Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-10-05
THE WORLDS FAIR.


York city should not forget that the loss
Of the Worlds fair to that city, with all
the advantages which they would have
derived from it, was directly due to Re-
publican opposition. The Worlds fair
in New York would have meant millions
of dollars TO the farmers, tradesmen
and laborers in New York state, New
Jersey and nnecticut-Chauncey NJ.
Depew said $500, 900, 900, and a Chicago
estimate has placed the value Of the fair
10 that city and section of country at
500, eco, 600. This sum Of money dis
trlbuted IN the three states named would
have set in motion stream Of prosperity
which would have been felt for years
among all classes Of producers.
When the loss Of the fair was made an
issue In the New York state election last
year the Republicans affected TO treat
the matter lightly, but Chauncey NJ.
Depew had prophesied long before that
the men who defeated the fair in New
York would be "snOwed under by l00,-
600 votes cast by the farmers, the me-
ers.' The defeat Of Platt's man-Fas-
sett-by almost $4,000 majority was
sufficient fulfllment of Depew's
prophecy
And how was the fair lost? A nom
partisan committee of 100, Of whom
only fOrty-two were Democrats, was
appointed by Mayor Grant, of New
York, and was sent TO Washington.
The principal speech for this delegation
before the committee of congress having
the matter in charge was made by Mr.
Depew, and the impression was such
that the New Workers returned home
and reported tho fair as won for the
metropolis.
Then came the miserable exhibition Of
personal jealousy and partisan malignity
on the part Of Platt and his followers,
which robbed New York of the fair.
The motive of Platt and his crowd was
twofOld. They wanted TO squelch De-
pew, Miller and Belden, who had worked
hard for the fair, and who were thus
gaining an ascendency which might
prove dangerous to the Platt oligarchy,
and they wanted 10 deprive the Demo
cratic party in New York state and city
Of whatever incidental advantage the
fair might bring to it.
Ile luu,hols 10y which the Platt ma
chine gaui,I out is designs are a good
eyarole of low cunning and factional
strategy. When Mr.. w. L. ID. Stokes,
Of uew York city, went TO Albany with
the Worlds fair bill for enabling the
city Of New York 10 take the necessary
financial measures, he first showed the
bill to ]. Sloat Fassett, at that time Re
publican leader Of the state senate
Fassett said 10 Mr.. Stokes: IL am ia
vorably inclined toward the bill. II
looks all right, but why this undue
haste" "A few minutes later" says
Mr. Stokes, in his report Of the incident,
ga Republican senator informed me th at
Mr.. Platt, by a telegram, had ordered the
bill to be held. The bill was left in
| committee and ordered to third read
! ing, and met Mr.. Platt's political amend
ment and a month of impediments.
The political amendment here referred
10 required two-thirds majority Of the
New York citizens committee 10 con-
trCl its action; In other words, IL gave
to one-third of the members the power
to break all action by the committee.
The reason for this was evident. The
committee as made up by Mayor Grant
was SO cJuspicuously fair and nonpar-
tisan-there being only forty-two Demo
Gratis on it--that absolutely no room vas
left for the obstructionists to raise the
"Iammauy' cry. Indeed Mr.. Depew
had said himself that the insinuation
that the citizens committee would be
untrue 10 its trust was enough 10 make
a brass monkey get up on its hind legs
and laugh its head off,
But the Jealous Plat. Hiscock and
Fassett had tackled on their amendrnen,
% make the committee look like q
Democratic catspaw. Then they worked
the Tamlnany racket in Washington fol
al 1t was worth, and when the fna
vote in the house Of representative,
came New York lost the fair by tn,
hostile votes Of twenty.three Repub
, hcans living within ten hours Of tha
! city.
That Is how New York lost the fair
The whole business was discreditabl,
piece Of small caliber partisanship which
the voters should not even at this da,
forgive. Let them "snow under" Tin,
Platt national ticket this year as Fasset