The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-22
tion Of the Congress of the

had been held in four different States and
eight different cities. The fathers Thought
Il wise that the Administration oil the Ma
tional Government should be free from
immediate State influence, and that as Inc
nation had n head an untitled but royal
family. il should have a home; hence 1t
came about that the nation which had
established itself upon a new continent
was the first in history to found seat
of government on new ground by legisla-
tive act
"A nation is known and Judged by It's
representative men, its institutions, and
its manifest wealth; every visitor to our
land makes up his judgment of the nation
at large from the impression made upon
him by the men he meets. the institutions
he comes in contact with. and the visible
manifestation of wealth and power. III
the men are intelligent. broad-minded far
sighted. well-grounded in honor and in
tegrity: If the institutions are progressive
in thought reaching out after the best
and truest facts in human life; II the
structures in marble and stone, and statues
and paintings are of the highest art, IL
there be refinement in society, then the
nation is placed high in rank among the
civilized nations of earth, and men VIII
seek friendship and homes among such
people. Emerson said: If there were any
magnet that would point TO the countries
ano houses where are the persons who are
intrinsically rich and powerful. ] would
sell all and buy it and put myseif on tne
road today.
The Essentials of Development.
THE race goes with US on their credit.
The knowledge that there is in city
man who invented the railroad raises the
credit of all its citizens. But enormous
populations, IL they be beggars, are as
gusting; like moving cheese, like nils oil
ants or feas-the more the worse. To
grow great and strong communities tnere
must be great plans and rich and deep
foundations. Society that is good rises
like those majestic trees in California,
which spring from a sell as deep as the
trees are high. and spread their boughs
in an air ever mild and full OF life from
mountain and sea. Life in it's highest
form is made up of many elements, and OF
all the sentiments in the human MIND
none is more universal than that OF the
beautiful. Looking at human history. the
beautiful is a river that has followed the
marching human race like the sweet.
fresh waters which followed that army
that wandered In the desert under the
banner of Moses
Follow man through Egypt and Greece
and Palestine and Rome and Italy and
France and England. and you will find
this river OF sweet waters everywhere
The ruins OF civilization may be silent over
the particular merits of those who built
and worshiped in the temples and lived
in the palaces, but the ruins all assure US
all those hearts, in all countries. and In
all times, were in harmony in just such
taste as Is now the foundation OF art.
The history of the race, IL wholly written,
would add 10 the records OF war. Of poll
tics and OF religion, the history OF senti-
ment which In the child reaches out !or
the brightest rose. and In manhood and
womanhood seeks marble and bronze and
crimson and gold, and music and song
The highest utility includes the beautiful;
songs are as useful as reapers; poems are
as necessary as railroads; statue and me-
mortal bridge meet want In human life
as real as that which calls for the tele-
graph and architecture is as valuable as
carpenter work. Let us then build for
the nation a city which shall be full OF
the beautiful.
Nor is wealth to be despised. DR.. JON
son said: Men are seldom more inno-
Gently employed than when they are max
ing money A man who lives in hut
or a cave will die with no more estate than
the wolf or the wild ass. The men who
build railroads and factories and furnaces
and mills are the benefactors and mis-
sieneries who bring the glad tidfngs OF
industry and markets and nationa! wealth.
Each nation has civilization OF its own;
the black man and the Indian have not
learned and taken up the white man s
burden Let this city represent the ma
tion that within a hundred years has peo-
pied half the continent not with savage
Indians or british white men, but with
those that love labor and literature and
art and liberty.
"The city is the point OF contact, and in
lerge measure determines the reputation
Of the nation it forms part Of; the actiy-
tiles of men are there, the institutions
which exist represent the development of
the people In science and art and litera-
ture and general culture. 1t becomes.
therefore. the measure taken of the ma
tion at large.
I'm this city we receive the official rep
resentatives Of every civilized nation upon
the earth: men In high standing is the
political and social life of the nations they
represent. To meet these representatives
and see the Capital City the most distin-
guished people from every land are daily
visitors. and from this point of contact
the American people are estimated. Here
are the rulers Of the nation. those who
make and those who interpret and those
who execute the laws. Here are the greai
departments where the nations affairs
are transacted; where public policy, in
ternal and foreign. is determined, and ths
national progress is guided. Where, then
so much as here, can the stranger expec
to find SO excellent a representation o.
our people. of its institutions. and Of thoss
arts which are the measure of q nations
wealth and civilization.
What. then. ought this city TO be? Whai
was intended by its founders and whai
may fairly be expected from its growth in
hundred years. Its founders were mel
who had the souls. II not the vision o
prophets; with population OF three mil.
lion TO provide for they wrote a Constitu-
tion. in short but expansive sentences
that provides equally well for seyent,
millions. and will be sufficient FOR thre,
hundred millions. They did not bouns
the seat of government by Florida Avenu,
on the north nor the river on the west
they laid 1t ten miles square; they lait
out parks: they planned its streets an,
avenues broad and expansive for beauU
full houses. splendid buildings, and opel
spaces for works that should adorn am
beautify the city and please the taste o
a cultured people Since they planned s.
wisely, what wonderful growth there ha
been. From a population in 1900 o. onl.
S.il0 we have now nearly 100000.
The Growth of Washington.
with only 1876 in public employ then
we have today nearly 10000; the disburse
ments at the beginning only about si31,
600 per annum for all purposes, where TO
day Is paid out $4,000, 900 per annun
Public buildings of great architecture
beauty at large cost have been erected
streets and avenues have been EXTENDED
and paved; parks have been planned an,
vas; improvements for the health an'
pleasure OF the people are under way
Time does not permit me to speak o
a..A LII.