The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-12-18
ion. Il is brighter than crowns. It /!

IS tne rlcneB OF tne poor. IL ii Tue
faith and hope and uplift Of the op-
pressed. It is subtler than policy. 1t is
right and IL is the destiny Of nations.
AS our country moves to speed that
destiny IL will carry the future Of
Washington city with it. Our fathers
brought the Federal Government here
In 1900 and dedicated this spot as "the
eternal capital Of theeternal republic. I"
And the capital and the republic have
grown with equal pace and their step
has ever been forward.
THE CAPITAL CITY.
To my mind this capital city Of the
republic is the city unique and beau.
tiful.
The United States will live and with
them Washington will live, expanding,
multiplying. beautifying enlighteninR
with every turn Of the prodigious wheel
of which IL is the axle. Plans for its
improvement abound. One contem-
plates the erection here Of the "Halls Of
the Anoients. where the eye may be-
hold revived architectural creations Of
bygone nations. Another would pro-
duoe on some expansive field q minia.
ture II the United States Of America,
showing In the earth itself the delinea.
tions aud undulations Of our national
topography. These and kindred
schemes are we'll worthy Of considera.
tIon. Bot she essential must come first.
Washington needs. and the people Of
the whole country need, fitting outlets
for the new railroads that press for ad-
mission. and bridges which will span
she Potomac and connect the city with
the military post, the agricultural station
and the beautiful cemetery at Arling
ton. More public buildings are needed
by both the District and the Federal
Governments.
All will be gratifled TO know that the
White House is to be enlarged for the
more suitable accommodation Of the
President In the exercise Of the official
and hospitAble funotions incumbent on
the chief of our multitudinous people {;
and all will wish the present occupant
that happiness which he would. II be
could. bestow on every one Of them.
No less pressing are the needs Of the
many departments. This Government
should not be forced, as il has been,
and is now, to rent rooms like tran
sient visitor, nor TO put Its public ser.
wants In dinRy lodgings like postponed
claimants.
INVENTIVE NATION.
Aud one public building above all
others Is needed here as the reflex Of
the peculiar genius Of the nation and
Of lie supreme intellectual distinction
In department. where IL surpasses all
ancient and modern nations We are
the most inventive Of nations. The
free intellect has been the most orig
inal and productive Of ell intellects.
Other nations have surpassed us In
literature and the fine arts, but In the
inventive and useful arts the United
States Is far transoendant. The Patent
Office, established by Thomas Jefferson,
and protecting for q brief period the
only constitutional monopoly, the right
to the exclusive enjoyment Of ones
original ideas, is the crown Of American
intellectual supremacy over the ma
serial world, even as the Constitution
of the United States is the crown Of
political architecture and the Union H.
self the browning glory Of our people.
Francis Bacon says; THE sciences
dwell sociably together, "and we should
put on Capitol Hill. facing the Senate
hall, as q companion piece to the ex
quisite library building now facing the
Hall of Representatives, another build
ing of like architecture. And the
American capitol Of letters should have
BY Its side the American capitol Of In
yentive art, both facing this Capitol Of
the people. where their sovereignty has
ita highest exemplification. In that hall
should be displayed the evolutions. with
every invention indicated by It's model
inclusive Of the last improvement Il
would be the greatest college Of applied
science that the world has ever seen q
monument to and q stimulus TO inven'
tion. and leading By graduation to those
truths of science which hover over the
threshold Of the sge "waiting to bs
caught"