The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-06

able to show the articulation of the wings
to better advantage han was enjoyed
by competitors who conformed to the
programme. Yet another. was his violation
of the rule which required only fiat line
drawings to be submitted. The perspective
drawing he submitted was not plain fat
line drawing but a picture of the build
ing as II would appear when his plans
were carried out the very thing the ex-
ecutive officers declared should not be
submitted because, they said, II was cal
culated to deceive rather than TO instruct
the judgment Can 1t be that our execu-
tive friends were deceived into favoring
the Smith plan by a comparison of this
ornamental presentation of II with the
plain fiat line drawings of Lockwood and
the other architects who complied with
their rule on the subject? II seems to me
altogether likely that they were. Certain
1t Is great many people have been egreg-
iously misled and deceived into favoring
Smiths plan over Loekwoods by COM
parison of the cut of the latters plain
fiat line drawing with the cut of Mr..
Smiths picture as published in the Mont.
gomery Advertiser without n word of ex-
PLANTATION. This comparison, together wit
the gratuitous abuse OF the Judges, is re-
sponsibe for the purely Fictitious public
sentiment that has been aroused. The
great and wholly fictitious advantage
which an engraving of a picture of a
building has over an engraving of the
mere pencil lines showing the proportions
of proposed building may be to some
, extent appreciated when you consider the
vast difference there would be between q
cut of the frame, of a building with its
naked timbers. without Notwithstanding or
ceiling or roof, and a picture of the
same building completed in all respects.
with all accessories intended to give II
beauty fully painted and embellished
10 lie flta uar+ .,f ..te
laid before the people, and which has de-
ceived many Of them. This wholly erron-
eous impression should be entirely re-
moved by the cut of a picture OF Lock-
woods proposed building published here
with. taken at about the same angle as
Mr. Smiths picture and which has been
made since the plans were acted on
| am told that such fnfractions of the
rules OF competition as Mr.. Smith COM
mtted would In any regular architectural
competition have required the exclusion
OF his submissions from all consideration;
so that had this commission been COM
posed OF architects instead of being COM
posed In part of judges and in the other
OF statesmen, Mr. Smiths plans would
not have been considered at all.
Not Selfshness.
The charge which has been made that
the Judges sacrificed architectural eonsid-
erations to their personal convenience con-
tains no scintilla or sembance Of truth. In
the fisrt place no architectural considera-
ton has been sacrificed or disregarded,
put to the contrary, as 1 have shown,
every architectural end in view has been
faithfully. wisely and happily conserved.
30 that, In the language of Mr.. Charles
+. McKim, when the Lockwood plans are
carried out 1.-The people of Alabama will
have every cause for congratulation."
And, In the next place, the charge Is fur
han Her l...4
not all OF the rejected plans made as am
pie provision In every respect for the per-
sonsl convenience and comfort of the
judges as the plan adopted.
The people of Alabama will not trust.
take kindly to such wholly unwarranted
and Vicious aspersion Of the motives of
men whom they have over and over again
entrusted with the highest and most i'm
portant powers and duties and who have
never been recreant to the confidence re-
posed In them.
In view of the stream of nisstatements,
to many of which l will not take time
and space to refer, which has flooded the
state, presenting this whole matter In an
utterly false light 1t Is small wonder that
the people have for the moment been mis-
led and deceived. No wonder. for instance,
that Disguised Confederate" should have
been deceived into the belief, directly con-
trary to the fact that the plan adopted by
the Judges materially changed the present
capitol and destroyed Its architectural in
dvduality and beauty. and induced to
send to the newspapers wholly unjust
and imtemperate TRADE against the
judges. He Will be surprised, and his gall
liant comrades, If not ne, will be glad
to know that the plan adopted changes
the capitol less than any plan submitted
and infinitely less than the three-story
scheme. They will be surprised, after all
the gratuitous abuse that has been heaped
on the Judges, and / hope delighted to
know that the main consideration moving
the judges (all of whom of sufficient age
were In the Confederate service) in this
connection, was to maintain the original
lines and proportions of the old building
In all their pristine beauty and individual
ity, that IL might continue to stand In
It's own architectural entity as a monu-
ment to the cause whose birth 1t sheltered
and to their noble sacrifices and heroic
achievements in its defense.
There are rumors which have been
voiced in the public press that the exc
cutive officers charged with that duty
will not carry out the plan that has been
adopted In all respects according to law
AS 1t does nor occur to me at the mo-
ments that there can be the least jusd-
feation or even excuse for such default
on their part. do not believe these ru-
mors. But that is a matter which does not
concern us as members OF the commits
sion. We have done our duty We have
hewn to the line. The chips may fall
where they will.
| have no apology TO make for thu
length Of this statement. In every sent.
ence II is pertinent to the unwarrantel
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