Iron County register., 1900-04-26
|NDORSED WORLDS FIR.
Transmississippi Congress Adopts
Resolutions Favoring Fed
eral Assistance.
THERE WAS NOT A DISSENTING VOICE,
Ex-Goy. Francis, of Missouri DeIiv-
cred an Address Explaining the
Necessity for Prompt ana Figor-
GUS Action-A Special COMMITTEES
Authorized.

Houston, Tex, April 20.-The St.
Louis exposition of 1908, to celebrate
the centennial of the Louisiana pur-
chase, was given most hearty in
dorsement by the Transmississippi
congress. The resolutions introduced
b. Mr.. Patterson, of Colorado, were
adopted by rising vote, amid great
enthusiasm.
Ex-Gov Francis, of Missouri, was
the principal speaker. He recounted
the historic interest attaching to the
birth and close of the nineteenth CEN
tury, and dwelt at length on the in
cidents of the Louisiana purchase and
its effect on civilization. Continuing,
lie said:
''1 am not here as representative of
St Louis nor of Missouri alone, but /
appear before you as a citizen of the
transmississiIpi, as member OF TINS
congress, organized for the purpose of
suggesting ways and means for the de-
velcpment of our boundless resources
an0 the promotion and protection of our
common interestS-aS American ap-
pculing to Americans. ST. Louis is not
serYative and influential people are op-
pcsed to it; and all of us realize the mag
nitude and the labor of the undertaking.
The public-spirited, patriotic people OF
that city, however, mindful of her duty
as the largest and Weaithlest CITY ~ ,,.iae OF tne
sissippi section, are willing to assume this
stupendous task, confident that with the
cordial support they will receive from the
from all patriotic citizens, they can carry
l. to creditable and highly successfoI
conSummation.
This centennial celebration,th the plan OF
which 1 had the honor of presenting to
this body at its 1899 session. held at
Wichita in June last, was on that occa-
sion unanimously indorsed by the Trans
mississippi congress. The history OF the
movement up to that time has been given
to you. Since then bill has been intro
duced in the senate and the house of rep
ton of the exposition by the United States
government, and pledging an appropr1a-
ton of 1000, 900 in aid thereof, such an ap-
preparation to be made when st. Louis
shall have raised $40, 600 in aid OF the
exposition, but not to be available until
the So coo, 900 furnished by st. Louis snail
have been expended to the satisfaction OF
the secretary of the treasury:
Il submit to you whether St Louis is
net doing her full duty. The exposition
projected is on a scale commensurate
with the great event it is to commemo-
rate. 1t should and shall be second to
no exposition ever held in this or any
other country. In order to launch 1t upon
a befitting scale, $15,000,000 at least will
movement up to this date have deter
mined that such a sum must be secured
before contract will be let, design
adopted or single step taken
No Time to be Lost.
mo time is to be lost. In fact, it will
demand the most propitious circum-
stances TO complete preparations by 1903
if the requisite money were already Sc
cured. We must have favorable action
at this session of congress, or the project
will probably be abandoned by St. Louis.
Five of the ten million dollars to be fur
nished by that city will be provided by
an increase of it's bonded debt, which can
be done only by an amendment m to the
ted by the legislature at a regular session
and be voted on by the people at gem
era! election. The Missouri legislature, at
its last regular session, held in January,
1879, submitted such an amendment, and il
will be voted on in November next St.
Louis people own their own homes, and
are taxpayers in an unusual proportion
fer g large city, and are consequently
nicipal debt. They will most probably
refuse to do so in this instance, unless
viously pledged to aid this celebration
as none of them are willing TO have a
seccnd-class fair. The government aid il
viding $10,000,O 900, while the $1,000, 600 in
crease in debt of St. Louis is not condi-
ticned on any other aid
In my Judgment, the increase of St.
Louis municipal debt will be voted down
in November, unless satisfactory assur-
general government will aid this exposi-
tion to the extent of S., ,000. 600. And why
should the government not do so? l am
not here to preach sectionalism. On the
contrary, am disposed to make even in
ternational lines less marked. Compare,
however, the appropriations from the ted
eral treasury given the Louisiana pur-
chase states, including the Mississippi
river from its source to it's mouth-include
Texas and all the gulf ports if you will
anG compare the total with the appropria-
lions given since 1903, or during the last
twenty years or ten years, to other sec
items and then tell me whether you think
We are entitled to this s., 090, 900 out of an
annual appropriation of over $650, ,0OO, 0oo
AMI then the surplus revenue of the gov
ernment is over So, 000,0 600, according 10
the last estimate of the secretary OF the
treasury.
A just Demand.
why, 5000, 600 is paltry sum to this
rich country, and, when compared witn
the material benefits it will yield, the ed
ucstion it will furnish, the. elevating in
bestow, the glory it will bring, the
amount dwindles into insignifcance. /
point out of its membership committee
of five or ten to accompany delegation
from 81. LOUIS TO Wa.snington, and TO
ebIation committee on April q, in ad-
vocacy of an appropriation of S., 900, 600 in
"Do you ask why we should have this
appropriation? If I have not given rea-
sons sufficient let me present few more.
country? We can not estimate the
changes wrought by the last ten years.
that the growth west of the Mississippi
during that period has been greater than
II.
diet what it will be during the next ten
years? Take the census of 1890. The center
of area of this country Is in Smith coun-
ty, Kas., 200 miles west of the Missouri
river, in longitude IS degrees and so min
utes west. In 1890 the center of wheat
production was in Hancock county, ILL.,,
near Keokuk, Ia, at longitude 81 degrees
and 20 minutes west or about degrees
west of New Orleans: the center of corn
production was in Lewis county, Mo-, the
center of population in Decatur county,
Ind; the center of manufacturers near
Canton, O., at longitude 80 degrees and IS
minutes west.
when the census of 1900 is completed
these centers of production and popula-
west At your session in June last 1 at
tempted to show what proportion of our
cereals is grown in the Louisiana terri
tory. But what of the wealth of the
couutry?I have at hand some striking sta
tistics comparing the states bordering on
the east bank of the Mississippi (from
which St. Louis is more accessible than
any other large city,, and the transmits
eissippi section with the remainder of the
country. The total wealth of the United
States from 1850 to 1890 increased from
cent The increase during that period of
the six Mississippi river states and the
transmississippi section was $24, ,494 000. 0eO.
or 47019 per cent, while the increase of
New. England, New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana and all Atlantic states, was
only 222.67 per cent
ssF'ron1 1860 to 1890 the increase in the
nonuIafion of the country was 81 900 co.,
or 9o.16 per cent. OF this increase more
than half, or nearly J., ,0O0, 600, was in the
six Mississippi river states and west
was east of Illinois and Kentucky and
Tennessee and Louisiana. Our percentage
of increase was les. 20, and their only 67.2s-
that our growth has been more rapid
during the past ten years than in any