The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-24

Two art bills are before congress,
tariff on art,''E'' the other to pro
vide an art commission to consider
matters Of national art, whether at. the
capitol or at remote sections Of. ! the
two measures to insure the highest de-
velopment in the future for our national
>esthetieal life. t%1These hills have been
held inactive blythe, Congressional com
Emittee for. some, Zine, and altho the re-
suit would not beiso4apparent, the coun-
try is being robbed. in it's future by
this Indifference as surely as it is being.
aad p n tss
4wo years ago Me eneral Fedora
tion Of ? W omen g E clubs actively. en-
dorsed the movement to repeal the
tariff on art. This year in it's national
convention the following petition was
unanimously adonted and sent:*t,o,z ~, - ,s':.
10 the Honorable Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatiyes in congress assembled: -.x +
The General Federation Of Womens clubs In
national convention assembled, respectfully Pc:
titions for. the repeal Hof the duty on works Of
1928, OF the year 1905 = We wish to emphasize
the fact that works Of art cannot be considered
luxuries in a; republic which possesses as high.
degree Of civilization and enlightenment as
factors which make for the uplifting Of our
people and we believe that our laws should be
! SO framed as to invite, rather than obstruct,
their Importation TO tax them is to violate
the first principles OF taxation inasmuch they
are objects Of education. The tax on art is a
reproach to our civilization which the growing
intelligence of the American people is fast COM
ing to resent. We beg to call your attention
to the fact that the following representative
Americans have advocated the repeal Of the duty
on works Of art: William Mckinley, Benjamin
| Harrison, Grover Cleveland, Q. A. Arthur,
James g. Blaine. Levi Morton, John Hay, W.
Reid, William L.. Wilson. Joseph H. Choate,
! George Gray, George F. Hoar, Cardinal Gibbons
Charles W. Eliot, George G. Vest, Charles D.
| Warner, Edmund Stedmund and William T.
Harris. The furnishings of innumerable humble
homes turnout our land would be in better taste
and would radiate q more pleasing and CHEEKY
atmosphere today, II fifty years ago our gov
| fine arts, for which we are now petittoning. We
! pray that you will discriminate between works
! OF art and manufactures in the application Of
i the policy of protection, and we submit that
the only true protection Of art and artists in
America is to supply the same means and ad-
vantages for study at home that is given to
that this bes7effected better by encourag-
Sing the Importation, Of works of art than by
1 laying burdens on them. 80
Congress generally responds to a de-
1;mand which is made by the people, and
a body Of representative women from
every state IN the union, with an ap-
Eproximate million constituents, has had
great influence In legislation in other
matters. IN
It is frequently asked what artists
are back Of the bill introduced by Rep.
resentative William Alden Smith of
Michigan, providing for the repeal of
duty on art works brought into this
country. The answer is, most of the
leading artists, who have given it much
i ,tot
of the profession. Such men as Abbey,
St. Gaudens, La Fargo, Millet, Chase,
! Alexander, Low and many others have
not only no fear that their own home
productions will suffer from foreign
competitors, but rather, that familiarity
! with the best art works Of great mas
tiers, stimulates purchases for the
dustrial arts, literature or along any
great lines Of development a new coun-
| try needs the inspiration Of the best
examples, which can be secured from
. the old world s treasury.
There are a large number Of art
4 works awaiting free entry into this
4 country which are housed in various
i storage and many others in public gal
(leries. If the duty were not prohibit
4 tive the canvases owned by j. Pierpont
4 Morgan, now in the National Gallery of
London, would be brought to this coun-
try. Another instance, at the present
time, Sir e. Pnrdon Clark, director of
4 the Metropolitan museum Of New York,
]. writes Of the arranging Of an important
4 Morgan purchase on the walls Of the
/ South kensington museum, which would
j gladly be. brought to America, where it
would further the development of our
national art did not our laws prevent
/ it. IL ~ 8 W. I.
The famous art museum of Mrs Jack
Gardner of Boston is source Of ma
tionM pride, but afterga long legal bat
i tie over the art duty she has been
! obliged to pay into the United States
4 treasury $195, 900 on treasures she has
/ been long collecting. Not only was the
/ fight for free art lost, but from this
! the public will be prevented, except at
rare intervals, from visiting Fenway
other cases has made the art duty, sespe.
cially in the east. almost as much OF a