The Indianapolis journal., 1893-06-18
Views of Mr.. Olney.

Views of Mr.. Olney.
WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE opinion Of
the Court of Appeals in deciding that the
Worlds Columbian Exposition at Chicago
shall be opened on Sunday was received
here by q press bulletin early in the after
noon. Attorney general Olney. at late
hour this evening, had received no official
announcement of the fact. He said that
his departments had q clear record in the
case. and had exhausted every legal means
TO enforce the mandate OF Congress In the
matter. 1t was generally ecknowledg ged
that the act of Congress In regard TO the
opening of the worlds fair on Sunday
was couched in language sufficien tiy
dubious to make Its intent doubtful. and
that both those who favored the opening
OF the fair on Sunday. and those who were
opposed TO it had plausible grounds to
stand upon. 1t seemed to him that the end
had now been reached. though he was not
entirely sure. not having carefully ex..
amined the law, but that an appeal should
be taken TO the Supreme Court OF the
United States. This, however. would
seem to be useless. as the court did not
meet until October and before
tribunal. the fair would be closed
by limitation. He could not see that any
injunctions should be thrown In the way
of opening the fair on Sunday. but as the
matter was In the Immediate charge OF
able assistants he had no doubt that they
would exhaust every legal means known
TO the law TO uphold the intent OF Con-
gress. While he saw no means In sight,
perhaps those who had been more intim ate.
~ associated with the case than he would
yet discover some.
Other matters of q complicated charao-
ter, he said, would undoubtedly grow out of
this decision. For instance. the donation
by Congress of g.. .500000 to the fair had
been coupled with the condition that the
fair should not be open on Sundays. Tho
decision of the Court of Appeals that the
fair could be open on Sunday, and the
well-known intent of the local directory
seem to imply On their part q disre.
gard for the condition upon which the
money was granted. The local directory
had already received in round figures
Sl.9OO0OO. Could not the governments. he
asked. now proceed by legal means to col
leot the money advanced. as the condition
upon which it had been received had been
forfeitedf 1t was certain, TO his mind. that
the government could not now give to the
worlds fair authorities the $500. 900 still re-
tanned in the treasury, but which had been
appropriated upon certain conditions. The
condition was that security for the 5000, 600
sho uld be given. Up TO to-day this money
would have to have been paid by the gov
ernment had the security been furnished.
1t had not been furnished. and SO had been
retained In the treasury, but now. in view
of the decision, even If the security were
furnished the government could not pay
out the money to the worlds fair people.
Doubtless he would be confronted with q
proposition to take steps to recover the
S1,9O0.O00 already paid out He had not
yet seen the texs of the decision or seen
published the exact grounds upon which
the decision was granted. and therefore he
could not say what course he would pur-
sue. Perhaps the gate money could be i'm
pounded TO reimburse the government.
Still, he was not entirely clear as to this.
end wOnld have to consider the matter
more in detail.
Another question affected by the decision
was the government exhibits All the de-
partments of the government had exhibits
at the fair, and all the appropriations made
fnr them we're coupled with the condition
that the exhibits should not be open on
Sunday. IL was entirely clear that the
government exhibits could not be open on
Sunday but the conditions imposed might
have gone further and might prevent the
government exhibits from being open on
any day, now that it had been decided that
It was legal to open the world q fair on Sun
day. He hardly thought. however. that
the law would bear this construction.
Numbe other questions of minor i'm
portance would come up. he said. for de-
cision and action view Of the opinion
rendered to-day by the Court Of Appeals.