The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-12
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late to consider it. We have promised our
ne.Snoors we would give party, sent our
earas eaS OF invitation; the guests have accepted
e wa raosS Degah TO arrive. 1t is too late to say
so a,sa, we decided to have party; it is
| I'LL ;,pnsNe tnat some one NAV steal ont
shver spoons, &C., that will meyer do Tbere
~ pu. Que honorable course To nnr.ua and
| a' 10 W 20 on as We have nromised =, do
| nraoo5 Io no, we shall be everlastinoly dis.
r;1 raoeu ~ 5, tne eyes of all civilized nations
people of the U. S. but we oi,y sbsu upon the
PRESIDENT of this great nation in he aeo . sne
Illuminating position before the wnriJ
Again you say: "0''u
1t is gratifying 20 know that the sena,s o,
Friday treated the Philadelphia scheme with
| marked disfay0r. In this We are confident
that they represent the average sentiment of
| the nation.
| 1t is true The Senate did vote down a prom
| osition to appropriate three million of dollars
| to the celebration and while regretted the
action of the Senate was by no means sur
prised.
First, because Pennsylvania stated in the
| House in 1871 that that State would furnish
| all the money needed, and no doubt the Sen
ate believed if the nation withheld it this
great State will come to the rescue. If Penn
| syivanla should fail, it is believed by many
that N. Y. will step forward and offer to fur
nlsh all the money needed with equal facili-
tles etc. HOW this may be l know not.
was hot IN favor OF going to Congress for
money. fully believed that if the Board of
Finance would take the proper course,
money enough could be raised directly from
the people by the sale of the bonds etc. to do
all that was proposed; and had the men
shown one half the energy and patriotism
that Mrs. Gillespie, President of the Woman's
centennial Commission, and her noble and
patriotic lady associates have shown, the
money would haze been raised long ere this,
and there would have been no need of going
10 congress TO beg an appropriation. But
the executive committee it seems thought it
wise to follow the example of other countries.
and call on the national government to assist
| them.
| The national government of France and
| the city OF Paris contributed about three
| hiths OF the money necessary for their great
Exposition III 1867. The Imperial govern
ment oil Austria appropriated directly to the
Vienna Exposition in 1878 four and one-haf
millions OF dollais, and loaned without inter-
| est one and one-half million more, making
| no less than SIX million from the government,
thus exhibiting in the most practical form the
| Sympathy of the Imperial government of
Austria in the cause OF labor and mechanical
| industry, by recognition of their lust claims
upon the national treasury.
But as Congress has once refused to follow
the examples OF other nations in appTopria-
| ting money for this Exposition, hope no
farther effort will be made in this direction.
Let the commissioners now 20 to the people
direct, explain their cause and leave it to
.hem to say whether il shall be a success
or failure. Pennsylvania has already appro-
prlated one million OF dollars, and Philadel-
phla half million more Both can double it
without seriously feeling it, but will be the
gamers by so doing, in the end. The people
OF Pennsylvania are now and ever have been
ready TO do all, and more than equity aud
justice demands OF them to make the Cen
| tennial grand success. The people in other
States will soon ieel the same, and for one
have no fears of the result. All great enter
prises have their dark days. But when JUS
uce and right IS on their side, the people al
ways come to the rescue in the end. That
they will in this case, have no doubt.
Again you say, ''the proposition is dis6gur-
ed by too many indlcia of possible plumber to
be received with much favor"
l must say l am at loss to know what
you mean; by this statement you cannot
refer to the centennial commission or Board
OF Finance. l can say with pleasure that
think 10 board OF commission ever met with
equal numbers of the Centennial Commission
or Board of Finance that would be less likely
to permit birds of prey in their midst or
countenance jobbery in any form. The
Board OF Finance was created to control the
financial part of the exposition by an act of
Congress passed June /, 1872, and gentle
men OF the very highest respectability and
untarnished honor were appointed in each
state consisting OF such men as W. p. HaDes,
| w. IL. Putnam, Joshua l.. Chamberlain and
Abner Coburn of Maine, Robert c, Win
throp, Alexander Fl. Bullock, VIM. Clafiin
W.T.. Alien, Edwaf;di' Ed;i' r. Nsosssss. and Eads VIE
Groe. beck Of Ohio, VIM. J.. Slater and Am.
biose e. Burnside of r. l., Horace Fairbanks
and Lawrence Brainard of VT. l quote
these names because they are known TO the
people OF Maine and are fair repres entatives
OF the Board of Finance in other States; tc
these men every dollar tha; is raised must be
paid. From this Board every dollar ex.
pended must come. II they are not
to be trusted pray tell us who
is, or can il be there are no honest men
in our land? Are we nation of thieves and
plunde:ers, and must we admit that we can
not have national or International exhbi-
tion without being plundered? Such an ad-
mission is far too humiliating. l cannot be-
eve it. will not admit il. The three
great powers of Europe have held Interna-
tlonal expositions. We have been invited to
all, have exhibited in all, and in many re-
spects have been successful.
The huDdreth anniversary of our nations
birth is indeed fitting time Tor us to hold
our International Exposition. The advan-
| lSStS 10 De ueTlNeu lTOLu III are mdnllOlQ anu
important. The opportunity is grand one
and should not be lost to the people or the
nation. t
A few years ago we could not celebrate this
grand event as we can now, for, thank God.
there is .Io slavery in all our land now. Then
let us make the one hundreth anniversary
OF the birth of our nation a year of justice.
We have great reasons to be thankful to AL
mighty God for the many manifestations Of
His goodness to us as people and nation.
In what way can we show our thankfulness
to our heavenly father more plainly and ap-
propriately, than by showing our gratitude
ard true appreciation OF the brave and noble
men and women he gave us. one hundred
years ago, to year fer us and our children and
our chidren's children this great temple ol
American Liberty.
We have long claimed that whatever Kings
and Emperors cali do we as a people can do
better. This celebration to a great extent
will be test of popular government Shall
we succeed or shall we fail. Let the heroic
deeds of our forefathers stimulate us. Let
La prove ourselves worthy of our ancestors
and mr. ''"claim in one united and determined
declaration that there shall be no such word
as fail Y. r. kMBALL.
PORTLAND, March. II, 1874.
| POITITRy As EApN CrocE Wny uOtu-