The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-19
OUR POOR FORESTRY ExHIBIr.
Why the State with the Finest Forests
Was Beaten ~ Chicago.


Was Beaten ~ Chicago.
PuYALLup, Sept tT-[Special. THE dis
patch from Chicago published in the
Posr-lsTELLIGENcEa this morning that
Michigan had captured the honors for.for-
estry exhibits in the Worlds fair, and that
even Illinois was ahead of Washington,
and, in fact. that this state was not even
mentioned, ought to put q blush of shame
upon every citizen of this great state.
When in the inception of the Worlds
fair work. while acting as executive CON-
missioner for this state. had appointed
Prof Henderson to undertake the i'm
portant work of preparing . forestry ex-
hibit. q coterie of politicians assembled
at Port Townsend as ''the execu-
tive committee" and voted that no money
should be paid to said appointee. and dur
ing my absence from the state notice was
sent to Henderson to discontinue the
work.
No charge was made that Mr.. Hender-
son was not competent; in fact, II was
notorious that his peer for this work did
not live in or out of this state. His APP
pointment by me was made because of has
fitness for the work, and this early be-
cause Of the necessity TO utilize all the
time before the opening OF the fair, and
which was necessary TO make a perfect ex-
hibit. This ''ring" of corrupt politicians
prevailed; Henderson was discharged; a
year was lest. and these very same men
finally, when it was too late to collect an
exhibit. appointed this same Henderson
to prepare an exhibit.
Prof. Henderson is not to blame for this
failure. No more industrious, competent,
painstaking man for the work lives than
he. 1t vas simply impossible for any man
to do the work properly after his appoint
ment only short time before the fair
opened. The blame rests upon the So
called executive committee, but which
would have been moro appropriately
known as the place hunting COMMITTEES. !"
Some day will dawn upon the people
of this state the enormity of the crime
committed by this combination of corrupt
place seekers. and that not only fully $T5.-
ono of the $4,000 appropriated has been
squandered, but also the great opportu-
nifty afforded TO publish our great resources
to the world has been lost and will not re-
turn.
think it is but justice to the citizens
Of this state TO print the names of the
persons who were present at Port Towns
end and voted 10 stop the work so aus
piciously begun by Prof. Henderson and
which was the cause of the failure,
Thomas Cavanaugh was there; DR.. Con-
over, DIR. Calhoun. Dr. Blalock. PC. Kauf.
man, Percy Rochester. L. f. Grume, our
present state auditor; la Foiiett. of
model farm notoriety; all were there and
voted. and if there was q negative vote IL
has never been made public. f, s. Meany
was there as chief advisor and penned the
famous notice TO stop the work and an
proved the action taken.
This same soheming corrupt work
Is still going on. has been At leest With
very recent date. Absent members of thi.
so-caiied committee have been drawiny
salaries without performing any service |.
two newspaper correspondents have been
on the pay roll; two members of the lesi,.
lsture have regularly drawn on the fund
they voted from the state treasury. II
these people were given employment be-
cause of their supposed fitness for the
WORK, pity be TO the mental calihre of the
appointing power. The people of the
state will always believe IL vas done TO try
and silence the press and pay for the votes.
IL is humiliating that these things
should be so, but at this late date We can
only bow our heads for shame. We can.
however. bear these things in mind and
see TO ii that these men shall not further
disgrace the state in places OF public trust.