The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-02-26

| Incts IN the possession OF this commits
SION. either matters of official record
or matters OF personal knowledge in
connection with the work on the State
mouse, will be fully and frankly given
i under oath to any attorney or attorneys
4 tnat the legislature, governor or any
olher properly constituted authority
may appoint to prosecute suits in the
interest OF the State. This commits
sion. under the provisions of the law
constituting 1t. elected an architect and
paid him the usual fees to design and
superintend the work of completion of
the capitol. The commission, under
lhe provision OF the law let the work
to the lowest bidder. II there has
peer neeh any collusion between the archi-
tect ana the contra ctor 1t is q fact alb
solntely unknown and unSuspected by
the State house commission. and there
hns not been published or produced a
ScinIiila OF evidence TO prove that any
such collusion existed.
! CAN WE. AFFORD TO PAY FOR
tMAGNIFICENCE?
When the commission was appointed
TO complete the State house the scope
OF It's duty was clearly marked out in
the act creating it. It was required
by the law to complete the state house
within the appropriation of s175000
When the fact Is considered that the
State house as it stood in it's incompIete
condition had cost the State of South
Carolina over $2,000,000. il would have
been the height of folly for our com
mission To attempt with the limited
amount given us to carry out the de-
sign OIL the original architect, who de-
I'siisd anu contemplated n $4,000
building. The act further stipulate
lhat not one dollar of the money ap-
proWiated should be expended until
building within the amount stipulated
was made, and this contract we were
directed to make and did make. 1t
mas mas been the purpose of the commits
SION III the eNpending of the limited sum
at our disposal to make all permanent
work good and substantial, to conform
as near as possible to the original
building, and if there has been; as al
iesed, cheap and shoddy work" put
upon the building, an investigation will
reveal that such work can be easily re-
moved at any time. without rnarring
IN any way the substantial portions
OF the building, and that it can be re-
placed by as costly material as the
; State cares to pay for. Only $1,000
was spent FOR the roof. This roof it
was believed. would be satisfactory;
II II has not proven so it can be easily
; replaced by as expensive n structure as
you wish and in the meantime il will
nave served the purpose. The com
mission In this matter, as In many
others involving questions of the re-
lative quality OF materials and meth
ods OF construction. relied to n large
extent upon the Judgment of the archi.
tect AS business men they felt that
the wide and varied experience OF the
men Whom they had entrusted with
the pov-t and authority of an archi-
tect, which must OF necessity be extern
SiN'. justified them in deferring to
ms Judgment and advice. This arch
ltect was necessarily governed by the
amount 3 appropriated for the work,
: and, of course, could use only such ma
terial as the appropriation would pay
for.
! The limited funds placed at our dis
Posat Is the only reason that any part
OF this work is inferior in character
!, to the best work on the old portions
of this building
| we do not wish, however, to be I'M
, derstood rs apologizing for the present
condition of the State house. II is 10
day an imposing and stately structure
ana a credit and an honor to South
Carolina, and the new work, as we'll
} as the DID, will stand for centuries.
, w ME the interior of the new work
, mas not been embellished with italian
marble and with delicate carvings by
imported artists. it was not believed
. by the commission that the people of
south Carolina either desired or pur-
pos posed ,.,i,, TO have them now. When they
are willing and able to pay for these
Things they can be placed there. Rut
TINS criticism can be made of the old
portions OF the building as we'll as the
NV, n ana notwithstanding the so-called
, $4,000 galvanized ceiling liable. in the
words Of this architect, Hunt" 10
rust out In few years" which was
: placed there by the commission. OF
which senator Marshall was n mem
Der, fifteen years ago. the main cor
ridor OF the building was unsiphtiv
ana unadorned by the beautiful marble
with which John Il. Niernsee designed
to cover its walls.
AS TO THE SELECTION OF
THE ARCHITECT
III selecting an architect for the NorI,
sincere Of
mission to put aside personal consid-
erations ana TO secure for the State tho
services OF the best ana most cXperi-
enccd man whom we could find ,Tvo
pans were presented to the commits
sioh while numerous architects were
suggested as thoroughly competent to
90 me work. Six of the ten members
oI me commission voted for Frank p
HiiiDuin, whose plans seemed best
adapted for the work contemplated
Alr. Mbuin had not only enjoyed wide
experience i'll the erection OF putlic
buildings throughout the south, but
,h"tt win the prestige of employment
pE the southern railway for the crcc-
tlon OF all its stations and buildings
beS!deS, he had erected the THOMPSON
auditorium at Charleston, the court
mouse at Anderson and other build
inSs which within the personal knowj-
edge of members of the commission
had proven satisfactory and he was
as well highly recommended. to as bv
an with whom we knew he had nad
, ceainSS 1t may he added that since
mat time. MIR. Milburn has been Sc
iected as the architect of both the
tlorida ana North Carolina State cap
iiois consequently, the commission
| .houSht they were justified in the Sc
lection they had made
| II the report of the joint investigat-
ms committee, however, is followed to
/ its logical conclusion. il is evident that
| IL was the opinion of that committee
that the commission made n mistake
| III clecting an architect at all, but that
I we should have sent to Washington for
a hanger-on around the national capi-
/ tol. To instruct us not only how to erect
building. but incidentally to show