The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-02-17
THE WonLp,s rAIRl

or international exhibition comes of In New
York OTIS, or osleosibly in New York CITY,
ia 1888. The site selected for the exhibition,
II we mistake not, Is not Immediately within
the conGues of the city Of New York, but In
suburban portion of the city some miles
removed from the great business centres. but
that Is immaterial, as 1t Is virtually and to oil
ntents and purposes, in so far MS convent
ences are concerned ms we'll located as Il
Il had been in Central park, as
WIS first proposed and sought
to be done. At this. fair there will be
exhibited the natural products and specl-
mems ofthe haudiwork, skill aud art of every
civilized and semi-civized country ON the
globe. The resources Of oriental and occl-
dental countries will be mingled in one
Heterogeneous mass, but in systematic order
for the inspection, the study, the admiration
and the enlightenment of the millions OF
visitors who will flock to the scene of the
mighty spectacle. Every state in the union
will max display of some sort at this far,
unless 1t is, perhaps, Texas. Our great
state, the grandest in this union of states In
all that goes TO make state great In
so far as the bounteous gifts OF
nature extend is doomed to be unrepresented,
unheard of in this stupendous gathering OF
the offerings of thenstiens of the earth, unless
the present legislature shall do something,
shall provide some means by which to com
pass this most desirable end-a fell and COM
olete exhibit Of what Texas is and can be-
We confess that we DO not see our way clear
to the suggestion of any plan by which Texas,
as state, can go to this worlds fair and
put herself on exhibition. 1t will take some
money, and nc money can be appropriated
for any purpose unless expressly provided
for in the constitution. We have a
bureau of statistics and history,
one of the departments of stale,
with commissioner In charge. part OF
whose duties it is to collect statistics. Now,
let us sec if the Legislature could utilize this
department in the interest Of the state for a
display at the worlds fair. We do not as
sert that this can be done in the manner we
shall set forth, but only ask if it be possible
or feasible. Mr.. Webster, in his dictionary,
standard authority in this country and re-
ceiyeo as such in the courts, says that the
definition of STATISTICS" is "collection Of
facts respecting the state of society, the con-
diton of the people in a nation or country,
their health, longevity, domestic economy,
arts, property, and political strength, the
state of the country, ETC." Well, it is a col
lection OF ''fActs" that we want. is it not,
if we make display at the worlds fair?
Let us appeal to Mr.. Webster again. he
saws that "fact' is "anything done, or tina
comes to pass; an act; a deed; an effect pro
duced or achieved an event." 'Reslity;
truth" Statistics, then is collection of
things DONE" of "realitie,." Aren't col,
lection of the minerals of TEXAS, of the va
rious kinds of stones, of timber, of field pro-
ducts, of grasses, of soils, ETC., etc, collec-
ton of realities This may be specious
reasoning, but the stupidties of some consti-
tutional inhibitons cannot be met any other
way. Cannot the egs ature do something
to help the state in this matter? We cannot
conceive that any argument is necessary to
show thai it will be to the material benefit of
the state to make a grand display at this
worlds fair if any means can be devised by
the legislature for it TO be done, but just
think of what this exhibition will be. The
buildings, magnificent, handsome, elegant,
ornate structures, covering acres and acres
of ground, will Of Themselves be a sight worth
the tourney from Texas to New York to see.
The grounds surrounding them, spacious
and beautiful TO behold, will be maryels Of
landscape gardening. Aud the throngs of
people of nearly every nationality under the
sun, with their peculiarites of manners and
dress, tbrongs of people that will reach up
into millions in number will be wonder TO
look upon. And then the accumulated
articles animate snd insnimate, nstu-
raj and artificial; the practical and
the aesthetic, the useful and the ornamental,
all telling a tale and speaking in language
strong and convincing. If Texas could show
Of this fair samples of her cotton, her sugar,
her corn, her wheat and other small grain,
her grasses natural and cultivated. her tim
bers, Der soils, her minerals, her stones, her
clays, her vegetables, her fruits, her hors-aI
her botanical specimens, sheiwill do tbe big
gcst thing in the interest of immigration and
TO attract attention 10 her resources and adj
vantsees that she could possibly DO. We
trust that the legislature will earnestly con-
tider Of this thing, and IL It can see its wsy
clear to any seton in this behalf that II viii
unhasitAtingly do il.