New-York tribune., 1902-12-26
WATCHING ART BILL.
KEEN UTSH FOR PASSAGE
II Hearing .Sought-Pres'demaS In
fuence Much Desired

Friends of the movement TO bring about the abo
rtion Of the duty on works OF art await with keef
interest the action which may be taken by con
gress on the bill which provides that WORKS OF ar
which were created fifty years before the date O
importation shall be free Of duty
Kenyon Cox. secretary Of the committee on ralln
on works Of art of the Fine Arts Federation IN q
talk with a Tribune reporter, said the feeIns IL
Congress might prevent any action this winter OF
the bill but the artists hoped at least for hearlns
before the Ways and Means Committee ana
chance to present their arguments. Mr. COX de-
clared that he would be glad 10 nave tne pI
brought to the personal attention OF Fresioel'
Roosevelt as suggested by J. Alden Weir. All the
art bodies outside Of this city which have gone on
record regarding the bin in question have indorsed
It and others have promised TO do So
Robert W Gibson, formerly president Of the
Architectural League Of New-York, said the Dill
sought to unite those interests which differed as 70
what should be done by proposing legislation which
could be passed at the present time Many people
thought that more tariff concessions should De
given than were recommended, but TO aVolo
prolonging opposition IT was decided TO ask LOT
something that no reasonable protectionist could
object to.
Mr.. Gibson continued:
7 believe it would be better II eventually we
coul5 repeal all duty the fine arts. but we have
10 accept the majority Of opinions.
For one man who buys paintings on the other
side and viii rot bring this country on ac-
count Of the tariff there are hundreds OF wealthy
men who refrain from buying for the same reason
With that obstacle removed the country would be
enriched enormously In art
1T may be said that keeping out the trash nom
abroad would be an incentive TO making trash at
home There all grades of painters here and
probably much trash is produced here as abroad
or more The little paintings in the exhibitions
that sell for SIS CT $50 are in as much need OF
stimulus as the foreign works
u hope the bin viii go through. Even the Amer
ioan artists IN favor Of protection are not opposed
70 the importation Of old masters
f Wellington Ruckstuhl, chief Of sculpture OF
rhe Worlds Fair Of st. Louis 1904 said:
u regard all ad valorem tax art stupidity
Of the first class and detriment TO American art
from any point of view you may look at it The
only art tax could possibly indorse, either on
sncient CT modern art. would be q fixed tax, say,
of $50 or 500 as the best judgment Of the artists
might dictate in order 70 keep out Of the country
the RATS OF trash that come here from Europe
This is sent from Norway down TO Spain. and is
purely commercial stuff, which is bought by the
American public principally because IT Is foreign
and because for years there has been here move
ent by persons interested in exploiting foreign art
to dscry American art in general in favor of for
eign art
Il regard any tax on art from the point Of view
OF protection as absurd, a denial Of the talent
Of Americans in art which is, Of course, absurd,
and as being. If anything destructive TO American
art in whatever way it may be considered do
not know how TO express my thoughts in English
gress TO remove every tax art from the point OF
view Of American artists who amply able TO
take care OF themselves Moreover, they are fast
coming TO the front Of new school OF art which
within fifty years, ] think. viii equal any school
that ever lived in every field Of art, with the pos
sible exception Of religious art That is & phase
Of which grew out Of the intense religious spirit
the Middle Ages, and its intensity Of devotion L
hardly expect viii ever again be seen
Il regard the idea Of taxing the collections MADE
he hers sir hv ] Morgan.
ss they are largely OF works Of art that never
be duplicated, because the spirit Of the time that
prevailed when they were created no longer ex-
lists. simply idiotic and even If they were all
modern works Of art. produced in the last ten
years, / should them, except fixed
tax Of $50 or 500 work OF art That tax would
be sufficient keep out the cheap trash in the art
factories so cleverly manufactured in the different
centres OF Europe. which turn out counterfeits by
the score Of all kinds of works OF art which are
sold here TO con1ding public by rascally manu-
1acturers a original works OF art
There are certain places in Europe where statu-
. ary marble is cheap and where clever n1echani-
n cal carvers, young boys and men, be had for
~ from 10 TO 40 cents day, which manufacture
hundreds of mechanical reproductions, such as
they are. pack and ship them to this country. pay
the duty and sell them az profit, and for price
lower than the American sculptor can get the
rough marble These things are utterly mechani-
cal They lack the true art feeling. They corrupt
the taste Of our people and make ii impossible
for the American sculptor TO compete with them
Above al. they make the task of elevating the
taste OF public in the appreciation Of what is
truly excellent In sculpture Immensely more olr-
fcult A fixed tax OF from $50 to 500 would keep
most of this trash out OF the country.
we have first class painters and sculptors. al
though not many there IN Europe. But
g picture Of old master cannot possibly com
pete with modern works Of art because it was
painted when the art Of painting was practlsed
as II never can be practised again. 1t the
reflex Of a spiritual and intellectual condition
which cannot be repeated here Our modern ten
oency is in a different direction. A painting by
an old master would be acquisition, are the
writings OF Homer, Virgil and Dante, which were
the result Of different spiritual atmosphere from
that Of to-day and must be appreciated simply for
their intrinsic beauty, for the expression Of life
and a social state which are forever past and,
therefore in q large measure must be entered in
the category Of archaeological ana chronological
things. so TO speak"