The Forrest City times., 1899-03-03
THE PROSPECTS BRIGHT.
louisiana Purchase Celebration IN
Favor at Washington.
The st. Louis Committees Banquet ut
the Capital Was a Great Card
aud Gives Promise of SUBJ
stantial Fruit.

Washington, Feb. 27.-The PROPOSE
ton of the st. Louis Worlds Fair COM
mittee will again be explained to the
Missouri state legislature on March II
at banquet at the Mercantile club in
st. Louis. The St. Louis delegation to
Washington met at the Arlington.
Sunday, and decided upon this plan.
In addition to inviting the entire state
Legislature, the governor, the state Of
fcials and the justices of the supreme
court will be asked to attend. j. Il.
Case, president of the Mercantile club,
will be chairman of the dinner COM
mittee on speakers.
Laoored for Success.
The st. Louis delegation. which gave
the banquet Saturday night, spent the
day carrying on the campaign for the
success of the fair. Long before night
II was the unanimous opinion of all
the national Legislators talked to that
congress would make the loan of So
100000 asked for, and that the fair
certainly would be the greatest ever
held in this country. There was no
one who did not express the greatest
surprise at the assuring enthusiasm
displayed at the Arlington banquet.
Everything showed most positively
that the sentiment undoubtedly eX-
listed that the anniversary of Jeffer-
sons far-sighted purchase should be
commemorated on a 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 emf
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 same feeling that inspired the
calling of the convention in st. Louis,
the decision of the delegates to hold a
Worlds fair in ST. Louis and the de-
termination of that city to raise
s5,000,000 by subscription of the citi-
zens and that MUCH more by munich
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 of
S5,000.000 asked for from congress to
additionally assure the success of the
enterprise
Those whom time prevented from
making speeches to declare their posi-
ton demonstrated by their applause
their sympathy with the undertaking.
They realized. too, that not only would
the states and territories in the pur-
chase be benefited by the fair, but that
the whole country would be.
What the Fair VIII Do.
Moreover, the spirit of patriotism
will be strengthened by the showing
this country will make in comparison
with the nations of the earth. Again
will be demonstrated the superiority
of American civilization over the an
Gent systems of the Old World. all of
which will make more enthusiastic
and progressive the citizens of this
country. OF course. ii is understood
that the greatest benefit will be felt
in the Purchase territory, but as that
has done so much for the nation at
large, no one will object to its reward
at the centennial anniversary of It's
becoming a part of the country. Again
when one section of the republic is
benefited, all other sections are corre-
spondingly helped. The Louisiana
purchase is an empire in itself. 1t
elects one-fifth of the senators. 1t Is
capable alone of feeding the world,
and at the rate of increase of popula-
ton, it has shown that IL will contain
at least 100000 of persons by the
time the fair is opened.
No Longer In Doubt.
1t is known that all this has been
realized by influential national legisla-
tors, cabinet officers and by the presi-
dent himself. There is no longer any
doubt that the fair will be held. and
that it will be the greatest ever seen.
The members of the ST. Louis delega-
ton are jubilant because of the genu-
inc encouragement and assurance
shown Saturday night and given them
since. EXGov. Francis and j. c. Van
Blarcom started for New York last
evening. The remainder of the delega-
ton departed on the midnight train,
accompanied by Fl. n. Davis, Festus
Wade, ex-Gov. Stone and others who
joined them here.
The Graves of Confederafes