The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-06-03
The Southern Exposition.
What Walsh Says About the
Exposition Situation.

manifested in the reported postpone
ment of the Southern States expo
sition of Chicago and in respnse 10
numerous telegraphlc Inquiries, |
make the following statement
The announcement ofthe postpone
meat of the Southern States exposi-
ton at Chicago on account OF the
Tennessee Centennial was totally
unauthorized by the advisory board.
Neither the chairman nor the Sec
retary of the board authorized any
such statement. The dispatch sent
out from Chicago last night By the
Associated Press that the secretary of
the board at Augusta made such pro-
position in the interest of the Ten
nessee Centennial is wholly unfound-
ed. Before my departure for
Washington last week in the interest
of the exposition, | wrote letter to
Major j. W. Thomas, president of
the Tennessee Centenial. who was
until recently the Tennessee member
of the advisory board, deprecatipg
the inaction of Tennessee. In this
letter, informed Major Thomas that
if Tennessee was hostile or ihd;fer-
ent to the Southern States exposition,
| would resign my position as chair.
man forthwith The answer to this
letter confirmed me in the belief that
nothing had been done in Tennessee,
and Major Thomas informed me that
it would be impossible tc prepare
Tennessee's exhibit in three months
l was in Washington when Major
Thomas reply to my letter reached
Augusta. On it's receipt, General
Manager Debarard and MIR. Thomas
K. Scott, who had taken al, active
interest in the exposition, visited
Major Thomas in Nashville The re-
suit of their visit is briefly summed
up in the statement that Major
Thomas went with the Augusta dele
CATION before the Tennessee commits
sioners, advocated the Southern ex-
position, and agreed to subscribe ST.
900 to the fund
"Mr. Debarard came on to Wash
ington and explained the situation in
Tennessee.
81 returned to Augusta last
Wednesday to find that ii appoint.
ments had been made for me in
Georgia by President Nesbitt of the
Georgia Exposition company. | was
not satisfied with the general situa'
ton. aud my appointments were
postponed. On my return from
Washington, | found an official notice
from the chairman of the Chicago
committee that the south must have
exhibits from nine States This
was the agreement entered into at
Chicago A prominent citizen of
Chicago wrote me con6dentially that
he thought the Chicago management
would be satisfied with exhibits from
seven State | could only see in
sight exhibits from four States. sup.
plemented by exhibits from the
Southern railway, the Mobile and
Ohio and the Georgia railway.
Under these circumstances, with a
notification from Chicago that the
management there would have to be
definitely informed Of the south's
action by the 25tn, | issued call for a
Meeting of the southern advisory
committee to be held in Augusta on
Thursday next. I wired the Chicago
management of the Augusta meeting
and invited Chairman Lawrence to
be present, or to send delegation,
as the meeting was important In
response to this, Chairman Lawrence
wires to day: The committee
deem it unnecessary to be represent
ed on Thursday. Have written -
I have not been officially. notified
of the postponement of the exposi-
tion by the Chicago exposition COM
pany. If the Southern Exposition
is failure, it would be perversion
Of the truth to place the blame on
the merchants Of Chicago, who have
made the most public spirited and
most liberal offer ever made 10 ad-
vertise the products and resources of
the south. If the proposed south
ern exposition fails, let Us place the
responsibility where it belongs, on
the citizens of the States who have
failed to avail! themselves of Chicago 8
unexampled opportunity to advertise
the varied products and unrivalled
natural bounties of the Southern
States.
have given three months time to
the Southern States exposition of
Chicago, and I feel that the work has
not been in vain.
Patrick Walsh,
Chairman.