The record-union., 1891-05-09
GOPEN LETTER.
RED BLUFF (Cal.), May 8, 1891


RED BLUFF (Cal.), May 8, 1891.
I1'Ving N. Scott, Esq, President Cali
.fo77lia Worlds Fair Commissioners
MY DEAR SIR: A very grave question is
pending before your board, correct
solution of which, in my judgment, lies
at the threshold of the ultimate good to
flow to our State from its exhibit at the
Worlds Columbian Exposition.
The question is-Shall California insist
upon making cumulative display Of
her resources in one building, or dis
tribute them throughout all the depart
ments and classes in many buildings?
/ claim the right TO speak to your
board, both as citizen and as President
OF the California Worlds Fair Association.
The State has placed in your hands
what seems to many a large sum of
money. The history of that appropria-
ton, and of your board, viii help to show
the use to be made of that money.
After many meetings of representative
bodies throughout the State last summer
the then Mayor Of San Francisco, acting
partly under the suggestion Of the State
Board of Trade and the San Francisco
Chamber of Commerce, called a State
Worlds Fair Convention and designated
counties of the State were included, and
all representative bodies, as well as many
classes of persOns-men and women
were invited to send delegates. A large
number convened at San Francisco dur
ing the anniversary of the Native Sons i'll
September, 1890. The convention re-
solved itself into the California Worlds
Fair Association, and / was honoreG with
being made its President. 1t formulated
a plan for practical work; it chose a
Board of Directors, one from each county
in the State, and they chose an Executive
Committee whose head is now Vice
President ofyour board. 1t resolved that
California should make a cumulative
exhibit at Chicago.
When the time came to make an apprO-
priation by the State the Executive Com
mittee prepared a bill and invited it's
members to meet the proper committee
OF the Assembly at Sacramento to urge
the appropriation. A full meeting of the
Senate and Assembly committees was
held, and the arguments presented at
that meeting centered at one common
point, and that was that California
should have cumulative exhibit under
one roof, where substantially all the in
dustrieS and resources of our great State
that could be thus practically displayed
should be brought. Up to the time when
the Governor made the Act vital by his
approval the universal belief was-as the
purpose of the Legislature waS-that
California should be shown in one har-
mOniOus grouping of all we had to dis
play in the production of our soil and the
results of our handiwork.
That the general sentiment was then,
and is now favorable to such an exhibit
and opposed TO any other, there can be
no question.
Shall we abandon this idea? If we
were wrong-yes; If we were right-no.
Let us endeavor to look at the question
fairly and in the interest of our State
alone.
The Chicago Fair will be nothing to us
unless the State is to be benefited. We do
not propose to spend 100000 of the peo-
pies money, and as much more possibly
by counties, not to speak of private ex-
penditures, to glorify or eXalt the United
States or the world at large, or TO make a
local success for Chicago. incidentally
we shall contribute to national pride, but
only incidentally. estate in the Union
will expect to subordinate its individual
advantages to those Of any other State, or
all the other States. The sentiment OF
patriotism will begin and end i'll the State,
so far as the display is concerned, for it is
a Worlds Fair. California's highest aim
will be, and should be, to outstrip all
corners, and she will go there with her
splendid advantages for no other purpose.
How can this best be done?
There are tifteenIIdistinct departments
of the fair, and innumerable divisions and
classes in those departments. They will
occupy all that vast area to be devoted To
the exhibition and the many enormous
buildings to be constructed.
The advocates of a distinctive exhibit
say that we must divide our products and
scatter them here, there and everywhere
among this multitudinous mass from all
nations and all States.
The advocates of a cumulative or ag-
tod hT1 set 1r,l;c r.,
shall have one building of her own con-
struction, in which shall be grouped, in
miniature. the wonderful wealth and
glories of this wonderful State.
Let us examine the relative merits OF
these two plans.
Thousands of home-seekers will visit
the fair TO study California and learn the
truth about country of whose charms
our President recently stated "the half
had never been told.n Imagine one OF
these home-seekers pursuing his search
under the distributive plan. Who is to
guide him? Where is he to go? Who
viii meet him when he gets there?
With what weariness and disgust will he
abandon the search long before he has at
tanned his object if he must box the COM
pass of the great worlds show.
On the other hand, suppose we lead
him into the California building, and he
there finds spread before him in har-
inducements which California holds out
to the world for the toiler and the pleas
ure seeker. In one hour he will learn
more than can be learned by hard work
IN many days on the other plan, or at ALL
In this building he finds, not only what
we produce, but what we manufacture,
and how we live, but he finds accredited
agents of the State to supply him with in
formation as 10 every practical detail
which the intelligent intending settler
must know before he will cross a conti-
Hcnt to come to us.
think that every man in the State who
has studied our present needs will say
that our chief want is more people. The
Chicago Fair is but little to us, except as il
viii contribute to our population.
! need not elaborate my illustration,
5or II must at once suggest itself that the
home-seeker would be much more likely
10 learn of US in our own building than