New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-10
THE DEWEY CUP.

,r donoar of making mistake about that
Dewey loving cup. We understand that he mas
secured a rough draft Of design for the cup
and that Il is to bear portrait OF Admlral
Dewey. a picture Of the Olympia. the arms or
the city of New-York and possibly the names
Of the Mayor Councilmen and Aldermen why
"possibly" the names Of our distinguished mu
nicipal officials? Is he not putting the cart De-
fore the horse In thus giving subordinate
place. and maybe no place at ALL on New
York cup to names and portraits that VIII dis
tinguish it from any other cup that may DE
presented to the Admiral as a unique glft
bristling with what the novelists call local color!
Pictures of Admiral Dewey and of the Olympia
are all well enough in their way. But the hero
of Manila has doubtless seen hundreds or pct
ures of himself and his ship, and would be glad
of q change General Butterfeld's design is, or
course intended to convey compliment to the
citys guest and we fully honor his motives ana
appreciate his point Of view Nevertheless 1t Is
TO be remembered that this cup Is to be
souvenir. Its purpose is not to hold mirror
I'm 10 Admiral Dewey or recall to him the
battle of Manila, with which he will doubtless
remain familiar as long as ne lives. 1t is to
testify to him the admiration of New-fork, TO
great city who greeted him on his home com
ing to stand forever among his possessions
monument to the metropolis. We wish that
cup to speak to the Admiral Of this city, and be
thoroughly characteristic of It, and we fear
General Butterfeld may fall In making 1t so II
he even thinks of emitting the names OF our
officials
Indeed we are not sure that he has not gone
hanin
wrong way. We do not know whom he has
consulted. but probably he is having the cup
designed by some goldsmith who would be
equally at home In New-York or London or
Paris. His design will not smack Of the soil
What he ought TO do Is to get the typical New
York artists to design a cup, so that in every
curve and picture 1t will be Instinct with New
York. and then lay that cup at the Admirars
feet as the symbol of NETWORKS welcome
Let us put ourselves in our gift not merely
greet our hero with a commonplace piece or
plate that any town might give him. Does any
body question who, and who alone, are fit for
such a task? Who can express the art impulse
of our government and the whole height and
depth of the civic spirit of NewYork like
Horgan & Slattery? We have other architects,
other engineers other dock builders, other fire
boat thinkers, other scow designers, but nobody
else ready to direct our energies in every branch
of the constructive arts. What the old Italian
masters were to their cities Horgan Slattery
are to New-York. Leonardo designed bridges,
built forts dug canals and was as ready In the
public service to take up great building enter
prise or a petty mechanical Job as to paint
picture. He was no dettante like some Of our
artists, who can only sit among Persian rugs and
draw pretty plans or putter at pretty pictures.
We are not sure that he always had definite
office. with a sign on the door, any more than
Horgan & Slattery have had for the last six
months We have heard that several Of the
great masters Of the Renaissance were bank
rupts like Horgan Slattery, but they, too
were still employed by Medicis and Sforzas,
the bosses Of that day, just as Mr. Croker en-
ploys Horgan & Slattery. Following the ex-
ample OF Leonardo, they are ready to design
mudscow or build a palace. and we are sure
they could design a Dewey cup that future gen
erations would point to as the flower OF the
New-York godsmiths art, and preserve, as the
Florentines preserve the urns and cups OF
Benvenuto Cellni
Let us be worthy Of our opportunities in this
matter. The Dewey cup will probably be In
glass case three centuries from now. 1t should
be made by artists worthy Of Immortality. not
by mere journeymen designers who make
spoons for plutocrats. The artists Of the peO-
pie, the artists patent Of the city, should sym
bolize the city in It. OF course, the Mayor and
city legislators should have a place on 1t. The
state of science here might be typifed by an
! engraving Of Commissioner Murphy studying
the miasma that oozes through asphalt pave
ments. Mr.. Croker's horses running around
the rim would have interesting significance, and
| II decorative feature Of dancing youths and
maidens s desired nothing better could be
| found than panels OF our officially protected
"ragtime' dance and our officially attended
| French ball. A picture Of the Mayor insulting
the captain of the Spanish Vizcaya might be
introduced as prophetic OF the war In which
Admiral Dewey won glory, and his brilliant
achievements In taking civilization to the dark
skinned Ftlipinos might be delicately suggested
by an allegory Of Chief Devery sternly sup
pressing robbery in NewYork streets by col
ored women. There is scarcely an idea or an
emotion that we should like to express upon
a work Of art OF this kind for which appropriate
symbols may not be found right In our own pres
ent day municipal history, and we have fitting
geniuses for the work. How much better to
give Admiral Dewey something which will ever
speak to him Of New-York and the Mayor and
City Fathers who will welcome him than to
add merely one to the innumerable tokens
which will bore him with the reiteraton Of his
own deeds. Surely, he would prefer Horgan
& Slattery's sympathetic and masterful repre-.
sentation Of New.York craftsmanship turning
from its various occupations whether In the
iail or the ginshOp, and, with pipes and tim
brels and wild ecstasy. coming to greet him
| and give him q souvenir engraved with the