The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-27
.DIXlE'S EXPOSITION DOOMED.
THE STATES SEEM DIsINCLINED To
WORK Up A BOOM.

Chairman Patrick Walsh Denies.
However, That the Exposition Has
Been OmcIaIIy Abandoned a. Yet.
Chairman HigEInbotham of the
Chicago Committee looks Upon
the Enterprise Rs Dead.
Chicago, May 25.-The Cotton States
Exposition. which was to have been held
in Chicago this fall, has been officially
declared on. This action was taken yes
terday afternoon at a meeting OF those
having the matter In charge and at which
Il was discussed in all its bearings. Re
Gently numbers OF obstacles have arisen,
and they finally became so serious that
the matter was yesterday abandoned for
a time. at least, the reasons being given
in the following statement made last night
by Mr.. Higginbotham: Some time ago
Tennessee requested that the proposed
exposition be postponed until 1895 and
asked other southern states to concur IN
the request. The reason It gave was that
il intends this fall TO hold at Nashville an
exposition Of its own in commemoration
OF the centennial anniversary of its ad-
mission TO the union, and it could not
participate In both projects at once. It's
request for a postponement met with the
general approval OF the other states In
terested, and 80 when It was presented to
Us, 1 aid not see how we could we'll refuse.
In fact there was nothing for US to do
but 10 acquiesce, as our part Of the work
was simply 70 furnish space, and that
would not have been very attractive with
out exhibits. So we met yesterday after
noon and declared the whole thing Off. /
do not mean by that that the exposition
has been entirely abandoned. II may yet
H.H hasfI hon NN NN
year"
Augusta. Ca. May 26.-The following
explains itself: To the people OF the
south: On account Of the great interest
manifested in the reported postponement
Chicago, and in response to numerous tel
egraphic inquiries, / make the following
statement:
The announcement of the postponement
of the Southern States Exposition at Chi
CagO on account OF the Tennessee CEN
tennial was totally unauthorized by the
advisory board Neither the chairman nor
the secretary Of The board authorized any
such statement. The dispatch sent out
from Chicago last night by the Associat-
ed Press that the secretary OF the
board at Augusta made such a PROPOSE
ton in the interest Of the Tennessee CEN
tennial Is wholly unfounded. Before my
departure for Washington last week, in
the interest OF the exposition, I wrote a
letter to Maj. J. W. Thomas president
Of the Tennessee centennial, who was
until recently Uhe Tennessee member OF
the advisory board, deprecating the in
action of Tennessee. In this letter in-
formed Mai Thomas that II Tennessee
was hostile or indifferent to the Southern
States exposition, ] would resign my posi-
ton as chairman forthwith. The answer
70 this letter confirmed me in the belief
THAT nothing had been. done In Tennessee,
and Mai Thomas Informed me that II
would be impossible 10 prepare Tennes-
sees exhibit In three months. I was in
WaghfnnFnp uJhan Mai FThnmaat TpTllV
10 my letter reached Augusta. on Its re-
ceipt General Manager Deberard and Mr..
active interest in the exposition, visited
Mai. Thomas In Nashelle The result
Of their visit Is briefly summed up in the
statement that Mai Thomas went with
the Augusta delegation before the Ten
nessee commissioners, advocated the
southern exposition, and agreed to sub
Mr.. Deberard came on to Washington
and explained the situation in Tennessee
/ returned to Augusta last wednesday to
hnd that eleven appointments had been
Nesbitt of the Georgia Exposition Conn
pany. I was not satisfied with the gen.
ersl situation, and my appointments we're
postponed. on my return from Washing
ton, / find an Official notice from the
chairman Of the Chicago committee that
the south must have exhibits from nine
states. This was the agreement entered
prominent citizen Of Chicago wrote
me conhdentially that he thought the
Chicago management would be satisfied
with exhibits from seven states. I could
only see in sight exhibits from four
states, supplemented by exhibits from the
Southern railway, the Mobile and Ohio
and the Georgia railroad. Under these
circumstances, with a notincation from
Chicago that the management there would
have to be definitely informed of the
call for the meeting of the advisory
committee, to be held. IN Augusta on
Thursday next. / wired the Chicago man.
agement Of the Augusta meeting, and
invited Chairman Lawrence to be present
or to send a delegation, as the meeting
was important. In response to this Chair
man Lawrence wires to-day: 'erhe COM
mittee deem II unnecessary to be repre-
sented on Thursday. Have written"
/ have not been officially informed of
the postponement OF the exposition by
the Chicago company. II the southern
exposition Is a failure, 1t would be a
peryersion of the truth 70 place the blame
on the merchants Of Chicago, who have
made the most public-spirited and most
liberal offer ever made to advertise the
products and resources Of the south. II
the proposed southern exposition fails, let
ms place the responsibility where II be-
longs-on the citizens Of the states who
have failed TO avail themselves Of Chi
cago's unexampled opportunity to adver,
tlse the varied products ana unrivaled
natural bounties Of the southern states.
have given three months time to the
Southern States Exposition at Chicago,
i
vain. Patrick Waish, Shairman
Charleston, 8. c., May 2s.-The News
and Courier will say tomorrow, after
quoting the dispatch from Chicago, about
the alleged calling off of the southern ex-
posltion in that city; I'VE do not know
what this means and cannot believe Il
is true. A meeting of the southern ad-
visory committee is to be held in Angus
Ia tomorrow, and representatives from
the exposition company in Chicago are
expected to be present. We were in
formed by the Hon. Patrick Walsh chair
man of the advisory committee, yester-
day that important matters would be
submitted to the meeting in Augusta
ana that a report would be received from
the Chicago managers. We do not know
what this report will contain, but we do
know that any postponement Of the ex-
position now will be regarded in this
state as a breach of good faith on the
part Of the Chicago people. The under
standing at the convention in Chicago
last February was that Chicago would
provide for the management and mainte-
nance of the exposition II the southern
states would provide the exhibits.
"Among the states represented at the
convention in February was the state of