Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-23
FINEST IN THE WORLD.
The National Capitol when Com
Pleted as Originally Planned.

Baltimore American.
Every patriotic American citizen will hope
that no obstacle will intrude in the path of
an extension of the east front OF the capitol
at Washington in accord with the plans
which have been reported favorably ny a
joint commission Of the senate and house.
For several generations this has been a
project dear to the heart OF almost every
congress, and always dear to the heart Of
every lover of art in Architecture, and who
could not look at the grand building on
the hill" without a feeling OF profound
regret that imposing a pile should be
conspicuous in one great defect that the
magnificent dome should seem, from the
eastern point OF view TO be toppling over
for lack of a proper and harmonious
pedestal
Regardless OF the defects. the capitol is
splendor OF piecemeal construction. No
other architectural pile in the whole world,
erected In such vicissltudes, has been per-
mitted to retain such thorough integrity.
1t stands singular in architectural form
and situation, the most imposing of all
houses OF parliament. Not one in any for
eign land approaches It In tremendous dig
nifty. Only in the ruins of structures OF
ancient days can be found a semblance of
the chaste design OF this meeting place OF
ulation-those ruins from which were drawn
to large extent the noble features of the
capitol, the treasury and the building of
the Department of the Interior.
1t Is not complimentary to the congress
nor to the people that the defects of the
capitol have gone so long unremedied
When the terrace" was added to the west
ern front to give mass to the apparent
foundation, an absurd mistake was made
in placing stairways OF black slate amid
the white marble which everywhere else
prevailed To the most uneducated taste
this was offensive, and architectural artists
of every land stood astonished that such
crime could be committed in the name
Of architecture. In connection with the
remedial movement at the east facade this
mistake upon the west is to be corrected,
and when that Is accomplished and the
central section of the east front is ex-
tended this so-called crude country of
America will have the most perfect build
ing OF public use in all the world.
The British House of Parliament is not
only extensively ornate, but 1t is placed
on the banks of the Thames, and can be
properly seen only from the Surrey side.
The Chamber of Deputies in Paris, al
though of classic design and having a curl
Gus sentimental outlook in facing the great
Church of the Madeleine precisely similar
in architecture, but far across the Seine,
and the beehive of the Place de la Concorde
is dwarfed and obscured on the banks of
the river.
So the changes might be rung on houses
Of parliament of all the great states Of the
world. No other stands forth with such
prodigious weight and dignity of proper
Itnar elf a. g
this white pile at washington, and again
let the hope be expressed that congress
will leave nothing undone to finally cor
rect the mistakes in art which have been
always recognized and which are solely
due to the patchwork manner in which
the wonderful structure has been pro-
duced