The evening times., 1899-06-21
CENTENNIAL SCHEME
NG? !iIg MaTiiHNh MM1a}TgiNh FjIRWhRD
Comment on the Special Com.
mittee's Lethargy.
Preliminary Plans Should Now Be
Perfected.
w. s. Mexican Makes Suggestions
Concerning the Proposed Affair.
Historical Societies. Meeting.

The committee of nine citizens of the
District of Columbia delegated October "a
last, at a public meeting of prominent
Washingtonians TO take charge of arrange
ments for the proposed centennial celebra-
| tion of the establishment of the seat Of
government at Washington. has not been
| heard from for several months.
Whether the committee is actively at
work perfecting the plans for the coming
centennial and is keeping its proceedings
| from the public or whether it has done
none of the work for which it was appoint
ed is matter of some little conjecture
on the part of citizens who are interested
in the celebration. The committee of nine,
consisting of Jsmes G. Berret. Charles J.
! Bell. John Joy Edison. NJ. NJ. Parker. A.
T. Britton John ". Thompson. Lawrence
Gardner. Theodore ". Noyes. and R. Ross
Perry. together with Commissioner John
B. Wight, who has assumed the chairman
ship, has called no public meeting since be-
fore the Peace Jubilee. No one seems to
know what is being done toward arranging
the details OF the celebration and within
the past few weeks. since the Peace Jubi-
lee has been disposed OF. there has been
much conjecture as to why the committee
should allow valuable time to slip away.
W. $. Mexican. who served as secretary
at the two citizens meetings held for the
purpose of organizing, Uniformed a Times
reporter that he was not cogniZant Of what
the committee was doing. He however,
thought that no committee meeting had
been held as he had been watching devel-
opments very closely and be had heard of
10 meeting or action on the part of the
committee. In discussing the matter fur
ther. Mr. Mexican said: Much valuable
time is being lost. To carry out the cele-
brations proposed for the centennial year
on the grand lines suggested at the two
citizens meetings, the work should have
been started long ago. When | first con-
ceivc1 the project last october and was
presenting it TO the prominent business
men of the town in the endeayor TO get
them to sign a call for a meeting, nearly
every man endorsed il heartily and eX-
pressed the belief that the movement
should have been started as far back as
two years ago. They agreed 10 a man al
most that there was no time 10 be lost and
that it should be taken up at once and
plans formulated as rapidly as possible.
THE matter was taken up with great
enthusiasm, and for time il seemed as If
there would be no delay in completing the
necessary preliminary arrangements. but
the developments of the past few months
have demonstrated that the organizatio-I is
not nearly as complete as it should be at
this late date. 1t seems to me that the
President. when he endorsed the project
and called the attention of Congress to
the desirabiity of holding the celebration,
fully expected the citizens at whose soiici-
tation he substantially recognized the ce!e
bTation in a message to Congress, to take
appropriate and timely a-ticn. II is by no
means too late to successfully carry out
celebration which would do credit to Wash
ington, but the active work must be COM
menced al once. have had experience in
conducting such celebrations. and know
that it will take time 10 prepare for IN OBJ
servance OF national character such as
the centennial promises to be. Ii will
now be impossible TO erect the proposed
hall of history in due season for the Cele-
brton. There is, however, sufficient time
to start the movement and get under way
so that the cornerstone can be laid some
time during the year. Active operations
ought to be started at once.
Mr. Mexican expressed the belief that
June Is. 1900. instead of November Il. the
date now contemplated. should be observ-
cd as the anniversary day of the estah-
lishment of the Government at Washing
ton. TIE Offices OF the various depart
ments were formally opened for the trans
action of business on June 10. 1900, and
Mr.. Mexican believes that from that lime
dates the actual establishment o the Gov
ernment here. Congress met here tor the
first time OF. November l.. 1890. AID the
corresponding date of 1900 has been Sc
lected by the committee for celebrating |
the establishment of the Government here. |
Mr. Mexican also suggested that the OBJ |
servance be not confined TO one on or |
time. but that it extend through the entire |
year. beginning with the first national
holiday and including all the others. MIR. !
McKean's suggestion for the first event of |
the year was the holding OF grand na- |
tional meeting of the members OF ali the |
Revolutionary societies and organizations |
in the country about February q. On the |
ODD the assembled delegates could make a |
pilgrimage to Mount Vernon and there |
unveil a tablet bearing an appropriate il |
scription expressing the sentiment CT The !
occasion.
Such an observation would not only be |
highly appropriate but would present |
means whereby national organization |
composed of all the Revolutionary societies |
could be formed. Such an anlalgamation
has been sought for several years past, but |
up to the present it has not been accom-
plished. The class of people that woLll
come to the city as representatives Of the i
several societies is most desirable and the
cost of their entertainment would not be |
very great. Probably the only expense
which the city would have to pay wouli b,
the rental of hall in which programme /
could be rendered Mir. Mexican thought !
that fully 100000 people would come TO
should such meeting be held.
He has talked with number of prominent
local members of the Sons of the Revolu-
tion and in every instance they have ex-
pressed their warmcst sympathy with the
project. These projects said Mr.. Nc
Kean, cannot be carried out unless some
immediate action is taken"