Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Preparations were in progress SO
years ago for the inauguration of Pres
Preparing for The Hei Star rf Was pri hao
Inauguration. i ing from IN day lay to c, day
| arations. In the issue Of January 81,
| 1881, Is the following account of the
| meeting of the citizens executive COM
mittee on the inaugural ceremonies:
Mr.. j. w. Thompson, chairman, re-
ported from the special committee to
| confer with the decorations committee
| that immediate action must be taken
or that committee will be compelled to
abandon the original plan. Col. Corbin
reported the sale Of ball tickets amount
ing to $945. Maj. Lockwood asked how
| much would be allowed the floor COM
mittee of the ball for music and pro-
grams. Mr.. RoeSsle stated that the
lowest bid was $2,700. Mai. Lockwood
stated that $4,000 had been placed to
his credit in New York to be used for
the ball A vote of thanks was ten
| dered Maj. Lockwood and his New
! York friends. Chairman Thompson
! reported that Lieut.. Greene of the dec
| Grafton committee had been directed
to go ahead with the Union Arch at
Thirteenth street, which would cost
$l,100; but nothing had been done as
to the other arches. After some dis
cussion, by motion Of Col. Anger.
Lieut.. Greene was directed to decorate
the Avenue on modified plan at a
cost not exceeding $4,000 Chairman
Thompson said that Gen. Benet of the
committee on fireworks. asked for
$4,000, and some debate took place on
! motions to allow this sum and to re-
duce it to $500, after which contin-
uation Of the subject was postponed to
Wednesday next"
X X
In the following letter printed In The
Star OF February l, 1881, citizen sign
Library on Judiciary g Madiso 3Isen ,
Square Protested. protests the
on Judiciary Square for the construc-
ton of the new Library of Congress:
1t Is to be hoped that the proposi-
ton to erect library building on III
dietary Square will not receive the
sanction OF Congress, either at the pres
ent or any subsequent session. That
square, known on the original map of
the city as Reservation No. 9, was des-
!gnateo Dy President Washington for
Ine purpose OF the judicial branch of
=
ecutive branches having been placed
elsewhere. KLEIN, in his Handbook of
washington City, the result of which
!apor and research, under the head of
Fupnc Buildings and Grounds saws:
Inc legislative and executive
branches of the Government occupy
buildings erected expressly for their
use. The coordinate or judicial branch
was deIt without one, though provision
1or lCS accommodation was originally
contemplated. It was designed
In the original plan of the city to erect
separate building for the uses of the
JuuicIary, ana Tor that purpose Jul
olclary Square was set apart. Nothing
has yet been done; and the letter Of
PRESIDENT Washington of March 2. 1877.
togetner with the documents attached
thereto, now to be seen in the Office
OF the Commissioner of Public Build
mgs at the Capitol, afford conclusive
evidence of the facts stated. In the
embryo condition of the United States
Supreme Court, the embodiment, or
central ngure as it were, of the great
Judicial branch Of the Government, both
necessity and convenience required that
IL should be placed in the Capitol,
which was accordingly done in the
year 1901. But the necessity then
existing has long since passed, while
the convenience of the legislative
branch now absolutely requires that it
should be placed elsewhere, in accord
ance with the intentions of those who
founded the city after laying the
foundations of the Republic.
THE time has now arrived when
something should be done, and upon
the spot originally designed for the
purpose there should be erected a mag
nificent temple of justice, whose dome
arising from the center of that great
reservation, should canopy the Supreme
Court of the United States, the De-
partment of Justice, the Court Of
Claims, the courts of the District of
Columbia, and such other judicial tr1-
bunals as may be improvised from time
to time by Congress fomthe public con-
venience and in the interests of justice
Thus win be contaminated the wise de-
sign Of washington, who with sys-
tematic forethQught contemplated the