Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-15
Fifty Years Ago
In the Star

September 10, 1890, "as if the bronze
counterpart of Lafayette
New Site tor and his statuesque at
Stotue PENDANTS would find a
resting place at last and
would have chance to show them
selves in all their glory to attract the
attention and admiration OF the
passerby. Ever since their rather IN
glorious arrival in this city. so unlike
the various arrivals of the eminent
marquis himself in the different cities
of this country when he took his historic
trips some years ago, the bronze pars
pieced and joined. that will make the
long expected and much talked about
Lafayette statue. have remained IN their
original packages stored away some
where around the Senate stable
AT length. however. the commission
having In charge the selection OF a
site have fixed their minds upon one
that they think will be in every vay
satisfactory. Whether it will or not
is matter that remains TO be seen. At
any rate, II is not the first site they
selected. That was IN Lafayette square.
At the first thought it would seem that
Lafayette's statue ought TO be placed
in the beautiful park that has so long
been known by his name. but unfor-
tunately for that plan the first choice
OF locations in the park had already
been pre-empted by an earlier applicant
for monumental honors and a host at
once appeared who insisted upon 1t that
an American statue OF such a good
American general as Jackson should
never be removed to make room tor a
Frenchman's statue of a French officer,
even though that officer was a true and
tried friend of this country in the hour
of her most pressing need. Not that
they loved Lafayette the less, perhaps,
but that they loved Jackson more, or
else were believers in the American rule
of first come first served. And so the
commission, which is composed of Secre-
tary Window, Senator Evarts and Mr..
Clark. the architect of the Capitol.
decided to erect the new statue as a
sort of sideshow to the old one and a
site was chosen directly to the south
Of Clark Mills big man on horseback
Before this was done, however, a
number of other locations were con-
sidered and each in turn rejected. 1t
was proposed to remove the Peace Monu-
ment and place the newcomer there. but
this did not satisfy. The White House
grounds the location to the south of
the White House, the big ellipse, the
corner in front of the War, State and
Navy Department, a corner of the
Lafayette Park, and the central part of
the west site were all discussed and all
rejected in favor of the center of the
south side of the park. AS soon as this
location was fixed upon work was begun
and the appropriation for the purpose
as soon nearly exhausted in the erec-
ton of suitable pedestal But the
pedestal will never have an occupant
in its present location at any rate. There
it stands, though, in full view of the
passing multitude, seeming to offer
mute appeal for some one to do some
thing with it. Something will be done
with it in all probability, and that right
soon. 1t will be moved.
Before the statue could be placed
upon 1t, Senator Bate introduced
resolution that was agreed to by Con-
greSs calling halt in the proceedings
and the commission accepted the sug-
gestion. They regarded it as mandatory
upon them and at once the necessity of
looking for new site arose.
1.-THE site that has been chosen and
that will probably stay chosen is the
plot of ground at the southeast corner
of the Treasury Building. The large
grass plot there on a line of Pennsyl-
vania Avenue is to be divided into two
parts by setting back the fence on the
south side so that it will intersect the
plot of ground east and west at the
point where the small flight of steps
comes down from the broad landing of
the south steps of the Treasury. The new
group, it is said, is regarded by con-
noisseurs as one of the most artistic
and imposing in this country and the
commission deserves to be congratulated
if in their attempts to disentangle the
Gordian knot they have adopted q
scheme that will be generally satisfac.
torv"