The Washington herald., 1922-07-02
Instructive Designs Seen
In Congressional Library
Figures illustrate Progress of Art and Civiliza
ton in the United States.

NAOhS W "OEu VI win NnAS
cairn as a reminder and guide.
The group in the second picture.
oral Tradition" shows nomads,
who may have been stin near the
cradle of human life. perhaps in
Arabia One man is telling the
others in a very dramatic way some
story of his tribe. or bit of history.
which is to be passed on in this
way, by word of mouth, through
many generations before the heiro-
glyph, in the next picture, Is
evolved. The listeners are truly
orinetal and primitive In their utter
absorption. They are listening as
children. who take one deep breath
when the story is ended. and then
gasp. Tell us anotherr"
In The Heiroglyph" man Is able
to leave some written record, how
ever crude. which will last, in eli
mates like that Of Egypt. where it
was developed. for an almost in
calculable time.
Next. THE Photograph" may be
preserved until civilization has
become very far advanced, or until
another race. consisting OF more
advanced conquerors, arrives, as in
the case of the American Indians.
In the next scene writing has
been introduced and manuscript
books are made. Here are the
quiet cloisterers OF the times be-
fore the Renaissance, with the
monks busy.
The last view shows some of the
hrst sheets which ever came from
the press of Gutenberg.
AS We proceed to the reading
room We find the series by Elihu
Vedder, called Government of the
Republic" In Good Administra-
ton" the seated figure holds a bal
ance in her right hand, for justice.
Her other hand rests upon a large
shield with two divisions, in each
one of which is one side of a ball
ance. Public Opinion, on the other
side. Is winnowing the wheat from
the chaff. by the oldfashioned hand
method. A central figure, Good Ad-
ministration. stands for the genius
or spirit Of America. and holds
open In her lap the book of laws.
Government" laurel-crowned,
holds on her lap a tablet with the
lines from Lincoln made immortal
In his Gettysburg address: "A gov
eminent of the people. by the peo-
pie, for the people," The oak In
the background is the symbol of
the republics strength. The
figures on the sides bear the sword
of authority. and the bridle, for re-
straint. Both these latter symbols
are biblical in origin. In the next
picture, Peace and Prosperity"
however. the symbols are associ-
ated with more modern peoples.
The olive as the symbol of pros
perity is typically Roman. and has
been used by Roman and italian
writers and artists to a consider
able extent. The Greek idea is
seen in the laurel wreaths with
which the central goddess Is about
to crown the seated figures OF Ag-
riculture and Art. This is not only
reward for work done but an in
centive to future effort. The cornu-
copia Is also classical In origin. for
OVERLOOKING plenty.
Corrupt Legislation" in the next
picture. has a golden cornucopia at
her side. kept overflowing by the
hribes of all sorts given to her by
those who are represented by the
gross figure beside her, who has
the book OF laws on his own lap,
and has Just kicked over the ballot
box. Industry is overthrown, fac
tories are idle and all sorts Of
miseries follow in the train of cor
rupt legislation. Anarchy" is the
end Of all evil practices. Here all
the forces OF evil are assisting in
the overthrow, and the chief figure
Is about to cast down the bomb
that will destroy everything.
Going out again. through the
north hall. We pass Charles Sprague
Pearce's lunettes. The series takes
its name from the principal one,
The Family" Religion, one of the
finest of this group, shows a de-
vout young couple kneeling in
prayer before a primitive stone
altar. from which the smoke of
their sacrifice is going toward
heaven.