Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-03-14
A Chapter Of HISTORY.
Representative Tawney, of Mime
sofa, Tells How the Worlds
Fair Bill Was Passed.
IT VERY NARROWLY ESCAPED DEFEAT.
Only the Indomitable Energy anu
Persistent Effort of the st. LOUIE
workers Saved 1t From Stransu-
Iation by a Heavy Load OF hho-
era,

Representative James A TaWney' Oh
Minnesota, chairman OF the mouse
committee which reported the NorIo 5
fair bill, reviewed in an interesting
way the history of this N
MANY incidents connected with It's
consideration and passage by con-
gress. Mr.. Tawney said:
II consider the passage of the Dill
authorizing an international EXPOSE
ton at ST. Louis TO commemorate tae
one hundreth anniversary of the Lou
isiana Purchase and approprlatlng
from the federal treasury S5,OOO,oUo
to aid in making the same a success,
a most emphatic Endorsement of our
present and past policy of expansion
and one of the greatest achievements
in national exposition legislation we
have ever witnessed. The amount az
propriated far surpasses all previous
appropriations for exposition pur-
poses, and the plan under this law tor
the control and supervision of the eN-
position, in my Judgment, is superior
to any heretofore provided for.
.'On account of thc Chicago Column
bian exposition the government eX-
pended S5,3S1,S 1856. OF this amount,
however, only 5 2,50O.OOO was aPPro-
priated direstly for the exposition or
to directly aid in carrying it forward
to success. The remaining $2,ss1,o35
was expended for the erection of gov
nme buildings, salaries of Worlds
Columbia commission, board OF lady
and expenses of the govern
ment board of control and other cx-
penses. The reaUer part OF the ex-
penses was incurred on ACCOUNT of the
failure of the law to throw upon the
local corporation hat derived all the
benefit from the receipts of the ex-
position the responsibility for all of
these expenditures outside of the gov
eminent building and its exhibit n
the care of the same.
St. Louis Courage and Effort Won.
ut would be impossible to say VIA
was the controlling factor in securing
this unprecedented result in the his
tory of national exposition legisla-
ton. In my Judgment nothing COIL
tributed more than the indomltable
courage and persistent and deter
mined effort On the part of the people
of ST. Louis t undertake and make
this the greatest exposition of the
world. and the comprehensive grasp
which their representatives, 10Th IN
ngr and out of congress-, includ-
ing Gov. Francis, Mr.. Spencer and eX-
Congressman Cobb, too of the situa-
ton and of the necessity of abso-
lutely complying with every condition
they proposed and fulfilling every
promise they made with respect to
the part the people of st. Louis and
the state of Misso ri would take ii
making this exposition worthy of the
great international event it is intend
ed to celebrate. It was this fact that
in the first instance inspired conf
dence in the members of the house
and senate in the success of the eN
position, and prompted them to lenC
every assistance in the power of the
government necessary to insure tina
result
The fact that the amount asked
for was double the amount ever APP
proDriated for any national or inter
national exposition at first staggered
many senators and members of the
house. With some it is believed tina
the gentlemen representing the PEG
pie of Missouri, who appeared before
the special committee of the house
would have been as much surprised
as the members of congress wOulC
have beer had they received at tina
time the full sum of $4,000, 900 nov
appropriated.
But the idea of appropriately com
memorating the Inauguration of tn
policy OF expansion, which next to GU
triumph for liberty, for independents
and the Union, is unequaled by an.
event in our history, either n~ationa
or international. commenced to grow
and when. by the amendment to tn
sundry civil bill, passed at the las
session of congress-, the faith of tn
government was pledged to aid i
making the commemoration of thi
event a grand national success, Their
was little or no doubt of the ultimat
passage of the measure.
UnfriendIy Members on Committee
Blu Notwithstanding this fact, tn
way to success was beset with man
difficulties, the chief one being a var
of opportunity under the rules {
both houses for the members {
either body, as a whole, to give e.
preston to their Judgment and the
desire in the premises in this form
legislation. The special committe
(and l am not divulging any secret
saying IT'D were with few exception
selected not because they were frien,
ly to the proposition, but the revers
However, this obstacle was readi
overcome when the st. Louis deleg
ton, headed by Gov. Francis, a
peared before the committee at til
session. with conclusive evidence tn
every condition imposed by the go
eminent and to be performed by Il
people of St. Louis had been strict
and literally complied with. L
work of perfecting the bill was tn
taken up in a spirit of friendline
and with the desire of obviati
many, if not all, of the difficulties e
perienced under the act AUTHORIZE
the Worlds Columbian exposition
Chicago"
The special committee of
house, not enjoying the privilege
corded to a few of the leading co
mittees under the rules, namely,
right to report at any time, had
opportunity of presenting the bill