The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-09-15

Washington to the battlefield or Get
tysburg. have, therefore, to-day in
troduced u bill to amend the law by
providing that the commission might
consider and report upon such
plan, together with such negotiations
as may be necessary to secure con-
sent OF the States of Maryland and
Pennsylvania and their respective
subdivisions, IL required, and the de-
sign for identifying the highway with
proper memorial arches, ornamental
bridges, and soforth. It has been an
nouncedly the Press that the Fine Arts
Commission has recommended to the
memorial committee, OF which Presi-
dent Taft is chairman, a location ON
the Potomac Drive. 1t liz further an
nounced in the press that the Presi-
dent proposes TO convene the COM
mittee next week to consider this re-
port. The report must when agreed
upon by the committee be submitted
TO Congress for Its final ratification?
1T Id not important In my mind,
whether this bill Of mine is'considered
at this session or not. The purpose
OF introducing IL and speaking of 1t
as this time is to get the matter in some
7 form before the people and before
the eommtteey In order that they may
know that some plan OF that kind
might be added to their duties.
Now Mr.. Chairman, resuming the
few remarks that want to make to
the House at this time, the piles Of
stone that have been suggested by
these various proposals will add TO
the city OF Washington some more
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to dead
men; monuments that are absolutely
useless; In some cases beautiful and
ornamental, 6itinssome- leases, &C
cording to the Fine Arts Commission,
neither beautiful nor ornamental, but
in no. case useful
81 want to remind the Members OF
this House how many monuments
have been completed and unveiled
since / have been here in Washington,
less than three years: Monuments to
Kosciusko, Pulaski, Won Steuben,
Stevenson, Sheridan, Witherspoon,
Longfellow, and Shepherd-eight in
three years. Now we are to have
Christopher Columbus, Alexander
Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, and
no one knows how many more. The
city OF Washington will be covered
from one end to the other with
these monuments. One unfortunate
thing about 1t is that no matter how
much money is expended upon them
or what artists are employed upon
them, In another generation a new
school of artists will come along and
say that they are not true art and
should be torn down. If 100000 of
the peoples money is to be expend-
ed for a memorial to Abraham Lin
coin, it strikes me that 1t is wholly
Inconsistent with his character that
| it should SAVIOR Of the pomp of kings.
1t is entirely out OF keeping with our
idea OF the man. a 100000 pile of
stones can neither increase his fame
nor exemplifY his character Would
1t not be a more appropriate memoir
al to build highway from the city
of Washington to the battlefield Of
Gettysburg, that field which is i'm
mortalized by his burning words as
well as by the dauntless heroism of
the citizen soldiers of America? Would
it not be more in consonance with
the character OF Abraham Lincoln
that memorial should be built for
the use OF the people now living
than to erect one that would be cost
ly and at the same time useless? Shall
we make one that is as dead as his
own mortal clay, or as vital as his
immortal spirit?
why, over in Italy, in the city OF
Rome, they are building a memorial
to Victor Emanuel, probably costing
$5,000,000. They are tearing down
some of the priceless monuments OF
classic times in order to build this
structure, which is intended to be a
representation Of modern art and
architecture. 1t does not make one
think less OF the deathless fame OF
Victor Emanuel, but it does make one
think less of the Italian Parliament
and its membership when il author
ICES an expenditure OF the peoples
money for purpose OF that kind,
when the whole country needs a COM
mercial and Industrial regeneration.
What we need Is a monument that
will be OF some use to the people |
now living ON earth. If we could
have the views on the subject of the |
great commoner, Abraham Lincoln,
himself, am satisfied he would be in
favor Of such tribute. 1t is said
there is no monument 50 enduring as
highway. human history can point !
to no memorial-not even the Pyra-
mids OF Egypt, with all the slave la
Dor that went into them-that is SO
absolutely indestructible as the
simplest highway along which the
feet OF commerce and OF love and az
lection have trod. Not only can this
highway be used for the purpose OF
commerce and OF pleasure, it can BE-
crowned with greater purposes of art
and of beauty by the terminal arches
and the ornamental bridges In it's
course. II can be made a thing or
beauty that will attract visitors To
this country, az some OF the works OF
art OF the old countries attract to
them tourists who spend their money,
their time, land their thought in study
ing the institutions and beauties OF