Studies in the South and West, with Comments on CanadaWarner, Charles Dudley
History
Studies in the South and West, with Comments on Canada
Warner, Charles Dudley
Canada -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
This museum and the geological department, the intelligent management of
which has been of immense service to the commonwealth, is in one of the
detached buildings which make up the present Capitol. The Capitol is
altogether antiquated, and not a credit to the State. The room in which
the Lower House meets is shabby and mean, yet I noticed that it is
fairly well lighted by side windows, and debate can be heard in it
conducted in an ordinary tone of voice. Kentucky will before many years
be accommodated with new State buildings more suited to her wealth and
dignity. But I should like to repeat what was said in relation to the
Capitol of Arkansas. Why cannot our architects devise a capitol suited
to the wants of those who occupy it? Why must we go on making these
huge inconvenient structures, mainly for external display, in which the
legislative Chambers are vast air-tight and water-tight compartments,
commonly completely surrounded by other rooms and lobbies, and lighted
only from the roof, or at best by high windows in one or two sides that
permit no outlook—rooms difficult to speak or hear in, impossible to
ventilate, needing always artificial light? Why should the Senators of
the United States be compelled to occupy a gilded dungeon, unlighted
ever by the sun, unvisited ever by the free wind of heaven, in which the
air is so foul that the Senators sicken? What sort of legislation ought
we to expect from such Chambers? It is perfectly feasible to build a
legislative room cheerful and light, open freely to sun and air on
three sides. In order to do this it may be necessary to build a group
of connected buildings, instead of the parallelogram or square, which is
mostly domed, with gigantic halls and stair-ways, and, considering the
purpose for which it is intended, is a libel on our ingenuity and a
burlesque on our civilization.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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