Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-05-14
Too Strong To- Re sII..

the Editor OF Tho TIm.sD,s,,
S'r. some weeks ago this w,i,n-
published in Tho Times Disn,,ct
-, nun uhication protesting axair.,
,nc location OF the State Oi,ire EniIJ
tns IN the Capitol Square. Thls
outSty aroused only the scoru
s,Ie"c. IN the hearts and minds
u Governor and the building
COMMISSION. Others protested In
Greater and greater n,i,ubnrs
o, mem being OF more rcprcso,,,,-
i've character than |. such as ,ha
'pS'c'E i"r the Preservation Of Viz
gina Antiquities. the Troyc,ars.
protective Association ana The
lines. ines Dispatch SIN only silent
Sua.n from the temporary holders
But the chorus OF pro,.s, T.,
creased and amplihed by voices from
az SIDES and even from beyond sens
mas az !ast become too strong tn he
'shteh' especially as there has been
no voice raised In favor Of tho vn,,.
dh'ism. The Governor and bui,dinr
commission have been brouch, 10
Marley they are maklng excuses
"cy are shifting the blame TO the
legislature and claiming that lh.tr
own hands are tied
In answer 10 this. let us ask II the
fOHcrnor and building co,nrntssIn,
nave made any effort to obtain. or
negotiate for. free site" Has anv
one seen or heard Of any advertise.
hrnt ior site or any appeal to the
pubic, 10 aid them in securing one?
In strict and moral comDlIancc w,,,,
the act Of Legislature, under whose
aegis they take shelter. thoy ought
TO have first exhausted cvcrv cnnr,
10 obtain free site. Instead. th,y
chose rst-hand The brutal alterna-
i've or mutilating the Square.
Noth!ng else seemed ntting to
mem Ihcy appeared to have no
dcsire To escape this alternative. II
we go to the city of Washington we
hnd IN the Capitol Grounds there only
the Capitol itself. When the United
states decided TO build a new house
Tor the Post-Oflico Department or
patent Once, or any other organ OF
government, IL se!ccts "a place In
some other locality OF the CITY. The
wisdom or this WAS seen during the
last war. when the almost vigilance
was required to save the Capitol. to-
gethcr with the persons OF tho Con
sress and the supreme Court, from
being blown up.
10 say That we must build on the
square simply because we cannot
OBTAIN location gratis is, In slang
parlance. "small-town patter"
something must be done to stop
this wanton and Cnintclligcnt botch-
ing. or. at length. there viii remain
nothing OF the necessary space sur
rounding and protecting the Capitol
ana the Legislature. II silent consent
IS given now, we may look in the flu
ture TO see new penitentiary build
ing pitched in the northwest
corner. True, Washington and
his war-horse. Lew,s. Henry. Ma
son, Jefferson. Nelson and Mar
shall are already there. There
are the allegorical figures represent
ing Colonial times. IoNolution. Bill OF
Rights. Independence. Finance and
Constitution There arc comm cmo
rated in inscriptions the battles OF
valley Forge. Point Pleasant. Eutaw
Springs Trenton. Bunker HilI. Gull
ford Courthouse. Princeton. Kings
Mountain. Yorktown. Saratoga. Great
Bend and stony Point
These memorials OF tho glorious
past, of the suffcringa and trlumphs
of patriotism, AFRO venerable to the
VirGiniana. showing ua upon what our
safety and happiness are founded and
how achieved.
However. thin would prenont no OBJ
stacle To tho Rothn. mono whatever.
The matter would bn cnBi!y accommo-
dated Tho pruitcntIary might be
built around tho monument. there
being s"mo vacant land there. and
the Inmates derive great benefit from
daily HiuhY ar civic virtue.
This IL. Of course. rhdnctiO nd ab-
surt!um. IN, ~" ono can tell whcro
the present hhrbhrity viii end.
These prcnontH arc written. there
fore, to suggest conference by those
opposing tho erection OF the State Of
fee Building In tho Capitol Square
so that tho protest may hc offered
to the Governor and tho building