The Detroit times., 1910-12-14
JACKSON S7EEO
IN GRAVE PERIL
Art Critics Pick Flaws in Memorial
To Famous General and Would
Melt It Into Pennies.
6Y r. r. WILSON.


In acreage and tonnage. art-tne arr
which preserves In cleaning marble
has hunted the cyclone cellar.
Let man lop on sideburn or prune
goatee, and art has summed herseit
But when the razor rusts with disuse'
art, batfled. fees the sight OF men,
The countenance or earliest Man
abounded In alfalfa. Zeus. nrst OF the
gods, had a sackful OF smbrosial krau.
depending from his godlike map. Tne
divine beezer Of Homer would nave
furnished days work for many an
ancient mattress factory. and they mao
to stack Diogenes In bis tub Win
pitchfork.
Pardon early man his aboriginal
whiskers. Try once yourself to slice
the shagreen from your own topog-
raphy with q shard or bit OF mint
hewn from the living rock. Then VIII
you let the milk OF human forgiveness
trickle down the facial festoonings OF
the heroic age. The ancients accom-
plished the same end with goats milk.
What did art do to burrow out?
She shaved her heroes, leaving NO
tassels for the wind TO go through.
high art and tall whiskers won't mix
The safety razor Is companion TO the
sculptor's chisel.
Ii Is proposed TO hew the venerable
form Of Andy Jackson from his stone
perch In Lafayette square, and melt
him up into Lincoln pennies. Like
wise the brazen image OF Sherman,
Farragut and others There will be
heated oratory. bitter recriminauon,
news.
The contention now coming to a
sensational finish, began years ago
with the visit OF William Makepeace
Thackeray to our shores. A proud
delegation showed the novelist the
sights Of Washington. They reserved
for the last the prime feature, the new
statue Of Jackson on horse rearing
back on his hind legs-a mastery
feat OF balancing, nothing like II IN
the world, the talking point Of
America.
"Er-er." said the distinguished nov
eist adjusting his monocle. "Aw--
spiffln. rully. 'Andsome. az you might
sat Mimi. But wot tn bioomin' ell
Is It? A bleedin' puzzle? Dash It
all, is chap supposed to guess wy
tn bloody 'orse Is comm a blawsted
cropper? Hall right. Him tn han
CORA. wy is IT."
The chairman wipoL Ais glistening
brow. Think OF - said he. The
sculptor was marvel. He made this,
yet he wasn't veterinary. Why, he'd
never seen al equestrian statue In his
life"
'Er-er"-William Makepeace Thack-
cray adjusted his monocle-"Aw-Hi
sal, old chap, il might ave done I'm
bit a good II q 'ad, dontcha know
Some favored war ut once. Others
put 1t down TO British spleen because
Andy had put the boots to the British
In New Orleans.
Has Strong Following.
The Thackeray opinion has pre-
vailed Today he has a strong fol
3 lowing, including Representative
Slayden OF Texas, Senator Flint and
Director MCGUIRE OF che Corcoran art
gallery. The general criticism of the
memorial is that 1t looks like a trick
horse rolling an imaginary ball with
his front hoofs, while Andy, on the
horses back, waves his sword aloft
as the signal for the applause OF an
imaginary circus audience.
The balance on the Lind hoofs was
attained by adding to the solid bronze
tail until equilibrium was struck. The
tail Is long, very. In short, there
amt no such animal.
This same criticism Is applied to
all Washington's bronze horses. There
Is said to be only one brazen horse
In Washington at which the ordinary
grocer's plug won't shy.
Mcclure says the pedestal OF the
Sherman equestrian statue ought TO
be raised until the statue could be
seen only hy the chance aviator.
There are other harsh criticisms. A
general upheaval OF Washington art
is proposed. The reformers would give
jackson q new statue and square OF
his own, place a new statue Of Wash
ington In Jactson's old place, provide
for q new La. ,oln memorial, melt up
the monstrosities into pennies, and
replace them with worthy works OF
art.
The scheme will fail-we predict It.
We are government OF whiskers.
from the fade-away vacriety Of Chaun
csy N. Depew and the silken fringe
skirtinx the venerable landscape of
Uncle Joe Cannon. to the wigwaggers
on the chin-point Of Senator Carter.
Whisksrs everywhere.
Second obstacle-the modern trous-
or, or long pant, never intended as
theme for sculpture. The average ar
list gets over this difficulty by muss-
ing up the pants, giving the inhabitant
thereof the appearance OF having slept
In his clothes. He rides down history
dressed like a coal HEAVIER None OF
this house Of Marxenheimer stun for
your true artist. His subject must be
draped.
Uery maiden school marin on her
Easter visit to washington, chastely
shields her face with her hands to
hide her burning bushes when she
passes tho capitol statue OF Washing
ton. n sculptures had names, this
work Of art might appropriately be
called washington at the Lightning
or ~Washington Defylng the Bath" or.
better. Portrait OF Washington on a
Saturday night"
The sculptor draped Washington in
n shset. In his left hand Is cricket
bat (some say q sheathed broad
svurd). His right hand Is aloft to
catch the ball or attract the lightning
or something.
man who has been writing for
years and years declares he has never
vet found Il absolutely necessary to
p.a tha word "anent" Yet that Ia