are too modest TO
build and endOw such q place during your
lifetime. why not go to your iron safe and
take out your last will and testament and
make a codicil that shall build for the city
OF your residence a throne for American
art? Take some Of that money that
would otherwise spoil your children
and build an art gallery that shall associate
your name forever, not only with great
masters Of painting who are gone, but with
the great masters who are trying to live,
and also win the admiration and love OF
tens Of thousands of people who, unable TO
have fine pictures OF their Owl, would b.
advantaged. By your benefactions build
your own monuments and not leave it to
the whims Of others. Some of the best peo-
pie sleeping in Greenwood have no mOnu-
mentS 1T al, or some crumbling stones that
in q few years will let the rain wash out
name and cpitaph, while some men whose
death was the abatenentO of a nuisance have
a pile Of Aberdeen granite high enough for
a king and eulogium enough to embarrass
q seraph.
Oh, man of large wealth, instead OF
leaving to the whim of others your monu-
mental commemoration and epitaphol-
ogy, to be looked at when people are going
to and fro at the burial OF others, build
right DOWN in the heart Of our great city,
or the city where you live, an immense
free reading room or a free musical con-
servatory or a free art gallery, the inches
for sculpture abloom with the rise and fall
of nations and lessons OF courage for the
ulSnearteneu ana rest Tor tho weary and
life for the dead, and $50 years from now
you will be welding influences in this
world for good. How much better than
white marble, that chills you ii you put
your hand on it when you touch it in the
cemetery, would be n monument in colors,
in beaming eyes, in living possession. in
splendors which under the chandelier
would be glowing and warm and
looked at by strolIing groups with cata-
logue in hand, on the January night wheu
:hc metropolis where the body sleeps is all
showed ncder, The tower OF David was
hung with 1000 denied shields OF battle
but you, oh man OF wealth, may have q
grander tower named after you, one tina,
shall be hung not with the symbols Of car
mage, but with the victories Of that ar
which was so long ago recognized in my
text rs pheasant pictures.' On, the powe]
Of pictures. | cannot derile, as some hay,
dOue. Cardinal Mazarin, who. when told
that be must die. took his last wall
through the art gallery of his palace. say
ing: Must l quit all this? Look at tina
Titan, Look ut that COrreCgio. Look a
that deluge of Caracci! Farewell, dea
pictures,'
:, AS the day of the Lord Of Hosts. accord
ing to this text, will scrutinize the pic
lures, implore all parents to see that il
their households they have neitherin boo
: nor newspaper nor on canvas anythin.
that will deprave. Pictures are no lonct
the exclusive possession Of the affiuent
: There IS not q respectable home in tines
!, cities that has rot specimens Of wooden
! or steel engraving, if not Of painting. an,
: your whole family Will feel the moral az
lifting or deurtssior.