The Van Buren press., 1899-03-04
THE PROSPECTS BRIGHT
Louisiana Purchase Celebrate,
Favor at Washington.
The st. Louis CommIttees Isana,..
the Capital Was . Great Cara
and Gives Promise of sub
stantial Fruit.

Washington, Feb. 27.-The prono.
ton of the 81. Louis Worlds Fair eor
mittee will again be explained to n.
Missouri state legislature on March :,
at banquet at the Mercantile club
| St. Louis. The St. Louis delegation :.
Washington met at the Arliugta,
| Sunday, and decided upon this plaD
In addition TO inviting the entire stat.
legislature, the governor. the state ~
| feials and the justices Of the supren.
court will be asked to attend. IN
| Case. president of the Mercantile clnS
will be chairman of the dinner com
mittee on speakers.
Lsoored for Success.
The St. Louis delegation, which gan
the banquet Saturday night, spent Ii.
| day carrying on the campaign for tbs
success of the fair. Long before night
II was the unanimous opinion Of an 7
the national Legislators talked to that :
congress would make the loan Of S.
600 600 asked for, and that the fs,
certainly would be the greatest ever
held in this country. There was M /
one who did not express the greatest
surprise at the assuring enthusiasm
displayed at the Arlington banquet
Everything showed most positiyey
that the sentiment undoubtedly ex.
listed that the anniversary of Jeffer.
sons far-sighted purchase should be
commemorated on = grand scale.
Banquet the Proper Thing.
In the last year many stirring events
have occurred TO make banquets and
other means of celebration the proper
| thing, but none of them arose TO the
occasion of Saturday night That is
admitted in all quarters here. No hap.
pening was of more significance so
far as the attitude of the Influential
public leaders was concerned than the
one Saturday night, and it must not
be forgotten that it is all the more
remarkable because of the nearness OF
the closing of the session Of congress,
when every legislator IS extremely
busy. The consensus of opinion was
that the suggestion made by the Lou
isiana Purchase convention was emi.
nently proper, and not any more than
required for the proper and patriotic
recognition of the policy advocated by
jefferson which resulted in the Won
derful development of the purchase
which helped bring the country and
the nation to the state Of power and
progress enjoyed to-day.
All Seemed to be Inspired.
The came feeling that inspired the
calling of the convention in St. Louis,
the decision of the delegates to hold
Worlds fair in St. Louis and the de.
termination of that city TO raise
s5,0oo,O0O by subscription of the citi.
zens and that much more by muniel'
pal action, inspired the national legis'
lators, and there were many of them
who accepted the invitations Of the
Purchase representatives to pledge
themselves to advocate the loan ol
$1,000 900 asked for from congress to
additionally assure the success of th'
enterprise
Those whom time prevented from
making speeches TO declare their posi-
tion demonstrated by their applause
their sympathy with the undertaking
They realized, too. that not only woulC
the states and territories in the pnr
chase be benefited by the fair, but tha
| h. L. hn
What the Fair VIII Do.
Moreover, the spirit of patriotism
will be strengthened by the showini
this country will make in comparison
with the nations of the earth. Agail
will be demonstrated the superiorit
of American civilization over the an
cient systems of the Old World. all o
/ which will make more enthusiast
and progressive the citizens of thi
country. OF course, il is understoo
that the greatest benefit will be tel
in the Purchase territory. but as tina
has done so much for the nation a
large, no one will object to its rewar
/ at the centennial anniversary Of j
becoming part of the country. Agat
when one section of the republic
benefited, all other sections are CORE
spondingly helped. The Louisian
purchase is an empire in itself.
5 elects one-ffth of the senators. 1t
capable alone of feeding the worlt
and at the rate of increase of popul'
ton. it has shown that it will contai
at least 100000 of persons by tn
, time the fair is opened.
No Longer In Doubt
II is known that all this has bee
realized by influential national legisl
g tors, cabinet officers and bv the pres
S dent himself. There is no longer an
doubt that the fair will be held. an
, that it will be the greatest ever seeI
The members of the st. louis delegi
:, ton are jubilant because of the gem
Inc encouragement and assuranC
shown Saturday night and given the
since. Ex-Gov. Francis and J. C. Va
= Blarcom started for New York Ia,
e evening. The remainder of the deleg
tion departed on the midnight trail
b. accompanied by II. n. Davis, Festr
Wade, ex-Gov. Stone and others wh
joined them here.
e The Graves of Confederates.
Washington, Feb. 2s.-Col. Aims
worth Of tho -.