The Cairo bulletin., 1904-10-16

Y REGULARLY CiObcu duu BiVcil ONti W III
street fair; Iawlessness rcigncd. i
In spite Oh the efforts of the police lie
partment. which, we are glad to say
+ were all that could be asked; the cit,
Z was overrun with fakirs, pickpockets
gamblers and thugs who came stink
y ing in the trail of the fair; no either
: felt secure of his life and purse OF
the streets at night; coarse men were
b given and sclzcl the opportunity Il
" insult women; and the negroes be
came so intolerant that they came
very near breaking the fair up. These
we're the chief evils. There were 9th
ers.
1t will be said that the fair brought
many strangers to the city who did
some trading Very little. They came
to see the show And where one dol
liar was spent with local merchants by
visitors, five were taken out OF their
pockets by the squandering of money
by our own population Ask the bust
mess men of Commercial avenue how
their business thriyed last week. ASK
them If they would like another car
nival next week, or next month, or In
the next ten years, and see what they
say.
! The carnival did nobody any good.
! II was a carnival of coarse fun, bum
shows. in large measure, and simply
afforded opportunity for very ugly
conduct BY d great many people who
forgot much of their breeding and for
the rougher element to disport itself
according to its inclination. IL was a
riotcus week-a week of wild orgies,
carousals and debauehery. There
we're few crimes of any note commit
ted. II is true Nobody was killed |
But there were many things that op- |
Grated TO make it week OF unrest |
and displeasure, and TO make one |
wish for a vacation. And above it all |
there was the business of the city
paralyzed, the principal streets closet
tight-street cars and vehicles stop
ned from travelling them, the public I
ineonvenienced, and money threwn
away. sysys
The modern street fair Is a mis-
homer 1t is not a street fair at ali.
The beginning OF fine street fair few
years ago was entirely different. Then
Ii was a place in the streets where
merchants erected booths and made
displays of their goods, with emo
cent amusements as a side attraction
And the fair, as II then was was of
some benefit. II was a fair OF the
people, by the people and for the PEG
ple. Citizens took their families and
enjoyed the festivities, which were
under the charge of home people and
the home merchants reaped the re
ward. Now all that has changed. All
that constitutes the modern street fair
Is an aggregation of cheap shows. run.
ming under the auspices of some local
organization where II can, and going
On its own tack when II can't-owneA
and controlled by foreigners VINO
have NO more interest In the town
where the fair" is being held than
they have in the Fiji Islands. And
for this aggregation the streets ara
closed for an entire week, without
rent of remuneration to the city in
he way of a tax-when n first-class
circus. which, after all. is an education
o a great many people. is almost pro
,ibited from exhibiting in Cairo be.
.ause the tax is so exorbitant. f
So far as The Bulletin is concerned
. has had enough of the so-cailei
street fairs" And, If we mistake not
he temper of great majority OF the
,eople. the sentiment Is general. the
street fair has become nuisance,
md in the future The Bulletin will
rown upon all efforts to pull them
If In this city. II did all it could for :
he cue just closed. 1t gave The use
If its news columns freely toward
looming u,-entirely for the reason
hat local organization was inter
,sted. But henceforth the Bulletin
viii be found lighting them No bene-
II results from them and they are de
noraiizing in hundred different
yays. They afford an opportunity for
Inbridled license and loose conduct at
he expense of society morally. at
he expense Of the city financially
n trying to control the strained stu :
zion they prcduce-and al the ex-
ense of the pocket books Of the peo
lie and the home merchants.