Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-05-28
TOUGH PROBLEMS.
The Worlds Fair Sunday and
Art Questions.
VIEWS OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL.

He Hopes to Please Everybody, but Is
Evidently Not sabbatarian-Some
Reasons for Open Sunday and
Against Free Admission on That Day
Religious Liberty Association at Work
Art Workers at the Fair Site-Two
Groups of Symbolic Figures-Notes.
CHICAGO, May 2S-In view of the amend
nent offered in the national house to the
Worlds fair items in the sundry civil bill
to the effect that the nude in art be ex-
cluded from the art exhibition, and also in
view of the Sunday closing amendments
proposed, to say nothing of the slash of
$1,000 off his salary, Director General
Davis would seem to have good deal to
worry him. But he doesn't look worried.
Regarding the Sunday closing amendment
he says: "The action OF congress in order
ing the government building closed on
Sunday does not argue that the whole fair
is to be closed. The government has
merely exercised its own right and said
when its own shop shall be open and
when it is to be closed"
VIII Work Itself Out Right.
This question will work itself out all
right" he said, sand verybody-those
sho want the fair open on Sundays and
those who do not; those who hope to see
wine sold on the ground and those who
oppose it; those who prefer their statuary
without drapery and those who desire it
protected from the inclemency of the
wealth r and the blasts that sweep in from
the lake-will be satisfied" He smiled as
he Nhntt ta1 OH h. ,l,,,o Go . tlot
had been proposed in congress prohibiting
open gates on Sunday, the sale of liquor
and compelling the statuary to be clothed.
What He Told the Methodist.
"My position on these questions is clear
| ly understood the director general said.
Il told the Methodist clergymen at Omaha,
and l told the gentlemen at Washington.
Are you going to open your fair on Sun
| day? they asked. Would you have us
close it?' l answered. Come to Chicago
on pleasant Sunday afternoon and. see
| 10000 people in the parks. You would
not prohibit people from entering them on
| Sunday? We take the most beautiful of
| them, we take $500 600 to improve it,
We gather there the finest, rarest exhibits
OF civilized achievement, many hundreds
| of millions worth-would you have us
| then exclude the people from it,"
Reply That Touched the Pocket.
Are you going to charge admission on
Sunday they asked me- Are you not
ready to bear some of the expense of this
educational undertaking'' l replied Are
| you not willing to chip in sIft the gates were
on free Sunday every one would wait until
| Sunday to attend. The country people
1 would run their excursions ON that day
because it would be free. Our own people
would attend only on that day because il
| wouldbe free. We can't provide for the ex
pense of this undertaking by general tax
alton; we have to pay for their protection
| We have TO furnish our own police, oul
| own guards, our own guides
| Keep sunday Out of the Bill.
| "Have you ever heard of this national re
1 ligious liberty association A gentleman
was in here today with a petition signed
| by thousands and thousands of good citi
zens. They have sent many thousands Of
names to Washington. They only ask
that congress shall not mention the Sun.
| day question in the bill; in other words
that the church and the state be kept
| separate. l am inclined to think such 6
| sentiment as that will prevail / told
them, too, at Washington that they could
not tell US how to run our concern if they
| only gave US loan.