Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-10
SCRUB ACADEMY,
MORRIS DEMANDS
Bids Fine Arts Management
Swap Paint Brushes for
BrOOms
ARRAICNS CIVIC APATHY
Former Director Tells New
Century Club Smugness Is
Philadelphia's Curse

Get about 500 women together take
your brooms and scrubbing brushes
soap and all other paraphernaiia W
cleanliness and for goodness sake cie'"
the place II has not been cleaned s'''r
] was a director twelve years ago lhe
dirt on the skylights takes away so per
cent of the light And while you are Al
II with your brooms also clean ont ih"
Infringement"
This scathing denDciition Of the
Academy Of the Fine Arts was delivered
by Harrison :. Morris, former director
OF the academy. In an address hrt"r"
the New century club during sym
postum yesterday on TN" Influence"
Of War on Art and the Placing Of Art
in Our Local Community"
officials Of the PENNSYLVANIA Academy
of ti1c Fine Arts refused to comment to-
day on the attack made on the insiiiu-
sfou by Mr.. Morris
The impression given by John Fd"der-
lex Lewis. president of the Academy {.
Clement Il. Newbold. vice president, aud
Director T.. T. Stotesbr,y was that the
whole attack was too trivial to war
rant an extended reply.
mir. Morris is always entitled to open
his mouth. ! have nothing 10 say was
Mr. Newbold's reply to the indictment.
Mr.. Lewis smiled pleasantly and said
as far as he was concerned tile matter
began and ended with MIR MOrris's
charges MIR Stotssburv said he had
nothing TO say" regarding the affair.
10 you ever get away from here
Mr.. Morris demanded II often do. And
| know the reputation Of this place.
Is horrible In an art way II is con-
sidered less than Insignificant, and. |
wish TO add that in every other way |
think il is the most corrupted city on
the face OF the earth,
You know the Academy exists, don't
you? Well. that is because have made
its existence known. Al present it ls
Just running along by accident in its
old degenerate way.
1.-THE annual exhibitions have now be
come a widely known institution. But
Il Is an opportunity of which the right
advantage is not taken. They usually
amount to very little. Two years ago .
the then president apologized TO me I
for the exhibit. And b. surely needed /
apology.
"tnless We get away from the Snug
feeling of self satisfaction that ~ fast
becoming the curse of this town. we
shall ride on the aSiuine back Of Phila-
delphia 20 hell"
Mr.. Morris sietched the history of
Philadelphia as a center Of art from
the time of Charles Wilson Peale. Gil
bert Stuart and Thomas Suly down IN
the present
AT one time" he said this city.
strange as it now may seem was te-ming
with intellectual life. We oven had
poets here, Whittier. Lowell and Poe
lived here and worked here
But the Quaker and PRESBYTERIAN
elements, the two stocks that constitute
the majority Of the population. put a
damper upon all intellectual life
Fine stocks. these two. It is true. hut
they have one quality that will be the
'Indoing of this city unless We get up
In arms. And that is their lrthdrgy. l,u-
politicians. merchants and all
manner of grafters know this They al
ways can depend on us never to move a
finger, no matter what their schemes to
extract money from the people.
We must throw off his lethargy We
must inject vgOr. lJf", pep int" uur
activities into all our doiugs artistic
and otherwise. But We won't
do it as long as We think "" and our riry
are perfect.
Ballot Urged as Rem-d,
'The great grand remedy for mos,
Of the trouble ~ tile ballot 90 nom,
and tell your husbands and brothers TO
use the ballot right aud 10 see 10 it that
YOU also get it,
Here the women chrrr-d MIR Morris
He delivered his address after = speech
had been made by john H. McIIneuuv. -
trustee OF the :, ,hOol of Industrial Alt