Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-30
IOWA Ar THE EXPOSITION.

IOWA AT THE ENpOklTION.
Des Moines Leader: six years ago. just
about this time. certain Iowa newspapers
were vigorously opposing any further "recog-
milton" Of tho wo'lds fair by Iowa than the
expenditure of the s. 600 preliminary APP
propraticn. We were told that this was
enough to erect a credtable "cottage;" that
Chicago had attempted more than II could
accomplish, aud that the fair was to be
gigantic hz2le; that Chicago never had done
anything for Iowa, anyway, and that there
was no reason why we should squander our
money there.
AS one reads these same Iowa newspapers
now he comes across this same rigmarole,
tho same narrow-minded set of objections,
the same petty and peevlsh arguments. The
only difference Is that the object now Ia not
the Worlds fair, but the Trausmississippl
Exposition to be held at Omaha next sum
meT. These editors, who are lavish and ex-
travagant when some ward worker Is to be
rewarded or some shin-toas,er to be made
secure in his place, become suddenly econom-
ical when legitimate subject of eXpendi-
ture is broached and throw themselves into
a conniption ut over the wrong threatening
the dear people. You all know the animal.
The fellow who yels economy against worthy
purposes In order that he may build UP
reputation that will assist him when he
seeks to get something doubtful through.
But in 1891 tho people of the state did not
much regard the peevish and narrow minded
objectors and the legislature added
to the $4,000 preliminary appropri-
alton Sl25,OOO. Did the state ever re-
gret It? Did any member of the legislature
ever lose vote on account of 1t? Rather
did not the breasts of Iowans swell with rea-
sonablo pride when they went to the fair
and saw that Iowa had taken her place In a
creditable manner in the sisterhood of states.
In the honorable emulation they felt they
mad n bp ashamed Mn t,ot
i've by bread alone, nor a state either. II
a state Is worth anything, 1t Is worth hav-
Ing pride in, 1t is worth building up pride
about, and how would 1owans feel next sum-
mer when they go to Omaha, and thousands
OF them will go, and should be there told
that the Iowa legislature had not seen fit
to make any provision for Iowa's adequate
representation! What a sneaking feeling
would come in their breasts as they looked
about and perceived what the other states
mad done, and with what q sense of mean
ness would they sponge on the front porches
OF the other buidingsl Whatever may be
true now next summer lack of representa-
ton at Omaha is not likely to be popular
l. Dubuque Telegraph: The Sioux City
Journal makes the point that without any
analysis, without allowance for the shrink,
age in state revenues under a shrinkage OF
property valuations and wholly ignoring
the extraordinary appropriation necessitated
oI the burning of the feeble-mnded asylum
at Glenwood, the fusio nparty in the late
campaign, condemned the creation or in
! crease of the state debt as utterly without
excuse. And it utilities this alleged In,
! discriminating condemnation of republican
management as the basis of protest against
a liberal appropriation for an Iowa exhibit
at the Transmississippi Exposition, to be
| held in Omaha in 1898. "The floating debt
| or the state,' it says, Ought to be de,
| creased, and as speedily as possible wiped
| out And it adds that if the debt, how,
ever worthily, should be increased, the fu,
| slonlsts would make a howl about 1t next
year" 1t was not denied by the supporters Of
| Mr.. White that the rebuilding of the asylum
| and the falling off in state receipts created
| a necessary disparity between income and
| outso. What they contended was that il
proper economy had been exercised. If the
evils revealed by the reports of the legIs,
| latlve Investigating committees had not been
| tolerated., there would be less difference be-
| tween expenditures and receipts. and the
state would have had little or no debt. That
| there was reckless, unjustiiable extravaganza
cannot be denied without obiterating the
| records of the extra legislative session. 1t
was to this that the fusoniss objected
| They found no fault with necessary ex-
penditures, only to the superauous. And
Ihey VIII enter no protest against
needful expenditures in future. In
stead of protest, a liberal appropriation
for an Iowa display at the exposition. dis
play that Will honor the state by adequately
advertising its manifold products unlimited
resources and unsurpassed advantages, will
elicit their cordial cOmmendatiOn. 1t would
be a humiliation and an outrage if this
splendid commonwealth should be denied the
vast benefits to be derived from the com
plete display which an appropriation of S4O-
| OOO or 100000 would enable it to make. The
exposure OF its extravaganza so nearly de-
feated the republican party that it Is natural
republicans should now insist upon a policy
or retrenchment But if after squandering
hundreds of thousands, less for public pur-
poses then TO reward partisan henChmen for
party service, the organization should now
falsely in the name of economy, refuse an ap-
preparation which If made would probably
prove the means of bringing population and
capital to the state and expanding its trade
to the extent of millions it would injure in
stead OF benefit itself. 1t should not wrong
Iowa now because it has wronged il in the
past To withhold needful expenditure be-
cause needless Cnes have been made would
be to heap Injury on injure. Whatever the
ehect upon the state debt Iowa ought to be
htly represented at the exposition. Nobody
who cares for public rather than for party
interests will grumble at an appropriation Of
$4,000 or 0,000. The return is morally
certain to justify the investment IL the
money oan be appropriated concurrently with
decrease OF the debt an entirely feasible
achievement, so much the better If not
the appropriation itself will not be set down
to the dtscredit of the party in power.
Waterloo Courier: Iowa will be repre-
sented at the Omaha exposition. 1t should
be represented better than any other state
in the list. The exposition company has
given tho state grounds on which to erect
Its building. Private enterprise will sec
that the products and resources of the state
are amply shown forth.
Carroll Herald: Iowa commissioners for
tho Transmississippi Exposition met in
Omaha last week and made satisfactory ar
rangements for Iowa's part of the great
show. If the commission be backed by our
people in proper manner Iowa is going TO
make creditabe showing in the exposi-
tion.