Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-10-03
THE TWO ExPosTTIoNs

THE TWO ExP0SITIONs.
Our San Francisco contemporary, the
Chronicle, still stumbles and confuses in
the attempt to explain that the proposed
Worlds Fair and the Three Americas Ex-
position are to be one and the same, or
should be, and adds
Our contemporary has overlooked the fact
that in most of the discussions over the coming
event the idea OF celebrating the discovery OF
tha continent and the progress of America has
been leading one. and that it will probably be
the main feature of the exposition in New York,
chicago, or wherever it may be held.
It is not matter of great moment abb
stractiy whether the Chronicle understands
this matter or whether the RECORD UNION
IS in error; but it is important that by
neither should the public be misinformed
concerning the two expositions, which the
Chronicle has, unintentionally of course,
confounded. The facts are, simply, that
Eve years ago publicists of prominence
conceived the idea of promoting the
friendly relations between the States of
the North American, Central and South
american Continents, through the medium
of an exposition of examples of the pro-
ducts and industries of the three countries.
This matter was presented to the leading
statesmen of those countries and received
instant approval Congress was appealed
to, and indicated its disposition to aid the
work. A Board of Promotion" was
formed, and the city of Washington was
unanimously agreed upon as the seat of
the Exposition. A large tract of land was
selected erd all the necessary steps taken
to carry out the scheme. Such favorable
responses were received from the States of
South and Central America and Mexico
the propriety of making the Exposition
permanent one-a continuously illustrated
American Exchange, as it were. Spain
and Portugal and, we believe, Italy, vol
UNFAIRLY sought admission to the scheme,
to the extent of being permitted to make
exhibits, on the ground that by tongue
and commercial relations they are intimate
with the South American Continent
Three years ago it was decided, without a
dissenting voice, that the Exposition
should beopened in the year 1892. Since
then the details of the scheme have all
been worked out, and until very recently
no opposition was developed, it being con-
ceded on all sides that such an Exposition
must prove of incalculable benefit, in a
commercial sense, as an aid to building up
of trade relations that should exist be-
tween the Americas, to say nothing of the
Importance of the affair in bringing about
better understanding between the peo-
pie of the three countries. In July last
an impulsive newspaper in New York one
morning threw out the three-line suggestion
that since the Paris Exposition and Eiffel
tower had proven successful. we might
have greater fair and loftier tower in
the city of New York in 1892, the four
hundredth anniversary of the discovery of
the New World. From that moment
the newspapers of New York and
Chicago have been quarreling like school
boys as to where such an exhibition should
be held. No official recognition of the
idea has been had, and no representative
body has passed upon it, if we accept the
action Of Mayor Grant, of New York, in
issuing invitations to other Mayors, inyit-
ing then to aid in promoting the New
York scheme. We have been thus expli-
cit to show that the Three Americas Ex-
position had long priority, official recogni-
tion and foreign acceptance. Any thought,
therefore, of now merging it with the New
York impulse would be unjust, and place
us in humiliating position before the for
eign States. Thus much has been neces-
sary to clear the atmosphere of the Ciron-
icles misconception of the subject, since its
misapprehension might lead to some con-
fusion in public thought. Our contempo-
rary says:
Regarding the value of permanent exhibit.
which the hEcoRO-USIoN seems To advocate,
there Is much doubt. Philadelphia tried II on
and Il would not work. In these days OF rapid
progrtss a show soon becomes antiquated, and
Il Il essy 10 understand that a failure 20 replace
an invention with something that has super
seded It, or class { goods by later patterns
and bst.gr makes, wou do Infinitely more
harm than coed. A permanent exhibit IN OF
wo ks of art, antiquities, mrmmies. etc, IS
fine thing to nave, bat permanent commercial
exhibit is too suggestiye OF stagnat.oa 10 be seri
ousy entertained,
Concerning that matter, il may be COM
mitted TO the future. We neither approve
nor disapprove OF. the idea, but it may be
said that the suggestion of permanent
commercial and industrial exposition is not
absurd, since it could be made ever chang
ing in character, aud to present the new
phases of development, invention, progress
and discovery from month to month 1t
will, however, in no way detract from the
value and Importance of the idea OF a
Three Americas Exposition, if wien real
lied it should not be made permanent.
For one, the REcoRD-USIoN enters its
protest against the disposition in press cir
cles TO favor the impudent assumption Of
New York that the proposed Worlds
Fair must swallow up that vastly more inn
portant--to us-the purely American Ex-
position. We have allowed Germany and
England to all but monopolize the trade
with the States Of Central aud South
America and Mexico, and it is full time