The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-29
The Enlargement of the Capitol.

To the Editor: 1t will be a waste
full error if the Legislature in making
an appropriation for the housing of
public documents and for additional
public offices is not governed by the
idea that the capitol must ultimately
be enlarged. Let the public docu-
ments be safely housed and adequate
room made for public offices and for
the meeting of patriotic societies and
that without delay. But let everything
done in this line conform to the idea
of the final enlargement of the capitol
building.
North Carolina is not only a great
State but she is fast becoming q great
CT. She is growing In wealth and In
culture. The capitol building which
now so inadequately meets her practi-
cal needs will few years hence still
less meet the requirements of her civic
pride. Though the present building
is respectable in size and good as to
architecture. our civic pride will be-
yond question within q few years seek
expression in q more imposing build
Ing.
1t will be q great pity if, instead Of
one stately and imposing central build
ing, a building that will be an honor
to the State Of North Carolina and an
ornament to the city of Raleigh, any
large sum should be spent in a num-
Der of insignificant buildings, a credit
to nobody. in no way can money be
as utterly wasted rs in bad buildings.
The present Agricultural and State
| Library Building will have to be torn
down and rebuilt before very long. Not
TO mention their other defects they
are architectually discreditable.
1t is true that the Capitol Square is
not as large as we would like even
! for the present building and that tho
III
! greatly enhanced by larger park. But
that cannot now be helped, Many of
the most imposing buildings in the
| world have had to contend with great
! er disadvantages in proportion as to
| space than will have to be met in the
enlargement of the capitol No senti-
ment need be or indeed should be,
violated in the enlargement of the
| edifice. The enlargement must be, rs
! it were, q growth and not an addition.
! Proceeding on the same lines of severe
! beauty as that of the present capitol
/ which Sc we'll typifies the simple
strength and sturdiness of our people,
| it would beautifully typify In it's
| homogeneous growth the growth of a
small homogeneous community into the
| large and great homogeneous people.
4 The cost of the work-$1, 600, 600 or
| 50. 000,000-should not be counted,
| only it's perfect success; that we get
| in utility and effect the full worth Of
| the money spent. Col. Ike Young used
to say that What we spend is all we
save. We die and lose the balance"
! This is perfectly true as to money
spent on public buildings, provided.
of course, that it is rightly spent. IN
no other way can our public moneys
| be so we'll saved as by spending them,
as we get able, for noble building
on the lines of the present edifice. It
will pay in the way of utility. 1t Will
| pay manifold in that it will tend to
engender and foster a civic pride with
out which no State is safe, and which
a state can afford to give its all to
! emplant in the bosoms of her sons.
| What would Athens be, or Rome, or
| what would they have ever been, had
they counted a handful of coin against
| their immortal public buildings
surely neither Athens nor Rome.
| O. w. BLACKNALL.
|