Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-03
Affairs of the Scotch-Irish
Congress in Bad Shape.
MONEY is NEEDED AT ONCE
To Prevent Chicago Getting the Con-
vention After all.
SECRETARY ECHOLS SPEAKS OUT

to secure the event, and Colonel Echols, the
secretary, says that Pittsburg Councils will
probably be asked 10 take hold of the con
gress as a municipal matter, and to savt
Pittsburg's credit humiliating failure.
The storm has been brewing for several
days. The original executive COMMITTEES
had seven members, four OF whom were min.
listers. Rev. l. n. Hays was elected Chair
man, and it is now claimed that therein lay
the greatest mistake. The committee met
and resolved numerously, but worked little
or none. Rev. Mr.. Hays is to be asked to
resign, on the charge of inertia, to put it
mildly. He has done so little that the
Scoteh-Irish citizens interested in the mat
ter are clamoring for his removal. Mr..
Hays pleads his new church plans, but his
colleagues are more than dissatisfied, and
say that change must be made.
DISGUsTED BEYOND MEASURE
Colonel John W. Echols. the hard work
ing secretary, is disgusted with the state of
affairs, but refuses to talk much upon the
demand or Rev. 1. n. Hays resignation.
Upon the position in which he has been
placed by the apathy of those who should
have assisted him he is much more COM
municative. When seen yesterday he gave
the following statement for publication:
II have telephoned TO Frazier Brothers,
the contractors. who are to equip Mechani-
cal Hall, notifying them to hold off until
next Monday, as the plans for the congress
have come to a crisis. They answered that
16 carloads of lumber have been shipped
and that it is a hardship to delay them
when their contract will require them to
work night and day to finish the building
by May 20. There is penalty of $500 for
= f%o. L., al,
remains incomplete. 1t cannot be helped.
1 have gone ahead and assumed s., 900
worth of contracts personally, aad cannot
see my wav clear any urther. Unless
something is done the thing will fall through
and Pittsburg will be everlastingly dis
graced in the eyes of the nation. 1t is too
long a story to 60 over, but can hurriedly
sketch the main points.
THE CASE IN A NUTSHELL.
Understand that public sentiment is all
right, and that the Scotch-Irish contingent
is willing and anxious TO see the thing a
success. have given four months OF hard
work, have spent money freely upon sta
tionery and the pay of a clerk. have virtu-
ally abandoned my legal practice, and can
not carry the load any longer. My duties
were to advertise this congress, and see that
people all over the nation were apprised of
detail of the whole affair has been loaded
upon me. The hall, the decorations, the
printing, the music, the hotels, the entire
minuti9 of the event have been left for me to
attend to. / cannot but saw that if the ex-
ecutive committee desired the honor of serv-
ing without the work involved they should
now awake to the tact that a dismal fasco
threatens unless something is done inside of
"a hours.
81 cannot go out and obtain subscriptions
to meet these things contracted for. There
was finance committee appointed two
months ago, and yet not one dollar has been
collected and placed to the credit of the ex-
ecutive committee. Mr.. Carnegie, Mr..
Frick, Mr.. Alexander King and others of
our prominent citizens have promised money
to meet the expenses, but they have not
been called upon. and must feel that their
money is not wanted.
THOSE WHO DO WORK.
"Other men not connected with the COM
mittee officially are working valiantlv to
move things along. Superintendent Pat
ton, of the Baltimore and Ohio, for instance,
who mas so inspired the new proprietors of
the Monongahela House with energy that
they have promised to open that famous old
hostelry on the Doth of the month. 1 have
never worked harder in my life than in
INSuluS bulS lulls dIOnS, DuI an AFFAIR
bringing into our city 5000 actual delegates
and vast crowds of visitors is big enough TO
demand all the work of a big executive |
committee. The International SundavSchool |
affair is moving along. Why? Because |
Il citizens are after finances, a dozen sub |
committees are handling as many details, |
and the meetings are well attended. Every |
body has been and is actively at work. All |
these matters have been put upon my
shoulders, but even then would not LAY |
down if finances were forthcoming. But |
the time has come for plain speaking. 1t |
won't do, and it won't go. unless some |
vigorous action is taken. The citizens who |
chose that committee must get together and |
make a change, and if anybody wants my |
resignation it is already written out. If |
SO, 600 can be raised forthwith, the congress |
may succeed. Otherwise it must be aban- |
doned.
ANOTHER PLAN PROPOSED.
Another plan may be put into effect to- |
morrow. 1 NAV wait upon Mayor Gourley /
and request him to call a special session of |
Councils to come to the rescue OF the con-
gress and save the credit OF the city. Thou
sands of dollars will be spent here by the |
delegates and the city Council could well |
afford to guarantee the actual expenses
rather than see a stigma cast upon Pitts
burg. 1t is bad state of affairs all around,
and the lethargic action of the men who
should have been at work a month ago, and
who are not doing anything appreciabie, is
a reflection upon the Scotch-Irish element
which seems hardly fair" |
"Is it true that Chicago is hustling to
have the congress transferred to that clty?"
was asked.
'Indeed it is true. In some mysterious
way Chicago citizens learned of the present
r,rod cal Sfa " 4
telegraphed to Mr.. E. G. Wright, of Nash
vile, Secretary OF the National Executive
Committee of the Scotch-Irish Society,
offering the city of Chicago as a meeting
place, and guaranteeing a und of $40, 600
for the entertainment OF the congress, and
promising to make it huge success.
THE CRISIS HERE.
"Mr Wright was very much astonished
to receive such an offer, thinking all was
well here He telegraphed me, requesting
an explanation. L have answered, promis-
ing one within "a hours. l felt very much
like throwing up the sponge and telegraph
ing him to give it to Chicago. President
Bonner, of the Society," is also on the anxious
seat, and 1 expect perfect flood of tele-
grams tomorrow.
"I know it will make matters just so
much worse to give frank statement of the
bad condition of affairs but 1 see no other
way to arouse sentiment than to point out
exactly what danger Pittsburg is in of
losing big affair and running its reputa-
ton as a convention city. 1t will be APP
parent that something must be done or the
congress will be an inglorious fzzle-as far
as Pittsburg is concerned. Subscriptions
are in order, and money talks"
COrken Recovering.