Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-05-24
OPENERS TRIUMPH.
Sunday Closing of the Worlds
Fair Defeated.
BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSIONERS.


Also Fai,s-The Battle Can Now Go to
the Courts-NIaine and Germany Dedi-
n cate Their Buildings at Jackson Park
Press People Talk of Matters Pertinent
to the Profession.
CHICAGO. May 24-The fight has been
fought ont in the national commission, and
Sunday opening of the Worlds fair has
won it. There is but ons way that the
SabbRtarians can smut up the gates of the
greatest educational institution ever opened
by man, and that is through decision of
the courts. Eloquence from a score of
states rang through the chamber of the
commission for several hours, and the
two reports were pretty well considered by
the time a vote was reached. The oraJory
was hardly necessary for it is safe to say
that there wasn't a commissioner present
who did not know just how he was going
to vote when he went to the meeting.
Sabbatarian Protests Read.
The leading orators were st. Clair, Mas
sey, Burton and Hundley. Stacks of tele-
grams were piled up on the chairman's
desk, all of which, coming as they did
from church conventions and societies,
We're of the same import: Keep the
Worlds fair gates closed Sunday" These
were read and then the verbal fight began,
Eibock of Iowa, opening in favor of a
seven day fair and the minority report.
Burton, of Kansas, was on the same side.
Massey, of Delaware, was the leader of the
closers, and he enlarged on the fact that
the directory had bound themselves to
close on Sunday when congress gave 81
800, 600 on that condition.
Congressional BAD Faith
The other side said that congress had
also bound itself to give $500 600 and had
later violated that obligation by burglar
izing the funds OF the fair to the extent
of 5000, 900. The fair directory had agreed
to cloce for s., 800 600 not 3, 90), 600. Humid
ley took up the fight for closing and Ryan,
of North Dakota, spoke on the other side.
Touslye, of Minnesota, was closer. When
General st. Clair, OF West Virginia, the
leader of Sunday opening advocates in the
commission, rose to close the debate there
was general silence and TIE windows were
closed to deadeu the melody which came
from Sousa's marine band.
st. CIair's Closing Argument.
St Clair first submitted modification
of the Sunday opening rule propounded by
the directory and obtained unanimous con-
sent to have it received as part Of the Ju-
dietary committees minority repoIt. The
modification provided for an Invitation 10
all ects and creeds to hold religious eXer-
cises in the halls of the exposition on Sun
day, making it the duty of the council of
administration to make ample arrange
ments for such exercises. referring to the
frequent allusions to Chicago's ungodli-
ness by the cloSers General st. Clair said
| Chicago had not provided the exposition.
| 1t WAS true that the western metropolis
| had given about Sl2 100000 of the money
| directly and indirectly-but foreign ma
| tions had contributed 81, 600. .0)1: states and
| territories, ST.000000. and the United
! States government S6,OOj,ojD The COM
| mission was bound to deal with the ques-
| tion from the standpoint of the law, not
not only of state and interstate law, but of
| international law and custom.
\ Contract Is a Contract.
Only one right was vested in the souvenir
act and that was the government would
pay the money if the exposition kept its
| contract. The vested right was raised by
| that act not ouly in the corporation, but in
the bondholders. The government of the
| United States had by the legal documents
| in the treasury department at Washington
| by the statement of exposition assets and
| by its legislative action entered into a legal
binding contract with the bondholders if
| not with the Illinois corporation. This
| contract had been violated by the legisla-
| tive branch of the government.
Final Decision of the Question
| At the conclusion of St Clair'S speech
the vote was taken on substituting the mi
nority report for the majority-or Sunday
opening for Sunday closing--and resulted
ayes, so; nays, p. This was surprise,
as it was expected to go the other way. The
vote on modifying the directory's rule as
proposed by st. Clair resulted-ayes, %;
nays. 2S. Vice President De Young, who
presided. ruled that fifty-five memb bers,
a majority of the whole number of COM
missioners, had not voted to modify, the
directors rule should stand. Later he
concluded that he had gone too far-there
was storm of protests from Sunday clos
ers-in deciding the quorum part, and the
decision went on record as simple state
uent that the commissioners had failed to
1nodify Unless the courts intervene the
| faar will rnrnha ahly be oIen nRNt Sunday