National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-07
THE CENTENNIAL DEBATE.

THE CENTENNIAL DEBATE
Is it not about time for some gentlemen
in Congress who are forever raising a
tempest in the name of their constituents to
exercise little of the independence which
belongs to a Representative and SenatorH
Take the case of the Centennial appropria-
ton now under discussion in the House.
1t is hard to believe that the intelligent
men in that body, who are opposing thatap-
preparation because they think their constit-
uents will rebuke them, or, in other words,
because they think they will lose their
seats if they vote for it, are sincere in this
declaration. Nothing gratifes the people
more than bold and straightforward public
servant, and it was easy to notice, when
Mr.. Frye, of Maine, proclaimed his inten-
ton to go before his constituents and jus
tify his support of the Centennial cause, he
touched the hearts alike of the people in
the galleries and of the members on the
floor. Our excellent friend, Mr.. Ward, of
Chicago, ought to have told his hearers
that the three million dollars asked for by
the Finance Centennial Committee, if ap :
pOrtioned among the people of the States,
would be about seven cents a head, or
three and half cents per capita for each
of the two years before the exposition.
Have these Representatives ever thought
where the defeat of the bill would leave
the proposition to celebrate the Centennial
anniversary? Have they ever thought of
the comments that must undoubtedly be
published against the credit and honor of
Our country in foreign nations, not to speak
OF the deeply wounded patriotism of our
own people, for, after all, patriotism is not
dead, and there is in every county of every
State of the Union, North and South, many
Americans who watch the extraordinary
spectacle in the Congress of the United
States with sorrow and surprise? What
snail we say to the thousands of foreigners
who are looking forward to the close of
this century as the great opportunity for
visiting the United States and for comparing
our progress with their own? During the
debate in the House yesterday we sat at the
side of a distinguished member of Parlia-
ment from one Of the Australian Islands,
a dependency of Great Britain, and we
could well sympathize with him in his as
constituent that there should be any oppo-
sition to the proposal to honor, by a great
international gathering the close of this
wonderful century of American liberty.
He spoke Of his people as watching the pro-
greSs Of our preparations to that end with
increasing interest, and trusted that these
ideas of false economy would vanish in the
face Of a great paramount obligation alike
TO our own pledged word and to the cause
of civilization. There is such q thing as
oyerleaping the mark, and the gentlemen
who are attempting to compare this COM
paratiVely small expenditure with the eX-
aggerated disbursements upon other and
doubtful expedients should take care that
they do not awaken in the breasts of the
people resentment that may ultimately be-
come resistless. 1t was significant, after
Mr.. Ward, of Chicago, had excitedly de-
nOnccd the whole Centennial programme,
and had attempted to cover it with
ridicule, that Governor Mccormick,
the able delegate from Arizona, should have
quietly read an able editorial from the Chi
Cago Inter- Ocean, the leading Republican
journal in the Northwest, calling upon Con-
gress to respond at once and generously to
the appeal of the Centennial commissioners
We have no doubt that il, by any combina-
ton Of circumstances, disaster should fall
upon this noble appeal Of the great State of
Pennsylvania, backed as she is by many of
the ablest men Of both parties in both
branches of Congress, the people would
take the subject into their own hands, and
that before another six months rolled
around such will be the proved energy, Or
ganizatiOn and success of the system by
which the Centennial will be pushed for
ward, that the very men now eager to press
TO the front to ridicule and denounce it
would be equally glad to unsay their words
and to repair the wrong they have done to
a great and glorious cause.
The most notable feature of this great
debate, perhaps, is the fact that many of the
ablest speakers of both parties in the House
have contributed by their eloquence to the
support of the recommendation of the
special committee. They represent all
parties and both sections, and among these
may be enumerated Hon. VIM. D. Kelley,
OF Pennsylvania; Hon. Lyman Tremain,
of New York; Hon. Alexander White, of
Alabaml; Hon. VIM. P. Frye, of Maine;
Hon. Richard c. Mccormick, Delegate
from Arizona; Hon. Jasper B. Packard, of
Indiana; Hon. Leonard Myers, Hon. Chas
O'Neill, Hon. Charles Albright, Hon.
Samuel ]. Randall, of Pennsylvania; to be
followed to-day by Hon. Hugh J. Jewett
of Ohio; Hon. Samuel Hooper and Hon.
Alvan Crocl1er, of Massachusetts,, and Hon.
Jos. r. Hawley, Of Connecticut. Among
the earnest advocates of this measure may
be enumerated Hon. L. Q. G. Lamar, of
Mississippi; Col. A NJ. Waddell, Of North
Carolina; Hon. VIM. ]. O'Brien, of Mary
land, and Hon. Godlove 8. Orth, of
Indiana. From this array it will be seen
that the patriotic sentiment Of the country
has been faithfully represented by some of
the most distinguished men Of both parties
in the House Of Representatives, and if the
bill is not carried it will simply be because
there are Representatives in that body who,
although really inclined to advocate the
measure, still believe that the people are
not yet ready TO support them in an honest
effort to maintain the public faith and to
give expression to the national gratitude.
THE METROPOLIS PAYING COM