Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-03

A Man who wants the Worlds Cotton
Exposition, to bo Held In New Or
leans, Placed on the List of Frauds =

a Man who wants the WOriOs OOttOH
Exposition, to bo Held In New Or
leans, Placed on the List of Frauds. =
Washington Special to CoarieT-vJournal.
Your correspondent called on Postmas-
ter General Gresham, tonight to inquire
of him as to what transpired between
himself and Mr.. SteverS in an interview
between them about the relations of the
Worlds Cotton Exposition to the Louisi-
ana Lottery. The story as sent to the
Chicago Times from this city was, in
brief, that Stevers had demanded of Gen.
Gresham that the Cotton Exposition ought
to be placed upon the official list
Of frauds and be denied the
use of the mails; that the
reasons, which are to be given in writing
by Mr.. Stevers, are that the managers of
the Cotton Exposition hold similar posi-
lions in the lottery company, and are
using the exposition project as a pretext
for making up any losses they may have
sustained by being denied the use of the
mails, with view to flood New Orleans
with strangers and secure a market for
their tickets, and that the lottery CON-
pany is the largest stakeholder in the
Cotton Exposition enterprise. The special
goes on to say that the Postmaster Cen
eral was struck with amazement at the
audacity of the anti.l0ttery people in at
lacking an enterprise Endorsed by Con-
gress and by the official proclamation of
President Arthur, and he had no authority
under the law to close the mails to the
directors of the Exposition.
Postmaster General Gresham read the
Times story and said: ga Mr.. Stevers
did call on me and state substantially
what is attributed to him, adding a de-
mand that the Exposition be put on the
fraudulent list. l said: MY dear sir,
even were all you say the truth have no
authority to act in the matter. The func-
tiOns of my office are prescribed with ref
erence to the use OF the mails,
and even then | have nothing to do
| but to enforce the law with re-
pect to the mails. | cannot interfere
with the business Of prescribed concerns,
even in any of the cities in which they
are located. l am only enjoined by the
law to prevent such concerns from using
the mails. The man wanted to argue the
| case, but told him / could not waste
time on such an absurd proposition, and
| dismissed him. The entire interview did
not occupy as much time as l have given
! you, and he did most Of the talking"
Postmaster General Gresham expressed
the belief that the Worlds Cotton EXPOSE
ton, as its purposes are expressed in the
/ law, will be a great thing, not only for the
| South, but for the entire country. AS he
understands its object, it is not to be
confined to the productions Of the cotton
planter and the cotton manufacturer
alone, which even then would make it of
worldwide interest, but its scope is to be
| extended so as to embrace every kind
of machinery used to elevate the
domestic and social condition of the
masses. The civilized nations are next
door neighbors now, interchanging
views daily and adapting each to
its peculiar wants the product of its
neighbours industry. Such an Exposition
as that to be held in New Orleans next
year would doubtless disclose the fact
| that the United States may easily feed the
world from the surplus of its possible
agricultural products; so the day will
come when we may as easily clothe the
world from our abundance. The people
of the country hardly realize the advance
ment that has been made in industrial
strength, and all Expositions, whether
national or local, tending to give wider
information on this important subject,
were to be encouraged.
Mr.. Stevers could not be found tonight,
but there does not seem to be much left
| for him to say.