The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-02-18
Speech of Hon. s. 8. Cox.

ment Of the Paris Exposition, TO in
clude a culinary department for cooking
Indian corn.
Mr.. Cox, of New York said:
Mr.. Chairman: 1t is with regret that
oppose what might seem the aggran-
dizemens Of our country by foreign
exhibition of its products. II that
statement involved the true question
before us, presented In the bill of the
Foreign Affairs Committee. my regret
would lead 20 silence. The failacy of
measures like this, consists in assuming
tha. everything which seems to be for
the welfare and glory Of the country is
truly 30 and that every beneicent Law
in seeming. is authorized by our Con-
stitution.
The Champ de Mars had many memo
ries of war and revolution. /. was upon
this field that Robespierre erected an
altar to the Supreme Being. Surround
ed by his chiefs. he celebrated the .fete
by dedicating flowers. fruits, and ears
of corn. while all swore To defend the
republic. 1t was then and there that
the grand hymn to God was sung while
the sanguinary hypocrites offered our
innocent maize to propitiate the Eter-
nal. Upon that field Of Mars. which
centuries before had been the gathering
place of warriors. was to be realized
more than the dreams of Utopia. 1t
was to be mart Of industry typical of
pruning hooks and plowshare,. How
long after that, before the German Uh-
lans encamped within the walls Of the
fated city!
The wars which have since followed
show that in giving the Legion of
honor" TO the Yankee piano forte with
fiddle attachment. or q gold medal for
carved Belgian cupboard. the lion
was not induced to lie down with the
lamb. except he had swallowed the
lamb. The meanness and rapacity of
its promoters were only excelled by the
disgraceful exhibition which our own
nation made subsequently at Vienna.
1t was the display of shoddy in its
worse sense. l would rescue shOddy
from its sinister meaning Shoddy has
become term of reproach, but if you
stop its supply the price of wool would
double. Millions of people would then
miss their warm winter clothes. Ii.
however. shoddy is not mixed with new
wool. it becomes not only disgrace to
trade. but just nickname for mercena-
ry roguery. II our exhibition at Paris
should degenerate into the unmixed
shoddy. as at Vienna, better not to have
exhibited our weakness ut all.
- Al -
did for America was the introduction of
American drinks. There WAS perpet-
ual disease in and around it called the
Exhibition thirst" which was well
described by George Agustus Sais as
"leading to wandering in spirits and in
mind" II you asked any question Of
the stranger about Paris. he dilat.d
upon the 'noggs.' 'cobblers. 'snashers,
Cocktails. eyeopeness, mustache-twist-
crs. and 'corpsc-revivers' OF the Ameri-
can restaurant. Laughter Stewed
oysters, terrapins. soft-shell crabs.
canvas-back ducks. and prairie hens
were introduced under the Stars and
Stripes, to the attention, admiration,
amazement, and stomachs Of the French
population for the first time. Nor are
the provisions of the original bill for
corn diet any novelty in France for,
green corn and succotash we're as COM
mon then as cobblers aud cocktails.
Laughter.
Suppose that such exhibitions do
enlarge our markets. as contended for
by the eloquent member from Wiscon-
sin, Mr.. Williams. and constitute All
incentive to other nations 10 improve
upon their machinery and production,
cannot tho same object be accomplished
without q violation of the Constitution
or without an appropriation by Con
gress. Does it require torture OF the
one or an act of the other to inspire the
maker of soft textures Of wool, or fine
linen. or glossy silk? Do we need the
stimulus of an, exposition to bring our
meat-stuffs. bread-stutfs. eggs, butter,
cattle, horses and mules into foreign
markets Did the Centennial make our
grain cropss Already we are growing
in our export trade by the hundred
millions. thorough refrigerators and
steam. quick transit, an smart agencies.
Appropriations did not inspire Jsc-
guards dream, out OF which came his
wonderful loom. Did the Corliss engine,
mighty ~ Titan to rend the oak,
result from the Centennial or antedate
III Was it a Government appropriation
which gave Whitney's cottongin to the
South. with its three hundred millions
saved per annum, DID the exhibition
Of 1851 cause McCormick's reaper or
only show it Off Suppose that the ex-
hibition should excite to the discovery
Of new elements Of industry for the
ameloration of mankpd. does it follow
that . Government appropriation is
necessary for that purposes Did Con-
gress start the sewing machine. or the
Calling gun. or the steamship. or Bes
semer steels If the truth was told,
these matters camc in spite Of Congress.
Point to single rage OF the statutcs
where dollar has bsep authorized to
be expended, except indirectly. 10y
tariffs except to hurt and not to help
traffic and labor.
But TO hide the little devices iucor
poested IN this bill. to hoodwink the
farming interests, aud to serve the rich
men and manufacturers. who will
manage for their own interests under 1t,
an amendment will be offered provid-
ing that we shall have an American
kitchen to cook Indian corp IN various
ways. A man is to be selected e stand
in the kitchen and explain the best
methods of preparing and cooking. We
are to hsra ;,terursterp in all tue
tongues at Paris. Chinese. Japanese.
o,sheitan. Rereer. Turkish. Persian.
Greek, Italian, Choctaw. &c-all. II