Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-21

SITE.
| Some of our friends on the other SIDE ]
think the gentleman from Illinois, said that
| sentiment should enter into the selection OF
| the site for the worlds fair. heartily respond
to that idea. for il furnishes additional rea-
i son why the fair should be held here. The
visitor who comes to this capital filed with the
| sentiment of Americas history. should he wan,
| to view the spot where the first lodgment OF
| Englishmen made upon this western con-
| tinent. can DO so by few hours ride. Should
/ he want to see the heights and plains of York
/ town. where was enacted the last great drama OF
the revolution, IL Is an easy stage BY beat or by
/ train. Alexander Humboldt. standing upon
/ these steps on his visit to America and looking
l at the beautif' scene that stretched before
| him, said it WIS the grandest that he had ever
| seen. because he looked upon the land which
| had given to this country It's greatest soldier,
its greatest civilian and its greatest President
| He looked upon the land. too, that was fore
most in the organization of the freedom
! of the country. He looked across that
river upon the land that gave to the young
| republic its western domain. which ended only
with the setting of the sun, that domain which
! is now teeming with population and whose Rep
resentatives sit upon this floor and will vote
| upon this question. And, sir. if sentiment is
to enter as factor into this selection. il seems
| to me, as was referred to by the distingu;she
gentleman from Maryland who preceded me
| (Mr. McComas), that the proper place for q
| great national exposition is here, upon the only
| territory that bears the name of the discoverer
! OF America, and in the city which bears the
name of its great founder, the pater patriH' Of
America. lApplause.l And, sir, rs my friend
has said, should any visitor desire to visit the
mecca of America Mount Vermont is within
easy reach.
Mr. Speaker. will not tire you or this House
by putting forward ill the few remarks assigned
to me. any argument as to the capacity of this
city to entertain its visitors, for that all admit
but Will say once more that if we are to in
wife the nations of the world to come among
us and to exhibit with us, and If we are to act
the part of hospitality should take them
not only to our hearts, but should bring them
here to the home of this great country.
Why Mr. Coleman is for Washington.
MIR. Coleman next spoke. The question of
the hour. he said. is where shall the worlds
fair be held? and we have heard arguments
we'll presented by the champions Of the differ
ent cities, each carrying with it much to i'm
press US, each giving peculiar and good reasons
as far as they went. But to my mind, Mr.
Speaker, the place to mold the worlds EXPOSE
ton. where will be celebrated the four nun
dredth anniversary of the discovery of America
by Christopher Columbus, is in the capital of
the nation, Washington city. Applause. New
Orleans is particularly interested In the matter
for II concerns her welfare. perhaps. more than
that OF any other city in the country. and New
Orleans hopes and expects that the great ex-
position will be held in 1892. This date. though
seemingly close at hand, IS not too near to
permit the full completion of the necessary
buildings and all the important details re-
CURED to make successful the efforts OF this
great, prosperous, pushing and progressive
people 10 celebrate III tit and proper manner
the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery
OF America and to commemorate that import
ant event by tine grandeSt worlds exposition
ever known, dreamed or heard of before in
this world
THIS EXPOSITION MUST BE NATIONAL
and international in its composition and its
characteristics, and the only proper place to
locate it is at the capital of the nation in this city,
MIR. Speaker, with many cities candidates for
the honor OF holding the worlds fair, we realize
the grand resources of our country, and while
the three cities named outside of Washington
posses advantages peculiar to themselves, they
are all commercial and industrial rivals among
themselves, but they meet no such rivalry from
the national city of Washington, the domIcile
and the headquarters OF our nation. the pride
Of every citizen in this glorious country and
IN whose welfare improvement and prosperity
every individual citizen Of this nation has an
interest.
PLENTY OF TIME.
Referring to the question of the shortness of
time between now and the date set for holding
this exposition, 1 bear testimony to the fact
that the worlds industrial and cotton exposi-
ton, held III New Orleans i'll 1884 and 1885. was
established in what seemed to be marveiously
short time; in fact six months previous to the
opening of the exposition, the grounds on
which that wonderful display was located was
a COW pasture. aud. Notwithstanding, ponderous
machinery and thousands of feet of steam
pipes and shafting were erected and put in mo-
ton, all was done i'll what seemed to many to
be an incredibly short time, if not a physical
lmposslblllty. i am credibly informed that in
this city OF Washington, at the corner of 18th
and streets. Il well-constructed brick and
and two d stories below ground, was
completed in about seventy days.
l have such a high appreciation of the Won
derful capacity of the American mechanic and
the American workman, that believe tina. the
exposition could be ready in all departments
before 1892 if it was absolutely necessary and
the money required was forthcoming. The To-
cation of this worlds fair aud exposition in
Washington, to which foreign nations will be
invited. will be not only gratifying TO the peo-
pie OF this country, but will be considered
compliment to foreign nations, who will ap-
preclate the act in a practical way by sending
their goods and wares to use for exhibition
The question, shall we extend this compliment
to our friends or not is with us to determine,
and earnestly hope that the choice of location
Will be Washington, our national capital.
Mr.. Compton's Appeal.
MIR. Compton followed with a strong appeal
in behalf of the national capital He called
attention to the origin of the proposition to
celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of
the discovery of America In April, 1886. he
said. the senior Senator from the state which
l in part represent submitted to the Senate of
the United States joint resolution looking to
the holding OF a celebration in honor of the
discovery OF America by Coiumbus-that ceIe-
bratlon to be held at the national capital
Every resolution introduced into that body or
this from that time to the present has looked
10 the holding OF this exposition at the ma
tlonal capital. In addition to this, in Deem
Der, 1856, convention assembled here in tine
city OF Washington, representing twenty-four
states OF this Union. In that convention there
were many of the leading men from those
states, including the states which today are
contendlng Tor the site at which this exposition
shall be held-Illinois, Missouri, New York
Many OF the most prosperous and leading COM
monwealths of the nation by their representa-
tive men in that conyention-governors and
others--adopted. III the city of Washington, in
December, 1856, memorial and body OF reso-
buttons declaring the purpose of their meeting
to be to bring the country TO the consideration,
and successful consideration, of a proposition
Tor the holding OF fair in Washington CITY to
celebrate the landing of Columbus and the
discovery OF America by HIM four hundred
years ago.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE THE BEST.
Now. Mr.. Speaker, in this case as almost
always, first impressions are the best. What
was it. Mr.. Speaker, that impelled the intro