The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-06-18
TILLMAN SPEAKS.
Would Increase Country's Stock Of
Aesthetic Wealth-Hit Million =.
aires Otherwise.


Senator Tillman's remarks in the
senate on the subject Of art were lis
tened to with a good deal of interest.
For the first time, he said, he was in
accord with Messrs Lodge Of Massa-
chusetts and Root Of New York both
Of whom wanted to put works Of art
on the free list. Senator Tillman is
fond of pictures and he says that
these millionaires who collect fine
paintings in Europe and bring them
over here for their great mansions
generally wind up by giving the pic
lures to the public.
He said:
"Mr. President, in this debate it
has not been my good fortune to be
very often found indorsing the views
expressed by the senators from New
York and Massachusetts. But on this
question I feel bound to say, in an
humble and modest way, making no
pretense whatever Of being an art
eonnoisseur, that if that poet who tald
us that "a thing of beauty is a Joy
forever told the truth, this is not
the place where the American senate
should display niggardliness, a mar
rowness, and a penny4wise-and-pound-
foolish policy.
''The contemplation Of beautiful
paintings and statnary by even the
most ignorant person must exert an
elevating and refined influence. Many
boy has become inspired to do like
wise, has had his soul enthused and
his mind fired with the ambition to
become a painter or a sculptor: by
seeing great works Of art.
- Not a Connoisseur.
II had the misfortune last yeSr to
become very Il. and I was ordered to
Europe as a means Of relaxation and
rest. I had the opportunity to visit
the great ayt galleries of Florence.
Paris and i.cndon, to say nothing ct
the smaller ones in other cities where
I soioarued briefly. While [ did not
get as enthusiastic over some of those
things as other people seemed to be,
T saw enough to convince me that the
American people can afford to encour-
age the importation Of some of those
masterpieces, something that we can
get as a means of .elevating the
thought and inspiring the artistic
genius of our people.
"Therefore, I for one in this de-
bate as I said feel anxious to see the
gates thrown wide open and every
opportunity offered for wealthy Am
orleans, who have been made rich as
they are going to be made rich by
this very bill, to bring in works OF
art. If you want to whack these
multimillionaires, cut out some OF the
special privileges you are giving
them elsewhere in the getting OF
money; but if they want to bring
ANYTHING from abroad here which IS
worth while, let us let them do 1t.
They will in time die out and an art
gallery will become, in all probability
the legatee of their collections.
Gifts to Public.
~ noted in London that a half
dozen of the finest collections were
donated to the public by private IN
dividuals who had spent a lifetime
and fortune, or two or three Tor
tunes, in collections such as are no
more to be gathered together on the
globe, because they have secured the
four corners Of the earth almost to
get these curious and artistic gems
ALich hi; :e 'een gi:en - those pee
pie; ana they are the greatest treas
ures in London today.
"When We cons.j7; mat a paint
ing is impe~iishible if It i cared for
that is, for several cent ,ries at least,
and no 9ne hardly knows how long
a we'll carec for painting will las+'~-
we can ,:uaerstano row it IS lmpos-
sible that thees multimillionaires will
not adj to the sto,'> of artl,+:e
wealth II this count ;, and IN time
they VII !, crease ths artistic genius
Of our people by merely having their
galleries accessible. Many of these
rich people are liberal enough to al,
low their art galleries to be visited
by the public on given days, and oth-
ers have loaned their masterpieces to
this or that public gallery.
"As I have said, if you want to De
hard on these rich people and want
~ o.1,o +hono do this. that, and the