Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-02
THE WORLDS FAIR.
A Loan Expected to Be Asked Of
Congress.
RMER EXPOSITIO Ms.
What They Have Cost and How They Have
Resulted-The Centennial Experience-Op-
position That Was Developed to the Loan,
but 1t Was Given and Repaid.
Written for The Evening Star.

TNHE RETURN OF CONGRESS AFTER THE
Il holiday recess will be signalized by appli-
cation to the business of the country, which
needs attention, or non-attention, as the solons
Of the nation may decide in their wisdom.
One of the objects to which their attention
will be called at early day by the directors
Of the Columbian fair will be for q loan Of
$5, 900, 900 to aid in the huge exhibition that
has been progressing with commendable speed
at Chicago. 1t will array all against the appli-
cation-the strict constructionsts, the general
directors and the men whose constituency may
be averse to such an expenditure of the public
money. The experience OF the past, when aid
for the centennial exposition was asked, may
be Of interest, and The STAR may in this way
instruct the new legislators by the experience
Of their predecessors.
When the centennial exposition applied to
Congress for loan Of q. 500 900 the stumbling
block in the way was the question OF the con-
stitutionality Of such a measure, and for sew
eral days that question occupied the attention
of the House. The first action taken by Con-
gress on the centennial was as early as 1871,
and on the LIST Of June, 1872 Congress APP
pointed finance committee, OF which Mr..
Hewitt of New York was the chairman. On the
meeting of tho Forty-fourth Congress MIR.
Hopkins of Pennsylvania introduced from the
committee on the centennial yoiut
resolution appropriating Sl,5OO0OO as contri-
button, and in that form it was debated at con-
siderable length.
THE MOST VIOLENT OPPOSITION.
The most violent opponent of the measure
was the late Ben Willis of New York. He took
the position of its unconstitutionality, and as
that was the first and only time that departed
statesman posed in that character. the speech
was a novelty. Quoting from Tacitus he showed
the fatality attending nations which departed
from the laws governing them and charged the
money would be squandered in jollifcation.
MIR. Hewitt replied and gave his colleague
rather severe lecture. In ridiculing Willis,
who rather given to obesity, Mr.. Hewitt
said he was reminded of the meeting held here
to hear Red Cloud, who depicted the wrongs of
his people SO graphically that the audience
were saddened and depressed. The medicine
man, who, Mr.. Hewitt said, always the
funny man, came forwards huge mass of
iesh-who said: 'Look ct me. l was once
slender and as graceful as gaZelle. That was
before the Indian agent came and made me
what am, not with meat and drink, but he
filled me up with lies" Mr.. Hewitt vouched
for the proper disbursement Of every dollar
MIR. Willis replied, and then Judge Kelley
took him in hand and told a joke Of a sick
member Of Congress, a strict constructionaIist,
who called friend to his bed side and said he
had not long to live and he wanted his friend
10 promise him he should not be buried in the
Congressional burial ground, for there
constitutional authority for it, and he promised
Willis he would see to it when he died that his
constitutional scruples should not be infringed.
Willis replied "YouwiA precede me there, for
the arrangement for my burial will not be
needed for fifty years" Both these gentlemen
have gone the way of all flesh. Willis died
years ago and Judge Kelley outlIved him several
years.
THE DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.
H. Al
ton as Philadelphia had paid "a, 700, 900 of the
amount expended, s5,1S7 being subscribed
elsewhere. The opponents of the bill were
Atkins and Caldwell of Tennessee, Stenger and
Cochrane of Pennsylvania. FELTON, and Cook of
Georgia, Baker Of Illinois, Dunnell. Holman,
Southland. Sam. Cox and Williams of Wisconsin.
Justice Lamar made an eloquent speech in
favor of the bill, as did also Casey Young and
Carter Harrison, and after many anne ndments
1t was recOmmitted. and when reported again
and before the final vote was taken Sam. Ran
dali closed the debate in which he took the
ground that the same authority existed for this
appropriation as for the Japan expedition and
the North Pole and Dead sea expeditions, the
aid to Ireland in 1S47, which Mr.. Calhoun SO
eloquenrly advocated. and the BETTING return
TO England OF the Resolute, which was ably
championed by the late John Y. Mason. He
said there was no express provision in the
Constitution for these expenditures, but the
country had approved them, as it would this
appropriation. which would secure a fitting
celebration of the centennial
in the Senate the opposition came from the
same strict constructionalists. Mr.. McCreery Of
Kentucky moved to strike out all after the en-
acting clause and recommend that on the 4th
of July, 1876, prayers and thanksgiving be Of
fered in all the churches throughout the
country. The advocates Of the measure in the
Senate were the late ex-Senators from New
Jersey, Randolph and Frelinghuysen. The lat
ter read letter from Mr.. Eeverdy John
son giving his views upon the constitutional
question involved. Senator Jones of Florida
made one of the ablest speeches delivered on
the bill. The opponents of the bill confined
themselves to constitutional views Of the ques-
ton as applied to the expenditure of money
for the purpose of aiding a corporate body
which had been chartered by Congress- The
amendment which provided for the repayment
of the money out OF the gross receipts was bit
terly opposed, las it made the government pre-
ferred creditor. 1t was accepted, however, and
passed by a respectable majority.
THE MONEY WAS PAID BACK.
When the exposition closed it was found not
to be a financial success, and the managers and
incorporators came before Congress asking the
government to yield the preference given it
and take its pro rata with the stockholders, but
like Shylock, Congress exacted its pound of
flesh. and unlike Shylock, got it by payment
in full of the = 800 600. and the city of Phila-
delphia and the stockholders had to be con-
tent with the remainder.
The most patriotic sentiments were uttered
by those who bitterly opposed the grant, and
III the action taken by Congress in 1876 lesson
may be learned by tie promoters of the Co.
lumbar fair, whose application to Congress
for loan will, it is understood, be laid before
Congress.
COST OF INTERNATIONAL ExPosITIoNs.
The amount expended by the managers Of
the centennial fair exceeded that which had
been previously expended, with the exception
Of the Vienna exposition, and amounted to
some thing over Ss,0OOOOO. The cost of the
Vienna exposition was over s1l,O00,00O. That
was sad financial failure, the deficit being
| nearly S9,000000 This gigantic failure caused
panic and serious monetary trouble through
out the Austrian empire. One Of the causes
which led to this lamentable failure may be
studied as a warning to the managers at Chi
cago. The exorbitant rates Of living which
were imposed kept many visitors away from
Vienna.
The Paris exposition universelle Of 1873 was
| more extensive and elaborate than any previous
exhibition and was financial success. Tho
cost Of this worlds fair nearly Sl0 O0O 600,
and its receipts were largely in excess of its
| cost. The space occupied was $50 acres. The
last great exposition at Paris was admitted to
Il be the most successful of apv vet held The