Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-09
Chicago and the Dispatch.
RICHMOND. Va.
ia Rls Editor of Rle Dlsnntoh ,


To De Editor Of Pe Dispatch:
was rather surprised 10 see you, too,
join ia the Huzzahs tor Chicago" Like
many, many others. feel more like saying
rather no fair at all than at Chicago. What
people have shown more hatred and Bit
terness against our people than this same
city Of Chicago! Only q few short years
ago the President OF the United States,
Mr.. Cleveland. because true Democrat
and true patriot, had TO decline visiting
that city on a public occasion because OF
the coarse and brutal exhibition OF their
sectional and party feeling. And why did
some of their citizens remove from here
the Libby-Prison building? OF course
10 make money. But howf To use
10 as great tabernacle wherein
70 preach goodwill and brotherly feeling,
again TO renew the bonds that should tie
US together as one people that know no
section. no North or South Judging from
previous events we can hardly expect this.
But imagine yourself standing by and
hearing how the Chicagoan will point out
TO the visiting stranger the different parts
Of the prison building; how he will enlarge
upon the oft-repested falsehoods OF bar
barities and cruelties practiced by the
southern rebels, and ell such stun re-
dashed and rewarmed. These things we
may expect. Talk of Chicago people con-
ern people There would have to be
mighty change. j am sure express the
feelings of many of our people when say
no Chicago for me. Yours truly, w.
Tbs observations of our correspondent
refer to letters published by the DISPATCH.
not 10 editorial utterances of this paper.
We DO not consider that Chicago is the
best type of an American city. There are
many vicious people there also very many
good ones. IL is more cosmopolitan city
than 1t was at the close of the war. and the
proportion OF South-haters there IS small
or now than then. There are thousands
and thousands of southerners now resi-
dent there. These are about TO unyeil q
Confederate monument in Chicago-a
monument to the Confederstes who died
IN the Federal military prison known as
Camp Douglas. And in the last presiden-
tial election Chicago was Democratic
city and Illinois Democratic State.
The fair should not be utterly condemn
ed because it is held in Chicago. Accord
ing TO the same sort of reasoning, we
should buy no meat or liquor that comes
from Chicago.
The fair is a national enterprise. and
people 90 to see it to do themselves good,
not TO do Chicago good. We are not re-
ouired 10 bite off our nose to spite our
face.
As 10 the Hbby-Prson Building: Rich
mond has been almost as muon criticised
for allowing it to go to Chicago as Chicago
has been for exhibiting 1t. 1t is said that
we should have raised the money TO buy
the building when the trustees OF the
estate were compelled to sell it. And no
doubt this would have been done had our
people fully realized what the Chicagosns
were doing, but we did not rouse up until
| it was too late. But all that is OF the past.
The simple question now is whether we
can hold the whole city OF Chicago re-
sponsible for exhibiting tho Libby-Prison
| Building as a money making show. and 1t
so whether that fact should deter us from
patronizing an international exhibition
| held there. We soy. No. to both PROPOSE
| tons.
The DISPATCH helped TO get an appro-
prietion from the General Assembly OF
Virginia to erect Virginia building at
| Chicago: not because we believed that 1t
would he of advantage TO Chicago, but
that we believed it would be of advantage
TO Virginia. For the same reason we
would have our people visit the fair, and
we have done our best, and we hope not
fruitlessly, to bring down railroad and
hotel rates so that the expense shall not
be unnecessarily great So We huzzah "
for the fair rather than for Chicago.