, 1876-11-01
CENTENNIAL AWARDS.
From the N. Y. Herald3

who took the ass to market is likely to
fad q new moral in the effect ofthe awards
OF medals and diplomas to exhibitors by
the Centennial Commission. It is, Of
course, Impossible to satisfy everybody in
& come, roa for honor, aud the managers
81 c'o L ...r'u nc doubt knew that they
could he. saoceed in the attempt. But
tHeT oo ri the republican theory Of
d9laE - greatest good to the greatest
number. and carried it out as the prudent
schoo.masoer does who gives ali of his
pupils tae highest average on examination
day. The Commissioners gave to thou
sands OF exhibitors medals of equal value,
and diplomas of undiscriminated praise.
But even this artfuI way of lodging the
dlsagreeable duty of making an absolute
choice between rivals for glory inevitably
fails to give complete satisfaction. Those
who believe their goods are the best are
not contented to have inferior goods
placed upon the same level as their own.
Where all honors are alike no honors at
all are uSt as valuable. The Centennial
Commissioners have undertaken to carry
the ass to the fair, and if he kicks and
struggles, and the market people laugh
they must not complain. We do not
wish to say that any other plan would
have been more satisfactory, but it must
be good naturedIy conceded that their at
tempt to retute the proverb that "when
two men ride the same horse one of them
must ride behind" is not successful. We
think that testimonials of any kline are, as
a rule, worth less to 40 exhibitor than the
impression his goods make upon the pub
lie. But this is not the opinion of the
merchant, to whom diplomas and medals
are valuable as pegs on which to hang
newspaper advertisements. The effect of
the plan is that already the journals contain
glowing announcement that Jones, Smith,
White, Brown, Green, Black and Blue,
have each obtained the very highest prize
tor pianos, and that Cobb, Robb, Hobb
and NObb have each secured the first me-
dial and the most complimentary diploma
for sewing machines. Each has the SUI
preme honor, as every museum possesses
the club that killed Captain Cook. The
result will be that in manufacture and in-
ventiOn we shall see the "Original
Jacobs" of Chatham street repeated on
an immense scale. First there was the
"OriginaI Jacobs" then the "Original
Original Jacobs" and then the "Original
Original Original Jacobs" and so on to
the crack of DOOM. But it is possible that
they may be all right in their claims as
we'll as wrong. The holders of these
awards for the highest degree of excellence
are like horses which have made equal
time in a race for, suppo8ing that four
horses have each made a mile in two min
utes and fourteen seconds, aud that that is
the fastest time on record, the "best time'
may be claimed for each horse without
fear of refutation. On this principle all
bets as to the best time are invariably de-
cided. But exhibitors are not inclined to
look upon the subject in this mild way.
Each wishes to be "the only Original
Jacobs" and out of this peaceful Exhibi-
ton will come war. The pot will call the
kettle black, rival boilers will explode
with passion, pianos will thunder in dis
cord and the sewing machines will tear
their shirts in rage. So much for the lev
cling up method of Centennial awards,
which once more emphasizes the moral of
Esop that those who try to please all will
probably please none.
-~&<@SeSo~~