, 1892-10-21
DAY OF DEDICATION.
The Worlds Fair Buildings Pre-
Sented to the People.
over Ninety Thousand Chairs in
one BuIIding-The Procession
and Program at the Dedication

over Ninety Thousand Chairs In
one BuiIding-T Procession
and Program at the Dedication
Exercises
CHICAGO, October 21.-In the presence OF
ahundred thousand people, amid theechoes
of the largest chorus assembled in the his
tory Of modern times, under arches the
largest ever constructed in the history OF
architecture, the Worlds Columbian expo.
sition was formally dedicated today in the
great hall of the manufactures and liberal
arts by dignitaries ofthe nation. The event
was one we'll designated to inspire the 10y
atty of the American heart, making, as it
did, the first international exposition OF
the globe. The occasion was equally sig
nificant in being devoid of that pomp and
pageantry which have characterized the
worlds fair of monarchial Europe. The
inaugural ceremonies today were a triumph
to republican institutions and triumph
greater than all the glories of war.
To the parent republic of the Western
hemisphere had been reserved the distinc-
tion of so winning the good will and ad-
uiAIdtlOu Oi al Inc WOIldi buhJ bne KING
emperor, cZar, sultans, mikados, khans
and shahs have each extended the hand of
international fellowship to the American
people aud crown with their benediction
and approval of the exposition to be held
under the patronage of the republic.
As the discovery by Columbus marks an
epoch in the worlds knowledge, the event
of today marks an epoch in the world Is
civilization. 1t means that petty Jealous
n q ma al mt wa hu q
enlightened nations of the earth and rele-
gated to ages that have gone; that upon
neutral ground nations, like man, can as
semble in fraternal greeting and recognize
that bond of common humanity that
makes brothers of us all. The fierce RI
yairy of arms has given place to friendly
competition of commerce. Che selfish
greed for power has given way to the thirst
for enlightenment, to desire for material
intellectual development.
The old world is no longer impatient of
the progress of the new. With bowed
heads and diplomatic representation, the
crowned rulers of the old world today
gave attentive audience to the ceremonies
and voiced no dissent when the orators of
the hour reviewed the glory of the repub-
lican institution and indicated that the
greater progress lay in the government by
many. But more eloquent even than
the silver tongued orators of the day, in
the attesting of the graduer of the republic,
was the modest spectacle of the greatest
international exposition of the age ushered
into being, not by the command of crowned
heads of hereditary authority, but by the
acclaim of hundreds of thousands of free
men, each man the peer Of his fellow and
each sovereign invested with rights of the
republic.
The scene presented by the last gather
ing in and dedication of the building is one
never to be forgotten. In many respects
it was without precedence. Everything
was on the order of the superlative dedica-
ton hall, the largest structure ever erected,
and in it was gathered the largest crowd
ever assembled beneath a single roof In
the audience were probably more distin-
guished Americans than have ever been
seen together on any commemorative oc-
casion in the history of the republic.