The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-08

Fair promoters. that the city administration
| will re placed in good hands. Will be Kept
| This evening is not to be devoted TO bust
| ness or care, for there will be plenty OF tina
| in the future. Those assembled here to
4 night wish To express their gratitude ant
| acknowledge their Indebtedness to the mer
| who have carried the legislation in regard Il
| the Worlds Fair bill to Il successful con
\ clusicn. thereby scoring great victory fol
| the city of st. Louis. We feel that the vic
| tory won by you gentlemen is our victory
! as well. and We heartily congratulate you.
| MIR. Nasel then introduced Mr.. Francis
| who was greeted with loud cheers.
BiR. FRANCIS REVIEWS
THE EERCULEAN TASK.
| Mr.. Francis said: "Mr. Chairman and
Gentlemen CT the University Club-I don [
know what / have done 10 deserve this very
enthusiastic welcome. Three years ago the
| Missouri Historical Society suggested q
| WORLDS Fair to celebrate the centennial of
| the Louisiana Purchase. The first meeting
held outside the comnittee-roonis was held
at this cluo. No one could have foreseen
the thre. years work necessary to assIre
| the success of that project, and not before
Monday morning. March !, mt 9:12 o'clock.
when President Mckinley signed the bill,
was the Worlds Fair CT 1868 an assured
! fact. The legislation in connection with the
Worlds Fair bill will some day make inter-
| esting reading, for no measure ever as
sumed SO many phases as the Worlds Fair
bill.
prominent features of the Worlds Fair
celebration were outlined by the Worlds
FAR delegation at a dinner in Washington
when the delegation first went there in the
interest of the Fair. and at that time Con-
gress was notified that no attempt would
he made to hold the Fair unless 100000
were obtained for that purpose. FIVE mil
lion dollars We're requested as a Govern
ment appropriation and Congress was as
sured that no stockhclder would receive u
dollar Until the money asked as a loan
from the Government was paid back. The
enthusiasm aroused by that dinner enabled
Buffalo to obtain an appropriation of $0j.-
co for the Pan-American Exposition, which
will be held there this summer.
When the bill was finally introduced in
Congress Il met with much opposition The
Speaker was opposed to it and so was the
chairman of the Appropriation Committee.
The Speaker for ten weeks refused all
quests TO appoint Il committee to consider
the BILL and then did so only to oblige Mr.
Cobb, who is personal friend of his He
appointed TO that committee, with the ex-
ception of Congressman JOY, men who were
Known to be opposed to granting appropria-
tioi:s for fairs. The committee framed a
bill providing for Governm :rpropria-
ton, not to exceed SjO0o,0JO, after St Louis
had raised S5Oo0,cOO by popular subscription.
The Speaker, you know, later became
the champion Of the b..l.
HOW THE BILL
WAS PASSED.
This bill was not satisfactory because
it did not provide for any specific amount
An appropriation not to exceed S5Go000O
might have resulted in u 100000 appropria-
ton. A rider was attached to the sundry
civil bill, which provided for an dpprepria-
tion of S5C0O.G00. after s10,UO.000 had been
raised by the city and State None of the
money appropriated. however, is to be
spent until the slO,C0O,GOO has been entirely
expended.
"In the summer of 190O when the street
car strike in this city caused the city TO be
disgraced in the eyes of the world we had
a hard time with the bill. Many of you do
not realize the herculean TASK of raising
S5,O0,U0o by subscription in ST Louis, and
for Il time it looked like tine none would
not be raised Ninety public spirited cit
Zens came to the rescue. however, and sub
scribed $4,000 each, thus completing the
fund
When Congress made the appropriation
conditional upon st. Louis raising S5,tt00U0,
The members never expected to hear from
the bill again. They never thought tina, the
money would be raise,:.
When your delegation returned to WASH
in2ton to demand the fuifillment of the Gov
promise 1t encountered all kinds Of
opposition from Senators who said that
they were not In favor of granting appro-
priations for fairs Mr.. Francis then eX-
planned how the bill was finally passed.
Mr.. Francis then went on to say that he |
thought it best that the Fair be closed on |
Sunday in order that the employees may |
have u day of rest. and because it is not !
likely that it will be profitable to keep the |
gates open on that day. |
"a mother reason for closing ha Iair IN |
Sunday is that due respect should be shown |
the Sunday-observing sentiment of the |
he said. "There are plenty at |
fractions in and around St. Louis to interest !
visitors providing the Fair is Kept closed !
one day"
Mr.. Francis predicted that the Fair of 1905
will be the greatest ever held and that the
attendance from foreign countries will be ,
much greater than the attendance at the
Chicago Fair.
BENEFITS IN STORE
FOR ST. LOUIS.
..The fight for the Worlds Fair bill has
lone more to advertise the city than any
thing l know Of" Mr.. Francis continued.
and the advertising it will get in the next
hree years will make it the best-known
,ity in the country next to New York. In
addition to the appropriation already made,
he Government will have to appropriate
25o. 600 for Government building, and Will
De morally bound to 6lefray the expenses Of
suitable Government exhibit.
"The President has promised to appoint
line liberal-minded men. men of national
eputatton. of high character. and who will
ise to the dignity of the occasion as men,
,ers Of the National Commission.
THE President said to when we re-
luested good appointments: You must re-
member the great responsibility resting
Ipon you. See to it that you rise to the
OCCASION and do not fail in your duty
Mr.. Francis closed his remarks by
banking the gentlemen for their reception
IF him and his colleagues. and said that
10 incentive to renewed efforts could equal
he approval of the people of st. Louis of
he work done by them.
Mr.. Spencer was then introduced He
said that the ground had been thoroughly
covered by Mr.. Francis. and that there
vas nothing left for him to say. He told
low the delegation was called sandbag-
,ers'' on the streets of Washington. and
# hearing people refer to them as that
Western bunch who came to Washington
o loot the Treasury
Mr. Cobb had bad cold and made
hort speech. He said that he was not an
,rator, but that he was worker. and
when the people of st. Louis had any
work. for him to do they should call on
lin and they would find him willing TO
10 his share.
An informal banquet was served in the
lining room. and in the course of the din
Ter speeches were made by F. w. Leh-
mann, H T. Kent, Professor NJ. S. Snow.
Walker Hill. L. D. Dozier. l. H. Lionber-
,er. ]. L. Blair. Rolla Wells, James Camp
,ell and H. s. Potter.
Y