Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-07
THE WORLD FAIR
Chauncey M. Depew Speaks on
the Subject in Chicago.
The Big Auditorium Crowded
With Thousands

Question So Dear to Them-Mr. De-
Psw's Views of the Influence of News
papers-Benefits to BE Derived from the
Fair-WorId's Fair Notes.
CHICAGO, June 7.-The big Audi
torium, with its myriad lights, never
seemed more brilliant than Thursday
night, when Chauncey M. Depew, with
beaming countenance, stood in the GEN.
ter of the stage, acknowledging the
cheers of a gaily attired assemblage that
stretched from his feet to the top Of the
highest gallery. They received the dis
tinguished New Yorker with warmth
OF enthusiasm not often accorded on a
purely social occasion.
Mayor Cregler's brief introduction of
Mr.. Depew was impatiently listened
to, and then, after a great round of ap-
plause, the address of the famous orator
of the evening was heard with marked
attention, interrupted evIey moment or
two by volleys of laughing cheers.
Tribute to the Press.
NJ. Depew's subject was the Worlds
Fair" and before launching into it he
paid tribute to the press, regarding
which he said:
For 365 days they oracularly direct us in
our opinions walk and conversation; they
give us our politics, our estimates of pub
lie men and our views upon all current
questions. The American people are emf
nently practical, their wits are sharpened
in their own affairs and their thoughts
concentrated and intent upon that which
Immediately interests them. As a result
the larger part of every community have
no opinions until they have read their
party and religious papers. For a man
like myself, who reads them all, the most
curious of studies Is TO gather the reflex
of the editors views in the confident eX-
pressions of my friends.
Whatever esponsibility-and 1t is
great-may rest upon the lawyer with the
liberal latitude allowed him under his re-
tainer upon the preacher with his unre-
strained opportunity to speak, upon the
teacher in molding the minds of his stu
dents, the largest responsibility rests with
the journalist. A former generation be-
lieved that liberty of the press would lead
to such license as to endanger public mo-
rality and destroy private character. They
feared that there could be no redress from
the assaults of the press, except by per-
sonal violence or murder. The results of
a-liberty far beyond that dreamed of at
any former period, liberty that is curbed
by neither the law of libel nor the verdict
of juries, have been found in the main en-
tirely satisfactory,
Independence and opportunity have
created journalistic conscience by which
the common view of the press protects the
individual against unjust attack of any
one of it's members The question which
has been assigned to me by your commit
tee is the ''WoPld's Fair" and the success
or the failure of this great enterprise will
be dependent in great measure upon the
view which is taken of it by the press of
the country. If there be not a general
agreement among the newspapers of the
republic, as to the character and extent of
this exhibition and the support which it
should receive it had better be abandoned
at the start
New YOrkn Do Her Share.
The orator then spoke Of the rivalry
for the fair, and that New York would |
do all in her power to make it success.
Benefits.
In speaking of the benefits to be de-
rived Mr. Depew said:
No question more important and none
affecting more nearly their prosperity and |
their pride has been presented to the
American people in quarter of a century.
The occasion is at once our opportunity |
and our necessity-our opportunity to
show to the nations of the world our
marvellous growth in population, in settle |
ment, in cities, in railroads and our de- |
yelopment in agricultural, mineral and |
manufacturing resources; our necessity, !
in presenting to commercial peoples of all |
races and climes view of our surplus in |
the products of mine and mill, of farm |
and factory which will furnish the in |
centiye for barter and exchange in all |
the maFts of the world, which, by alb |
sorbing that which we can produce beyond |
our needs in almost infnitevolume, shall |
burden the ocean with our freights, shall |
recreate for us a merchant marine, shall |
carry our flag once more upon every sea |
and into every harbor and employ and en-
Jch our IN people. The fair has
been in all ages of the world the promoter
of progress and the impulse of civiliza-
tion. 1t has been the conserYator of COM
merce and peace. There has been |
no time since the Inauguration of our first |
president so auspicious for National and |
international exhibition Ia the United |
States. In 1875 we had only partially re- |
covered from the most disastrous financial |
panic of the century. The south had not |
Started upon its new development, and |
was still suffering from the disorders and |
bitterness of reconstruction. But now we
are at the very consummation of peace
and prosperity. We are on the pinnacle
of a century of unexampled growth, de-
Nsaapment and progress
Above and beyond the material results
of this exhibition will be it's stimulating |
influences upon the patriotism of the peo-
pie and tie unity of the nation. 1t is one
of the paradoxes of progress that diffuse,
and universal intelligence tends to provin-
cialism and local pride, and the refine
ment of the intellect to angles and points.
There was a time when The Weekly Tri-
bune reached every town in the west, and
Horace Greeley's opinions were the bond |
of common sentiment and National union, |
but the Associated Press distributes with /
imp 5.,I hand the news of the world to
the newspapers in every city in the land.
The result is that the journals of every |
town go 10 the public only as far as the |
train can carry them during the morning |
hour or before the family clock strikes the I
note for retiring. Universal circulation |
all over the country is no longer possible |
10 any newspaper, and the editorials of the |
local press mold the opinions of their peo-
ple. Under these conditions the New York |
editor does not write for Chicago, nor the |
Chicago editor for St. Louis. If the east
ern. or western, or southern, or Pacific |
coast press treat at all the interests of |
other sections, IL is too often in an un- |