The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-04-12
BEAUTY IN CAPITAL
No More Bad Art to Be Allowed
In Washington City.
MALL IS CENTER or SCHEME
Spring Has Come to the Potomac, and
Birds. Trees and Flower Beds Are
HsautIfylnG the Parks
and Streets.
~ GEORGE cLlNToN.

ington q worthy capital are being push
ca vigorously. When the Lincoln me
mortal dispute Is ended other matters
less controversial In nature will b.
taken up and decision made. 1t IL mo-
/ yet definitely decided just what form
ths memorial to Abraham Lincoln will
taks, but the chances favor the cree
ton OF some lasting stone memorial
near the Potomac river, virtually at
the head OF what 10 called The Mall
This Mall. by the way, ia beau
tiful place. Eventually 1t will extend
from point on the river opposite
Georgetown straight through TO the
capitol. II has a wide extent today,
nnDroken except by the Washington
monument, some government buildings
ana by great trees. Before long, II Is
the firm belief OF men charged with
the beautifylng OF the city. that all the
business buildings on the south side OF
pennsylvania avenue will BIO removed
and that there win be one great gov.
eminent park extending from the ave
nue. 70 the river and from the capitol
to the Lincoln memorial.
This n spring in Washington. II was
late spring. but 1t came finally, and
with u on lie march up the Potomac
came the birds from the south, who In.
stantly took up temporary, and In some
cases. permanent. residence In Rock
Creek park This beautiful park will
enter into the scheme OF the eompres
hansiye identifying scheme OF the city
Eventually there will BIO broad park
belt. virtually surrounding the capitol
OF the nation. When II Is understood
that In the city Itself there are score
Or more Of small parks. and that every
avenue and nearly every street has its
double line OF shade trees, some ade.
qnate Idea can be obtained Of the
eventual beauty OF this Potomac city.
No More MonstrosIty Monuments.
Every effort will be made TO prevent
the erection In Washington OF any
more 'mongtroslty monuments" Some
OF the public memorials erected here
IN honor Of men dead and gone are
an honor neither TO tho scniptors, to
the people, nor TO the men whose deeds
they are supposed to commemorate
Almost anything IN the old days IN the
way OF a monument used to pass the
cenaors Of art To-day II Is virtually
impossible 10 get anything by the crit.
les except that which 10 eminently
worthy, for the board OF approval Ii
composed Of men who know excellence
when they meet IL.
Volumes have been written about
the "art' OF statuary Hall in the cap
itol. It IA probable that all the mar.
bio and bronze memorials there are
there to stay. for 1t would be regard
ed perhaps as an insult to the legis.
lators Of the states which voted these
memorials TO suggest that they DO
taken out and replaced by others.
Nature will beautify Washington In
q few days, No statuary Is needed here
to make the city beautiful In late March
and all Of April, May and June The
trees on the avenues largely are flow.
or bearing. II may be said that all
trees blossom. but those IN the main
In Washington are OF kind which
bear blossoms OF size and fragrance,
The small parks from now on VIII
be flower beds with a constant success. |
sion OF changes OF coverlids. The
arocuses come. then the hyaclnths, |
then the tulips. and then the flowers
u midsummer In constant change and |
always In profusion.
Two Bold Senator's.
When Gen. Winfield Scott Han.
cock ne presidential candidate
said THE tariff is local issue"
he said what since has proved
to be true. although. as everybody
knows, he was laughed at AZ the time
for his lack OF appreciation OF the
real facts In the case There are
other local issues besides the tarin
and chief among them is the matter
y public buildings for the cities,
towns and villages OF the country,
This matter Just now Is engaging the
attention Of the United States sen.
ate, although In haste let II be said
hat the senate Is In no wise anxious
% have the subject pressed upon IL.
A lew days ago Senators Lea ana
Kenyon, one Democrat and the other
! Republican. acting together, asked
Tor reconsideration OF bills which had
been presented by other senator's Tor
he erection Of public buildings In two
Or three small towns In the west. Ii
The action Of these two senator's was
bold and unprecedented. for be /.
known that the senators by agreement
% the past have not been Ia the habit
d interfering with one anothers al.
.emptE 70 secure fine postofiees. tine
federal court buildings and tine Gus.
toms houses for the towns OF their
home states.
ny sort Of 8 Joint agreement the
senate has allowed fits members 10 do
pretty much as they chose in the pub
ie building appropriation matter. The
rhohght being apparently, If 4 don't
interfere with another senator. the
9tner senator won't interfere WITH ne
Wien want something Of ike kind
done
Public Buildings bits are no re-
specteEs Of parties Whether the ke.
pueheans or the Democrats are II