Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-02

Washington finds its reward Tor peace
jubilee exertiOns and OUTLAWS IN the con-
sciousncss Of a task creditably performed.
Local pride and the public spirit of citizens
have been demonstrated by labors in pehaIt
of a project which very many thought TO
be ill-advised. but which. once fairly under
way. must he carried through (as all con-
ceded) 10 fun success for the credit of the
city. The same unselffsh spirit found evil
dence in notable local expenditures OF
money and time for which little or no sub
stantiaI compensation, direct or Indirect
has byen enjoyed either by the community
OF the individual contributor.
The jubilees unquestionable success-de-
rived from the expenditure of at least
10000 by committees. individuals and the
government. and from the outlay Of un-
measured time and energy. and involving
weeks paralysis of most lines of local
buSiness-lay in the fact that it furnished
entertainment to many thousands of peo-
pie, nearly all. however. from the District
and its suburban tributaries in Maryland
and Virginia. and that it was as series
Of spectaCles in the main creditable to the
city. The customary crowds of visitors
from the republic in general were con-
sp!cUous by their absence.
our jubilee experience teaches that if
celebrations OF this sort are to be success
ful business ventures, promoting material
local interests. and not merely pleasing for
a few hours the spectacle-loving population
of the city at the expense and to the injury
Of its merchants. they must possess some
feature which will attract to the capital a
vast multitude of visitors from all parts of
the country who will give local circulation
to hundreds Of thousands of dollars. An
IL auEuration for obvious reasons assures
the desired crowds of visitors and the re-
suiting circulation Of money. So does a
Grand Army ercampment, a knights Tenn
plar couclave or any great convention APP
peaiiug 10 widespread and numerous or
gauizatiens aud classes of citizens. So will
the celebration here in 1900 of the centen-
NAL of the national capital. and of the
nation as represented by its capital The
historic and national significance and i'm
portaTce Of this event have been recog-
Hized and dwelt upon by the President of
the United States in his annual message
to Congress. In accordance with his
recomm- udatinH Congress has authorized
the appointment of committees represent
ing ali the states thu Senate. the House
and the local community to carry this
project to a successful issue. There are
FACTORS III SuCN q Ct!tDTdtlOn winch II
judicioUsly developed will result in wide
spread national interest and participation
and in the presence here of vast crowds of
visitors.
our experience suggests that to be ma
tJnally attractive our jubilee was too late
a jubilation over the victories won
against Spain and too early as celebra-
Jiun OF actual peace. 1t teaches that IN
this latitude spring flowers are too scanty
and too expensive to permit us to rival the
Los Angeles flower festival and that the
local carnival Mardi-Ciras spirit has yet to
he educated to the point of spontaneous
and general enthusiasm over such reyeI-
r1es
The success Of the jubilee was not of the
kind which causes the local business men
to rush enthusiastically and without due
deIiberItion into the project Of annual May
carniva!s on purely local basis at the
capital
ON the other hand. there is nothing IN
our experience To discourage the expen-
diture-ou coId-blooded and mercenary as
Well as on patriotic and pu5ic-spirited
grOundS-Of money, brains and energy With
out stint upon the centennial project, which
il judiciously and promptly planned, Yigor-
ousIy pushed and widely and wisely adver-
tised should make the nations city in 1900
the meeting place of good Americans from
every state of the Union.