Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-24
THE AMERICAN ''IMMORTALS."

me IhhOFIA LIS
Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachu-
sets, United States senator, scholar
in politics." historian and occasionally
statesman, should not hug the delu-
sion that the omniverous and some
times wild and woolly west will tamely
submit to his latest attempt to heap
contumely and scorn upon it by ignor-
ing or neglecting it in making up his
little exclusive list of men and women
entitled to places in the National
Academy of Arts and Letters" or the
National Institute of Arts and Let
ters," for whose creation he has intro
duced bills in the United States senate.
The measures offered by Senator
Lodge propose, in effect, the incorpora-
ton of a brain trust, and his bill does
not allow the west to come in even as
the holder of common stock.
The academy" according to the
terms of the Lodge bill, is to be a sort
of closed corporation, limited to fifty
members, of which forty-six are named
III IL III Inv lloIllulS 10 W nave
a membership of $50, of which Sena-
tor Lodge names 231. 1t is noted,
also, that the fifty "academicians" are
named as incoTporators of the 'insti-
tute." The whole plan sounds like
Mr.. Hartman electing himself and his
associates to the directorates of con-
stituent companies. The CALLING part
of the proposition is that nine If the
fifty members of the academy are
from Massachusetts, twenty-five are
chosen from New York and the others
selected from the New England and
Atlantic coast states, with the sole ex-
ception in favor OF William Vaughn
Moody of Illinois. The south is not
represented in the academy at all
and in all the broad area between the
Alleghenies and the Pacific and the
Canadian boundary and the warm gulf
of Mexico only one lone man is con-
sidered competent to be classed with
the American "Immortals."
The purpose of the academy and
the Institute" it may be explained,
is to investigate, examine and report
when called upon by any department
of the government upon any subject
of arts and letters. The expenses of
such investigation are to be paid from
appropriations made for the purpose,
though neither members of the "acad-
envy" or institute" are to receive
compensation for services to the
United States government. Their re-
ward is to come in the pride of being
members of the "Immortals," subject
to call for sage advice or expert opin-
ion when the brain supply of the gov
eminent is running low or is weary
from o~ver-exertion.
The chief fault with Senator
Lodges measure is its sins of omis-
sion. Far be it from us to find any
fault with the names he has chosen
from his dear New England and near
dear New York for membership in the
academy or institute" but home
pride is excuse enough for protesting
against his oversight OF the brainy
men and women of the west. Why,
for instance, should he omit James
Whitcomb Riley, George AIDE and Tom
Taggart from his list of 'Immortals,"
leaving Indiana entirely out of consid-
Grafton? Why should he include
Brander Matthews of simplifed SPELL
ing fame and slight Wallace Irwin of
California. whose Letters of japanese
School Boy" have introduced more
forms of simplihed spelling than ever
occurred to Matthews? Why should
he include John Sargent and overlook
McCutcheon? Why should he name
Henry James n neglect William Al
len White and Ed Howe OF Kansas?
Why should he name Edward Austin
Abbey and William Milligan Sloan of