Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-31
IO FINISH IHE CAPITOL
Governor Will Soon Name Three
Commissioners for a Re-
sponsible Task.
Capitol to Be Made as Fine OF
the Interior as 1t Is
= Outside.
Problem OF War Scene for Grand
Staircase-.Governor Opposes
Battle Scene.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to TimeS-Republlcan.
/ Des Moines, May 31.-In a very short
| time the commits sion will be named that
will undertake the completion of the
Iowa capitol building and make of 1t ali
| the way thru, as it now is on the eX-
/ terror, the finest building in the world
used for legislative purposes. This COM
mission will be composed of one who is
not republican and two who are re-
publicans. Governor Cummins has not
Gratis, but will probably exercise unusu-
| al care this time to make certain that
| his nominee for the democratic posi-
| ton may not turn out to be a republic
can of recent acquisition. One member
| of the commission will be an artist or
an expert in decorative work, another
Will be either an architect or engineer,
land another is likely to be plain busl-
ness man, perhaps contractor or
Ibuilder, or just an ordinary man who
| can figure on contracts and see that ac-
IcountS are kept straight. 1t is evident
from the law that the legislature did
not intend that the capitol commission
lshould personally supervise the work of
finishing the capitol. In fact the work
ismight as we'll have been left to the ex-
Eecutive council. The positions will be
honorary only, and the chief work Of
1.-the commission will be to decide on the
icharacter of the decorations and the
lletting of contracts for work. The legis-
Hot
the time put in, so that the members
of the commission will be men who will
enter upon the work with desire to
do the state some great good rather
than to make a profit out of it.
One of the first great problems before
the commission will be that of decid-
ing on the mural paintings for the
grand corridor. The commission will
be authorized to secure designs or sug-
gestions and to pay for the same. What
shall be the nature of the decorations
and the general style of the interior
tfnish2 SNall the great panel At the
head of the stairway be filled with d
painting illustrating a battle scene or
a civil scene, by an Illustration of some
reality or an allegorical picture? This
is question that will come to the
commission almost as soon as it is ap-
pointed.
Peter A. Dey. of Iowa City, the vet
eran engineer and builder who had
something to do with every stone
placed in the great capitol building, re-
Gently talked with the writer about this
work of the capitol commission. 81 am
greatly pleased with the law enacted by
the last legislature" he said. at comes
up fully to tie expectations of the COM
mission which prepared the plans fo.
the completion of the capitol; in fact,
the legislature appropriated a little
more tnan we asked for to allow for
contingencies. 1t appropriated all that
can be spent with profit for each year
and made ar excellent division of the
money to be used. 1 believe that the
commission to be named can complete
the capitol with that appropriation and
make OF it such building as was
planned from the start Provision is
made for the expenditure of money to
secure designs and suggestions for the
interior decoration. That is very nee
essary. The state of Iowa ought to
be made beautiful inside as well as out
/ think this building affords the best
opportunity in the world for decora-
ton. Our commission to prepare the
plans visited number of buildings to
get suggestions. In some of these
everything is subordinated to the arch
itectural plan and in few is there
such decoration as I think we should
have III the Iowa capitol. l would GER
tainly not favor war picture for the
grand panel at the head of the stair
way. The picture should be something
iilustra ting Iowa and typical of the
state--I do not know what, but certain
ly not a scene of fighting. The sug-
gestion of an illustration showing Gen.
Scott treating with the Indians and
making the Blackhawk purchase APP
pears to be good one. Gen. Scott was
fine man. | rerember we'll how he
appeared and he would be a striking
central figure for such a picture, and
the portraits of the Indians could be
got. But those are matters of detail for
the commission to work out. | believe. |
however. that the commission should /
go on the theory that nothing can be I
too good for that capitol"
Gov A. r. Cummins is also opposed +
most emphatically to a war picture +
in the large panel in the capitol A
picture illustrating the battle of Will +
sons Greek has been suggested, be- /
cause so many Iowa soldiers partici
pated therein forty years ago. There
is no battle that has been fought on
Iowa soil outside of Indian fights.
But battle scenes are seldom salts
factory" said Gov. Cunmns speaking
of this matter. 1T is Impossible to
make a picture of battle and gain
any other effect than that of great
clash and Il cloud of smoke. Then
it is impossible to place much detail in
the picture, faces and forms are not dis
tinct; and besides there is always
to me, incongruous in
picture OF men in action. The attempt
TO put on canvas a scene represent
ing action seems impossible for me. :
This may not be art, but it is feel
ing | have in regard to these matters
Besides there is no battle that can be
pictured that would illustrate Iowa
My idea of the painting for that
panel" he continued. would be some
that will illustrate and sug- ;
gest the genius of Iowa, some concep- |