Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-11
CORRESPONDENTS OF THE DIsPATcH.I

premonitory sensation for the magnificent
capital to be. that he timed his coming exactly
that the centenary would occur in year Of
general elections, when it must appear to a
child that the neutral and unpolitical ground
of the District would be the only safe grounA
in the Union.
New York claims the great fair. but New
Y York had better beware. The condition Of her
politics and the relations of the two great
parties in the State make it imperative that no
doubt should be thrown upon the honesty of
the national contest of November, 1892. 1t will
be contest Of intense excitement. New York
Will be the battle-ground. Naturally the con-
trolling spirits will be designated by the city
government, which is dominated by Tammany.
Nobody who knows the past record :of Tam
many will for moment suppose that the
schemers of that remarkable organization
would hesitate to "colonize" a sufficient
number of thousands of Democrats as en-
ployes OF the great exposition to make sure
the calling and election Of the candidate for
President of the Democratic party. Such a
result, accomplished by such means, would
never be tolerated by the Republican party,
and thus the world would witness a complica-
tion far more serious than that of 1876 which
probably could not be settled by returning
boards and electoral commissions, and which
would , R possibly plunge the country into ! civil
York to have spent within her borders the
millions which would be expended by visitors.
Arguments In Favor of Washington.
Aside from this really serious consideration
the question is one of fitness and facilities. As
to fitness there can be no question that Wash
ington is the place. All the romance and
sentiment of country from its discovery to Its
present m ust be concentrated at the capital.
There are found, unquestionably the repre-
sentatives Of every part of the whole. Both
the political and social atmospheres are repre-
sentative. In making international acquaint-
ances the capital of all other cities is the
proper place for the introduction. Here are
the pictures and monuments and spirit
OF our progress and institutions dis
played in the vast piles of the
public buildings. New York and other
cities exceed us in the brute commercial force
that drives great populations together under
our competitive system, but IN none OF these
cities are structures SO imposing and so sug-
gestive of the immeasurable BUSINESS and
worldwide importance of the aggregation of
States. New York vainly claims to be
metropolitan. To the experienced it is mis-
erably provincial. 1t is great international
entrepot but in its spirit, superficial appear
ance and government it is narrow and sordid,
unnational, the expositor of q province only,
as well as a corrupter both as a municipality
and commonwealth. In every way Wash
more catholic and more international i'm
pulse. The hand that is reached out from here
to the foreigner whom we would cultivate for
mutual benefit, Is not the long, lean
elaw-like hand of greed but the broad, soft,
generous palm of the statesman anddiplomat,
robs OF course the intention is to rob, ali thS
same, in o way, but here we suggest in theories
and enactment y sort of reciprocal robbery
which Is gentle and statesmanlike and not the
''money-or-your-life' style of the commercial
metropolis, which elects its Governors and law
makers one year and sends them to the peni-
tentiary the next or what is worse, connives at
their escape from justice.
This is a nice phase of the subject. and af-
fords SO great temptation that can hardly re-
frain from continuing rhetorically and epithet-
upon Washington, but want to touch mo-
ment on more practical phase OF the matter.
New York's Facilities.
New York claims superior facilities for enter
tainment and transportation, and in this
grossly misrepresents the facts. In New York
the exposition buildings must be placed at
least six, and more probably ten miles from
that part of the city where only the mass of
visitors can find lodging and board. With
double the existing facilities the crowds which
will undoubtedly be in attendance could
hardly be transported one way during whole
day. At Philadelphia, the last day Of the ex-
position of 1876, nearly 1000 people could notl
reach the entrance of thebuildings at all, and
of those who did gain admission thousands
could not get away from the grounds till mid
night No city of this land has or can con-
struct facilities for transporting such an as
sembly round trip in one day There must
be opportunity for thousands upon thousands
to walk, and that may not be where the focal
point is many miles from bed and board.
Washington offers singular opportunities in
this respect. In no other city of America can
the necessary buildings for the Exposition be
placed, as it were in the heart of the city. On
the white lot" Immediately south of the Ex-
ecutive Mansion, and on the open fats and
vacant lots stretching from Fifteenth to
Twenty fifth, and from to E, all much above
high water mark, three long blocks in width
and nearly mile in length. close to public
buildings, hotels and the "city of boarding
houses" which constitutes all Washington,
within easy walk from the Boundary" with
solid streets, clean in rain or shine, wide side
walks and roadways, 100000 people could be
entertained and walk to and fro at leisure
without discomfort or danger Of exciting a
riot. This leaves out of the question the street
car herdic and carriage service, for the in
crease of which facilities on broad avenues
offer unparalleled opportunity. The railroads
distance Tens of thousands of visitors could
live in Baltimore and be transported back and
forth with greater ease than the crowds could
be taken to and fro between downtown and
the Exposition grounds in New York.
A Moral Aspect.
The more one thinks and writes of this sub
ject the more one realizes the unapproachable
facilities offered by Washington as against any