The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1883-09-29
TIE COTTON CENTEN.
NAL EXPOSITION.

will prove a grand failure. Com.
missioner-G General Frank G.. More,
head, was already a mill stone Of
sufficiently ample proportions to
swamp the concern, and the recent
appointment of Major E. A. Burke
as Director General (if the news.
paper howl which has gone up be
at all sig1ifcant) no longer leaves
the matter one of conjecture.
New Orleans, according to the
provisions Of the act Of Congress
establishing the Exposition, was
entitled to seven out Of the thir-
teen commissioners ; but this, it
appears was not sufficient to satis-
fy her cormorant greed, and Col.
Morehead, by a species Of legerde-
main, at which he is equally as
expert as in negotiating ample
loans upon his heavily mortgaged
plantation, succeeded in procuring
the designations Of all the gentle
men, save one, who had been chos-
en- as commissioners by the Execu-
tive Committee of the National
Cotton Planters Association. AS
a reward for this brilliant coup
d'etnt, we understand that Col.
Morehead was to receive the hand.
some salary which Col. Ed. Rich.
ardson, President of the Board Of
Management, had magnanimously
declined.
Prominent among the horde Of
guardians thus chosen to preside
over the destinies of an enterprise
professedly and ~deservedly nation
al in character and interest, we
notice ward politicians, lawyers,
pork and whiskey merchants, men
who can scarcely distinguish a
cotton plant from a cabbage, and
whose qualifications for the posi-
ton they occupy are on a par with
their acquaintance Of the inhabi-
tants Of Saturn.
Under these circumstances. is it
at all surprising that the great
enterprise drags along as YEARLY
as a wounded snake? When it is
remembered that New Orleans
has thus usurped the powers orr.
ginally and rightfully vested in
|other sections. depriving them of
representation and a voice in the
management Of the Exposition,
can it be reasonably expected that
they will manifest tina, interest 10
the affair which they undoubtedly
would under an arrangement
whereby they could share the hon.
or as we'll as the toll.
While we are free to confess
that Mr.. Burke is, in the language
Of the Picayune, "a politician Of
the most pronounced type we are
equally willing to admit that he is
also a man of great will and untir-
ing energy and has itin his power
to make or maj the success of the
Exposition. We are persuaded
to believe and sincerely trust that
Mr.. Burke will not prostitute the
power reposed in him to the fur
therance of selfish political ambi.
ton. While we would have much
preferred that the guidance Of this
gigantic and important undertak-
ing should have been entrusted to
the hands of an able man in the
walls Of private life, we can not
Ijoin in the ~ceaseless clamor Of
abuse now being hurled at this
gentleman. II will be time enough
to censure Mr.. Burke when he is
detected in betraying the conf
dence reposed in him. His posi-
ton is certainly a trying and diff.
cult one One which it is scarce.
" possible for any man to fill with
entire satisfaction and we think it
is unjust to handicap a man with
his political sins when he evinces.
as Mr.. Burke has done, a desire