Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-12-25
TALK OVER THE FAIR
Dinner at DelmOnico's Given by the
New York Board of Com
missiOners.
Speeches are Made by Hon. Chauncy
NJ. Depew and Many
Others.

NEW YORK, Dec. 21.-Delmonico' big
| banquet hall has had no more digtin-
guishe1 or representative gathering with
in its walls this season than that which
a sembled tonight to participate in the
dinner given by the New York state com
missioners of the worlds Columbian expo
sitiou - Messrs. Depew, Thatcher and
Allen. The feast was given to consider
the empire states interests and
duty in connection with the
of distinguished men present, including
all the principal officers OF the exposition
and prominent representatives of CONNER
cial, professional, literary and political
ci1cles of the country. Among those who
sent regrets were Secretary Tracy, ex-
President Cleveland, ice-President Nor
ton, Mayor Grant. and Lyman ]. Gage, of
| Chicago, who is very III at his apartments
at the hotel The immense white and gold
| banquet hall was hung with national
colors and banners and there was lavish
disp ay of flowers The balcony was given
Up to musicians in the early part of the
evening and was afterwards occupied by
| ladies', The clock toled the hour of 10
| before the good things of the banquet were
! fully discussed aud the company was ready
| for speeches. DIR. Depew then arose and
was welcomed by a generous outburst of
applause
Mr. Depew said. in part: The Column
| bian exposition comes at d most OppOr
tune time. The ur precedented crops this
year and the equally unprecedented de-
mand for our food products will give us
| for twelve months an celebrating period
of prosperity. In the ordinary course of
| finaL cial experience, over confidence, !
with probably a different relation in
another year between the farm and the
markets Of the world, would be followed by
a collapse. But this great industrial ex
hibition at Chicago will take up the fray
ed threads of opportunity, too lavishIy
employed, and weave them into new
cables TO draw the car Of American pro
from the dangers which might
threaten, and crystalize into permanency
thousands Of enterprises which otherwise
would fail from lack of confidence or CAPT
! tai. The citizens Of Chicago are to be
complimented and congratulated apon
the courage and forethought which have
characterized their local preparations for
this grand event. They have already
| expended ten millions of their own
money and cir patriotism and
resources are not yet exhausted But the
expense Of this national enterprise should
not be wholly born by the locality where
congress has placed it. The nation
should do its part to second the efforts IF
the citizens of Chicago to have the ex posi-
| ton surpass any yet held in any country
Speaking of New York, Mr.. Depew said
it is an insult tC the intelligence of the
state to ask what should be New York :
place in this grand exhibition. Speaking
for the people of New York, he would say
to the country: ''New York will be at the
Columbian exposition, and she will be
| there in the full grandeur of her strength
and development. -
Speaking of the magnitude of the
great exposition, Mr. D9pew said
It's creation, its magnitude, its location,
its architecture and its striking and en-
during features will be American. The
among the first cities III the world after an
existence of only CITY years, is American.
The great inland fresh water sea,
whose waves will dash against
the shores of Jackson Park, |
is American. The prairie extending
westward with its thousands of square
miles of land, half a century ago a wilder
ness, but today gridironed with railroads
and spanned with webs of electric wire,
rich IN prosperous farms, growing villages,
ambitious citizens and an energetic,
educated and progressive people is
purely American. The exposition COM
memorates the discovery of a continent,
which has become the home of people OF
every race; the discovery of which has &C
| compliShed more for humanity in its ma
terial, intellectual and spiritual effects
than all other events since the advent of
Christ.
Mr.. Palmer, president of the national
commission, said the charge had been
made that partisan politics has had some
| thing to do with the management of the
exposition. To him the charge seemed
without the slightest foundation. He
called attention to the fact that the princi
local directory were divided uetween demo-
Gratis and republicans, and said he believed
each of those gentlemen would consider
themselves dishonored if they lent them
selves to, and did not oppose on any aud
all occasions the slightest tendency to
partisan discrimination. The creation o.
so large board of lady managers land he
was glad to say that the board would much
have preferred the name of woman"
| to that of ''lady'') was the cause
of some adverse comments. The course of
that board, however, has justified the
| action OF the COMMISSION. 1t was The
first time our government had thus rec
ognized women. 1t has digifed woman
and given weight to her opinions. 1t has
marked out new avenues for her efforts.
| To those who belive in more varied work
and better wages for women
who appreciate her natural arti3tic taste,
who believe that the more woman is dig
nifed the greater the assur rance of worthy
sons to be given to the republic, the ac-
| ton of commission needs 40 defense. Mr..
| Palmer spoke at length of the
| interest taken In the fair, o.
its great Importance in many ways, and
said: Il have never felt doubts of the
absolute and entire success of the enter
prise any more than | have doubt of the
flow of Niagara or the continuance of the
atmosphere.
Other speakers were President W I.
Baker, of the Chicago local directory;
Commissioner John Boyd Thatcher, of
New York; Director General Davis, and
| President Smith, of the New York
chamber of commerce.