The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-19
Shall tho Centennial Exhibition Fail
or Triumph:


Whether the Centennial Exhibition fails
or succeeds is matter of grave Importance
to the American people. They have to some
extent risked the national reputation upon
the event. They are accused Of boasting
that the greatest Republic known in tho
history of the world is the most successful
experiment in government and the Exhi-'
bition is intended to be demonstration Of
the claim. If we fail; if Paris, London and
Vienna excel us; if our International EXPOSE
ton proves to be blunder, the rest of the
world will say of our Liberty, as the Queen
in Hamlet" said of her double on the stage,
ssThe lady doth protest too much, methihks.s
Our boast is very great one, and We ought
to make it good. Thus far it is doubtful il
we can succeed
The opening day Of the Exhibition was, Of
course, triumph. The President of the
United States, Congress- the foreign Minis
tiers, and many citizens were present, and
the entire attendance was more than
hundred thousand people. Yet the cash
receipts were only about thirty-eight
thousand dollars. Since then they
have dwindled to daily average of about
ten thousand dollars, while tho daily
expenses greatly exceed that amount.
There arc many faults in the Exhibition Of
which the public has reason to complain. 1t
does not attract foreigners, and even our own
citizens have not given it the support that
was expected. The hotels which raised
their prices because Of the vast attendance
on the first day we're soon obliged to reduce
them When the hotel keepers reduce their
prices there must be something out of joint
for hotels are like barometers, and generally
give the mean average of the financial con-
dition of the country.
1t is conceded, with deep regret, that since
the opening day the Exhibition has steadily
drifted into debt, and all that is thus fa
anticipated to redeem it is the Fourth o.
July. Our old friend Yankee Doodle is "a
come to the rescue. There is no doubt,
will be greater than that of the Inauguration
of the Exhibition. The Fourth of July is
national holiday, and not only all Philadel-
phia, but thousands of people from the
neighboring States and cities will make
it point to use the opportunity
periodically by visiting the Exhibi-
ton. Besides this, many societies will
meet in Philadelphia on or about the
anniversary of American independence.
Among these are the volunteer reunions,
the international Typographical Congress,
the National Law Congress, tho National
and State military encampments, the Grand
Army Of the Republic, tho Congress of Au-
thors, the National Convention of the Cath
Ole Young Mems Association las large
body as the Young Mems Christian Asso
ciation), the Statesmen and Commercial Trav
ellers' Association, the Catholic Total Absti
hence Convention of America, the Worldt
Homeopathic Convention, the Grand
Knights of Malta, and others which we need
not name. These visitors and the attraction
of the great anniversary itself will swell the
attendance on that day enormously. But
one swallow does not make n summer. nor
can two grand days of patriotism make
success of the Exhibition.
Failure or success depends more upon the
Commissioners who manage the Exposition
than uDon the public. They must atons