The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-05
Five Million Times No!

Fivo Million Times MOI
Tho President OF the Illinois stock COM
pany known as the Worlds Columbian Ex-
position is WILLIAM r. BAKER. 1t is Mr..
WILLIAM T. BAKER who Is asking Congress
to vote $5.OO0.OOO from the United States
Treasury in tho form Of subscription to
the stock of his corporation.
In private circular recently addressed
to every member Of Congress. tho ingenious
Mr.. BAKER assures the Senators and Repre-
sentntivcs that in exceeding expenditures
ut first considered adequate for the pur-
pose, we feel that wo have but done our
duty"
Tho modest proposition Of this shrinking
and high-principlcd city may be summed
up in few words: When we consented out
OF patriotism and truo reverence for the
memory OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS to un-
dertako tho arduous task which Congress
thrust upon us. wecontractcd to give ten
million-dollar show. 1t is truo we prom
Used not to ask q dollar Of Congress. but we
didn't know then how patriotic We arc. or
how much n truly rcverential regard for tho
memory Of COLUMBUS costs when you get
down to figures. We have actually raised
TO dato S3.5lO.255 by private subscriptions
to our stock. md have drawn $l.OOo.Ooo
more from the proceeds Of the sale OF the
city's Exposition bonds. Tho show Will be
q Observation-Disclosures affair. or thcrea-
bouts. Therefore. il Congress does not
wish to see the nation disgraccd before tho
whole world. lot 1t take S5.00o.OoO OF our
stock at par and give us the s5.oOO.OOO in
cash, and wo will go ahead in the large. lib
eral way in which we have begun.
Astonishing rs it may seem. President
BAKER Of the Illinois corporation known as
the Worlds Columbian Exposition has tho
assurance to add that II Congress will only
vote this S5.OOO,OOO Of the peoples money
into the bottomlcss pit by the lakeside.
Chicago will step up patriotically to supply
any further money that may DO required.
"Thc balance of the expenditures" he writes
in his letter to tho Congressman. necessary
TO complete tho Exposition beyond the appro-
rriation to be asked. ,oiU be supplied ty the
citizens Of Chicago"
The country could have pardoned almost
anything save this last touch of mpudence.
It is an insult to intelligence. Hungry JOE
himself. in his best days. would have hesi-
tated about working tho Same promise n
second time upon an already enlightened
and conscious victim.
Mr. BAKERS pledge that Chicago will ask
no more money il the S5.0oO.O0O is voted. is
not worth one-tcnth or one-hundredth as
much as Chicago's original pledge never to
ask this $5.OOO.O0O or one dollar OF it. How
much these original pledges were worth We
already know. .g-
The application OF Chicago for pecuniary
assistance which Congress has no constitu-
tionnl power to grant must be considered
precisely as II it were a demand that the
United States Government should assume
oil tho unknown expense and all the finan-
cial risk Of the undertaking. leaving the in
direct profit all to Chicago. II one dollar is
voted for stock in Mr.. BAKERS boom COM
pany. it means that every further dol
lar that goes into the bottomless pit
by the lakeside, comes sooner or later
out OF tho Treasury OF tho United
States. already depleted by the same Re-
publican gang that sent tho Fair to Chi
cago for political reasons.
But even il there were better guarantee
thnn Chicago's word that no job beyond this
$1,000. 900 will be attempted. the appropria-
ton proposed by Mr.. BAKER and his asso-
GATES would be the most direful prece-
dent established by Congress since the
powers OF Congress were limited and
defined by the men who framed the
Constitution. 1t would be n precedent
for voting at any time any sum Of
money for any purpose which ingenuity
can conceive, or folly suggest. or corrupt
interest promote. 1t would do more than
anything else that has ever been seriously
proposed to obliterate the distinction be-
tween the Congress of restricted and spc-
officially enumerated powers which the Con-
stitution created. and an absolute. ire
sponsible Legislature like the British Par
lament.
Is there anything that stands between
Chicago and the S5.OO0.OOO for which it is
reaching? Yes. tho Constitution Of the
United States and tho oath of every indi-
vidual Senator and Representative in the
Fifty-second Congress.