The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-26
AN ART TREASURE IN DANGER

The chairman Of the house commit
tee on public buildings went to the root
of the matter and raised an issue close
to the public heart when he asked Mr..
Seabury, at hearing on Tuesday,
whether the old capitol building as
well as the new ought not to remain
under the control Of the capitol COM
mission. We are glad that not all men
have souls so dead as to forget the
precious treasure of the state in the
old capitol building, and it's danger
from the vandal hands of the execu-
tive. while fussing about the fate of
the new. Thus it ever is. Age is for
gotten, and Its subdued beauties make
no appeal to those entranced by the
fresher charms of youth.
The Globe would, to use the
once famous words Of contemporary,
sound in the night the tocsin alarm Of
fire. In discussing the custody Of the
new capitol, the old building has been
left to its melancholy fate. But for
this incidental question, 1t might have
been omitted altogether from tender
care; to be. abused and destroyed by
rude janitors and other employees ap-
pointed by mere executive, instead of
bons of honor with the stamp Of the
capitol commission upon them. What
peril have we escaped, and how mar
rowlyi
But for this that splendid temple of
the state which has for more than
twenty years made Wabasha street fa-
nous might suffer the fate of the mar
bles of Greece and the mosaics Of italy.
Suppose that in those noble corridors
we should hear the swish of the broom
Of Democratic appointee. Suppose
that the luster of those walls should be
dimmed by the cloth of a scrubwoman
who knew not the capitol commission.
Suppose that those priceless antique
floors should echo to the. naughty
tread of a janitor who could not show
his Republican title clear. What de-
struction and what infamy! How
would future generations bewail the
day when a besotted people permitted
their choicest art treasure, in the
shape of the old capitol building, to be
degraded and despoiled by vandal
hands. What irreparable disgrace to
us and loss to posterity..
Confessing with shame that this pos
sibility had escaped even the sharp
watch that The Globe means. to
maintain on matters of general well
fare, it now means to atone for It's de-
ficiency by the sincerity and passion
of its argument. Save this incompara-
BILE monument from the fate that
threatens it.. No matter what may be
decided as to the new capitol, place the
old capitol under the wing of the capi-
tol commission. Every honest argu-
ment for the one applies equally to~the
other. The intent and purpose in each
case. as those who are behind the
scenes well know, are the same. Let
future generations, pointing to the
stately architecture of the old capitol.
that survival of the Rutherfordian pc
riod in American art, to its rare old
marbles, it's miracles of stained glass.
its roof that scorns the puny effort of
later day and even to its lingering
smells that no future era probably can
duplicate. declare that these things
were saved from executive desecration
by an intelligent Legislature and a self
sacrificing gentleman willing to ac-
cept mere pittance for. labors that
might burden the greatest genius OF
his time.
We cali upon all the art societies In
Minnesota to join with us in insisting
that the old capitol be placed forever
in charge Of a perpetual capitol COM
mission, authorized to fill vacancies by
hereditary succession, or failing that.
by testamentary devise; and that each
member be paid salary of $4,000 a
year as long as that -t1ali g},f-f,,I of3;f;x.o