Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-18

those three an2 all other cities have a vote IN
regard to the government of the District. while
We in Washington are deprived of the privilege
OF suffrage. 1t is, therefore, the most repre-
sentative American city. and is governed by
the people of the whole country through their
Senators and Representatives in Congress.
1t was Just one hundred years ago. selected
| by the American people as the seat of Govern
| ment, and has ever since been the Nations
| home.
1t bears the honored name of Washington.
and is within the District named from the
great discOverer, Columbus, III whose honor
| the Exposition is to be held.
| Half of its real estate and improvements. to
the value of $50, ,000 is owned by the
Government; the other S150,00o,000 being
| owned by the people of the District.
| Il is absolutely neutral ground commercially.
| which is a matter of unusual Importance in con-
| slderlng the claims OF other cities. As it is
| neither a manufacturing nor commercial city,
| 1t has no foreign commerce. hence New York.
| Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago st. Louis Gin
| cinnati, New Orleans, San Francisco, Nash
| vile. Richmond, Savannah. Kansas City, Pitts
burgh, Baltimore, and other industrial cities
lciH deiUe the trade beerts Of the Three Americas
Exposition. With the Exposition located at
Washington. the various cities mentioned will
| have an equal chance in competition for Span
ish-American trade, which is one of the funtla-
mental ideas of the movement, whereas, if To-
Gated in a manufacturing city. that place would
have an undue and unfair advantage.
II is also, politically. neutral ground. and as
the Exposition of 1892 will be held during the
next Presidential campaign it will naturally be
freer from political influence if located in Wash
ington. which is a DISTINGUISHED city, than il
located in a State which is the battle-ground
OF American politics.
II has an Exposition nucleus or plant to COM
mence with. which has already cost over ESQ.,
100000. l mean that the National Museum,
Smithsonian, Washington Monument the Capt.
toll buildings. the Patent Office. and the various
Department buildings, with their relics treas
ures of art, and practical working of the Gov
eminent, are all practically an exhibit and n
constant source Of attraction to visitors It is
much more dignified to keep these valuable
relics and exhibits at the seat of Government
than to further engage in the travelling show
business by periodically depicting the National
Museum and DEPARTING nts in order to take Gov
ernmental exhibits to temporary expositions in
other cities, as has frequently been DONE To
state the case differently, the Government
must go to the Exposition or the Exposition must
go to the Government We believe the Ameri-
can people prefer the latter. In view of the
existing nucleus just mentioned, it is safe to
assert that the appropriation of Sit, 900 OOO
asked for in the bill under consideration IN
fully equivalent to 0000, 900 spent III New
York, Chicago or st. Louis.
Whatever money may be appropriated for
Exposition buildings at the National Capital
will be a safe investment for the buildings
will be needed for all time for Governme ntal
purposes, and are not to be torn down and the
material sold at great sacrifice, as has usually
been done at expositions in other cities.
Washington is the capital Of the oldest and
foremost OF the Observation-Disclosures sister
nations of the Western Hemisphere, and, for
this reason, the appropriate place for an Ex-
position under their joint auspices. The idea
was eloquently expressed by Hon. A. NJ.
Soteldo, late Minister at Washington from
Venezuela, who said: Tho four hundredth an
| niversary of Columbus discovery of the New
World could not be better celebrated than by
the Inauguration OF this Exposition in this
grand Metropolis, where all the nations Of the