The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-05-31
The Gates Aiar.

Fifty.seven ofthe national commission
of 100 members, present and participant
ing, have adopted by a bare majority
the minority report in favor of opening
the Worlds Fair on Sunday. Twenty
nine favored Sunday opening and
twenty-eight were opposed. The COM
mission is empowered to make rules for
the government of the fair, and the
rules can be amended or abrogated only
by the vote of a majority of all the
members of the national commission.
The rule in favor of Sunday opening
required the asserting vote of fifty-fve
members; but as this vote could not be
had, the Sunday openers went ahead
under the sanction of such a majority
as they could get, and on Sunday last
the fair was opened to visitors.
The United States law officer at Chi
cago is preparing an injunction, and the
legal right of congress to attach to its
appropriation condition requiring the
exposition to close its gates on Sunday
will be tried in the courts.
However the matter may stand in the
eye of the law, the question is in fact
one of common honesty. Is it honest
or honorable to accept money on certain
clearly understood conditions and then
violate those conditions-violate them
deliberately, with cool calculation and
determined purpose? 1t is hardly worth
the while to argue this proposition, or
consider seriously the reasons given in
justification of the breaking of faith
with the United States government.
Chicago is the last place in all this
country that should have been selected
as the locality of the fair if, AS the Sun
day openers argue, it is necessary to
corral its toilers and the strangers
within its gates in Jackson park on
Sunday to save them from the snares
the wicked have laid for them outside
this guarded precinct, The force of the
argument, from the educational point
of view, for breaking solemn compact
with congress, is somewhat weakened
opening. The Midway Plaisance, where
all the "shows" are gathered together,
the amusement section of the eXposi-
ton, the reports say, was thronged
throughout the day, and the conces-
sionaires of all classes did thriving
business-rivaled, however, by Buffalo
Bill, outside the grounds, who instructed
some 10000 people, hungering and
thirsting for enlightenment, through
the evolutions of his Wild West"
show. The gondolas, the electric boats,
the merry-go-rounds had, with every
other entertainment within the park,
monopoly of the dimes and attentions
of the 1875, 900 "pupils" which, the re-
ports say, rushed into the fair for in
struction. Ancient Athens and modern
Boston must look to their fame. This
evolution of the Chicago appetite for
education is revelation.
Laying aside all false pretences,
abandoning all specious reasoning by
which the exposition authorities seek
to Justify gross violation of very
common rule of honor, the sole reason
for opening the fair on the part of the
exposition management is financial,
mercenary one, and the purpose of
the great majority of the Sunday visit
ors in going to Jackson park is physical
pleasure and enjoyment. The COM
missioners understand this latter fact,
and in their financial straits they pro-
pose to coin into half dollars the popu-
lar desire of a community like Chicago
for Sunday entertainment. They barter
their honor for the money of Sunday
amusement seekers.
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