The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-10

TACCART OPPOSES
That S2,OOO,000 Greek Temple
for Abe Lincoln.
Would Have Some More Fitting
Memorial.
SENATOR BRADY OF IDAHO
The New Man Is a Regular
Republican.
Brother of j. l.. Brady, Law
renee Editor.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 10.-Con-
gresham Taggart of Kansas opposes
the idea of the government appro-
priating $2,00O,000 to construct a
Greek temple in commemorat1on OF
Abraham Lincoln. He says such
structure does not represent our con-
ception of anything connected with
the life of Lincoln. In speech made
on the floor of the house Mr.. Taggart,
I'm part, said:
Nearly four years ago congress APP
propriated 100000 to be expended
for a memorial to Abraham Lincoln.
A commission was appointed for the
purpose of suggesting to congress the
form and character of the memorial
This commission was intrusted with
the delicate task of suggesting to con-
gress what might properly express the
emotions of the American people to-
ward Abraham Lincoln, and in doing
so they either had in mind, or should
have had in mind, what might appro-
priately fit the character of Lincoln.
A monument not only suggests to the
beholder some characteristic of the
great parsonage to whom it is erected,
but it expresses the sentiment of the
people in their appeal to posterity.
1T seems that the disposition to
build monuments is manifested about
a half century after the death of il
lustrious men. The Washington m ION
ument was commenced in 1S4S, forty
nine years after the death of George
Washington, and here we are nearly
half a century after the death of Abe
Lincoln trying to express our feelings
toward that martyred president Per-
hapS this semicentennial enthusiasm
for monument building is due to the
fact that the generation then living
learned in childhood from those who
knew the great men of their day the
personal characteristics of those
whose memory is venerated. That
generation having reached the re-
curing to their childhood memories
are moved to erect memorials lest the
idols of their childhood should be for
gotten.
Surely nothing can be more gen
erous than this expression of the
American people that 100000
should be expended to commemorate
Abraham Lincoln. This is the larg-
est sum appropriated by any govern
ment in the world for this purpose, at
least in modern times, to comment
crate any person.
THE commission appointed has sug-
gested a monument in the nature of a
Greek temple, in which replica of ST.
Gaudens's seated statue should be
placed, and the site selected is the bank
of the Potomac river at a point d.
rectly west of the capitol and of the
Washington Monument.
THE people that 1 have the honor
to represent, am happy to say, are
not without appreciation of the beau
tiful and are not without reverence for
art. In the region of eastern Kansas
although it is located apart from the
great cities where art treasures are
being accumulated, the very fact of
that distance simply adds to the ap-
probation of what has been done in
the world to express the worlds sense
of beauty. In that district are hun
dreds of the old neighbors of Abraham
Lincoln and thousands of men who
served in the army of which he was the
commander in chief, and will venture
to say that not one person can be
found within the limits of Kansas who
would not be willing that we should do
our utmost to convince future ages of
our love and veneration of Lincoln.
But we have a right to ask seri-
ously, Does a Greek temple represent
our conception of anything connected
with the life of Lincoln?''
James H. Brady was this week sworn
in as United States senator from Idaho
to fill out the unexpired term of the
late w. B. Hepburn. In Mr.. Brady the
Republican standpatters in the senate
gain a stalwart recruit.
For several years Senator Brady was
a resident of Kansas and he attended
school in that state. He went to Idaho
in 1894. He is a brother of John Leford
Brady, editor and publisher of the
Lawrence CKan.) Daily World. who
was candidate for congress in the
Second district last fall, but failed of
election
In my judgment, the tariff ought
to be taken out of politics. said SEN
ator Brady to the Topeka State Jour-
nal correspondent. It am strongly in
favor of a business tariff commission
Next to the tariff 1 am interested in
conservation, and in this connection
may say that the people of the east
have no proper conception of what
conservation means to the west We
favor conservation in Idaho, but we
want reasonable conservation, and we
want the benefits to go to the people
of the west. The trouble is that the