Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-11
STYLE OF MEMORIAL
Judge Stafford Favors Bridge
as Tribute to Lincoln.
FULFILlS EVERY PURPOSE
Suggests Handsome Structure From
This City to Arlington.
HIS OPINION WAS SOUGHT
Paper on Subject Recently Read at
Meeting of Legion of Loyal
Women in This City.
FULFILLS EVERY PURPOSE
HIS OPINION WAS SOUGHT

| from Washington to Arlington is the only
suggestion thus far made which seems to
meet the demands of an appropriate me-
mortal to Abraham Lincoln Is set forth In
letter from Justice Wendell Phillips
Stafford of the Supreme Court Of the
District of Columbia. which was read at
a recent meeting of the Legion of Loyal
Women in this city.
| Justice Stafford had been asked for his
views upon the subject by the officers OF
the organization His reply, brief and to
the point, is perhaps one OF the most
| forceful arguments thus far advanced In
favor of the memorial bridge.
IT think" states Justice Stafford,
| "such a memorial ought to answer four
separate requirements. First, it ought to
| be conspicuous feature of the land
scape, hardly less CONSPICUOUS than the
monument to Washington.
mo, form of q memorial that fails to
indicate that Lincoln is to be ranked
with Washington above all other sons
of the republic can be considered
striking and beautiful work Of art: third,
| 1t ought to symbolic the peculiar and
| unparalleled service that Lincoln rem
dered to his country, which was the
preservation of the Union. and. fourth. it
ought to be appropriate to the character
| Of Lincoln.
Bridge Answers Purpose.
"When tested by these requirements it
seems to me- Justice Stafford continues
| that there is only one of the proposed
memorials that is satisfactory. Each Of
the others fails to satisfy two or more of
them. The proposed memorial bridge
from Washington to Arlington does seem
to satisfy all four of the requirements.
| ut would be feature of the landscape
| almost, II not quite, as conspicuous as
the monument to Washington himself. It
would hold the eye of any one who look
ed upon the city, and would indicate the
place that Lincoln holds in the hearts
Of Americans.
"It might be as beautiful a work Of
art as the artistic genius of our time can
produce The approach from the wash
| ington side would afford full opportunity
for the architect and the sculptor. The
bridge would be a type and symbol OF
the work. that Lincoln did.
| "It would stand for the union between
the north and south, and in looking upon
it men would remember that it was Lin
| coins deepest desire to bring the north
and south together in the bonds OF love.
1T might help the south to remember
| that he was a southern man in birth and
lineage, and that his heart was great
| enough to take in his whole country.
Satisfying, as 1t does, the three re-
quirements first named, it is pleasant
| to note that it satisfies the fourth also,
| in being a useful servant to the whole
people Millions of feet would pass
over 1t, and it would be perfectly ap-
propriate to Lincolns character as a
| man of the people.
/ Gas Edward Markham wrote Of him
| in his great poem. He had the kind
ness Of the wayside we'll These are
| the reasons why Of all the plans pro-
posed I should prefer the memorial
bridge"
Objects to Boulevard.
| memorials proposed. in the light of the
| four requirements outlined. Justice Stat
| ford declared 1.-The boulevard around
the city suggests nothing connected with
Lincoln's peculiar service to his country.
| of the landscape. 1t would not be in It.
self work of art. In it's usefulness it
might be considered appropriate to Lin
| coins character. and thus satisfy one
of the requirements.
| "Or take the memorial building. This
might be a work of art and it might be,
| in its usefulness, appropriate to the char
| acter of Lincoln, but it would not satisfy
| either of the other two requirements
| ut would not be a sufficiently imposing
monument to indicate that Lincoln's fame
| is equaled only by Washington's, and II
would not appropriately symbolic the
preservation of the Union.
"a circle Of columns at the Union
! station would be open to the same OBJ
lection In fact. the latter would sat
| isfy only one of the requirements,
namely. that it should be a beautiful
work of art.
"a public road from Washington to
Gettysburg might suggest in some de-
gree the service Of Lincoln to his coun-
try and in its usefulness it would be
appropriate to his character. but 1t
would not be sufficiently conspicu-
GUS memorial to one looking upon the
city. and it would not be a work Of
arr !"