The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-05-13
CORRESPONDENCE.
A VermOnter at Home Again.
d rrn III We Mnu nth 1909

ANLhl, ~ 4hoJ 1N0Af ASo-'
To Editor of the Bdnner:--DEAR SR,-
1 left the great important City of the
Worlds Fair nearly two weeks ago, but
before 1 left, I "took i'm the Great Fair
grounds again, and must say 1 was
more than surprised to see such wonder
full buildings, and the progress they have
made up to the time of my visit. 1t is
grand sight to see what has been accom-
plished in the time. Twenty-Five cents
is now charged at the gate. AS thous-
ands have been constantly going and
coming, it retarded the work, and they
have no time to waste to accomplish
what is to be done. 1t is no longer
Jackson Park, it is the Worlds Fair as
it flashes over the visitors vision. Sud-
denly in the night as it were, the World
Fair has arrived. What was antici-
patton yesterday, is thing to see with
the eyes of the body. The human race,
arriving last night, comes to show GER
tain matters over there-over there,
where the bright Sun wbitens the mock
marble of palace upon palace, where
dome upon dome crowds the scene and
passers workers, visitors, alike wax
friendly toward each other, upon falling
under the effect of the vision. This
Columbian Exposition is meant to COM
memorate the most important event in
human history-the discovery of Ameri-
ca by Columbus. 1t is intended to be a
thoroughly American enterprise, in
which citizens of the smallest and most
remote village of this Republic have as
much intesest, and should have as much
pride as the most prominent citizen of
the largest city. 1t is an enterprise
which looked at in the right spirit
should arouse a thrill of patriotic en-
thusiasm from one end of the Union to
the other and make the people vie with
each other as to which shall do the most
to make it an unparalleled success. AS
an American citizen as well as citizen
of Chicago we protest against every
thing having a tendency to localize this
and International character. We cannot
allow any City, no matter how rich,
liberal and enterprising, to appropriate
to herself the glory that belongs TO the
Nation. Even if Chicago were willing
to shoulder the entire responsibility of
the Exposition, and her citizens both
able and anxious to pay up to the last
dollar the entire cost of the Fair, we
would protest against their being
allowed to do so. The American people
cannot afford to let a singleI city have all
the honor that is to come from the
grandest manifestation of human intelli-
gence and power the world has ever
seen. Rival cities has forced on Chicago
altogether too much of the responsibility
of the Exposition, and will award her by
far the largest share of the honor. Let
us as people be careful lest she be able
to claim the whole. If Congress does
grant the $5,OO0,0OO which should be
much more, even then the citizens of
Chicago will have contributed at the
rate Of $40 per capita for what is, in
National enterprise, while the rest Of
the people will have contributed less
than cents per capita. But in addition
to her immense land and monetary con-
tribution, Chicago has given and will
have to continue the gratuitous services
of over one hundred of her ablest and
most influential citizens-men whose
services could hardly be had for money
without whose constant disinterested,
and intelligent oversight the Exposition
would be a failure. Yet, we are told
there are Congressman so narrow or
ignorant that they would deprive their
fellow countrymen of the small salts
faction of being allowed to contribute 8
cents for every $40 that the citizens of
Chicago have put up for the honor and
glory of our country. There is neither
right nor reason in expecting Chicago to
bear the whole cost of the Fair. The
Worlds Columbian Exposition was
called into being by the fat of the
National Government as a National COM
memoration of one of the most momen-
tious events in the history of the race.
1t not only called it into existence, but it
named the city where it should be held,
and specified the conditions that city
would have to fulfill. 1t named National
commissions, and clothed them with
full power to manage and direct, and
Chicago has more than fulfilled the
conditions specified by the National
Government. l could see while upon
the Fair grounds, few days ago, as l
have stated in this letter, that it will
take millions to complete everything for
the Exposition, and it did look almost
to an imposslbility to complete The
work. But 1000 men will accomplish a
great deal of labor in the time in which
they have to complete it. The total
amount of money to complete the whole,
is estimated at $34, 100000. OF this sum
about 1000, 900 have been spent. Nearly
this amount or more was audited by the
Congressional committee sitting in
Chicago, on April LIST. The greatest
amount audited on one of the buildings
was Manufacturers and Liberal Arts