The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-28
STATE BUILDING OPEN
Gov. Warfeld Dedicates the
Maryland Exhibit.
GALA DAY AT THE EXPOSITION
Chief Executive Declares Union with
Virginia Was Ia-eparabIe--COIOnI
Joined by Commercial Compact in
1888 stiu IA Vogue-OId Common
weaIths EIoquentIy Praised.

Special 20 The Washington Herald.
jamestown Exposition Grounds, Hamp-
ton Roads, April H.-Gov. Edwin War
field. in his address incident TO the open
ing OF the Maryland Building at the Elk
position to-day. said in part;
1t gives me pleasure, Mr.. Chairman, 20
receive from you these keys. which, in
this case. typify work well performed
and / congratulate you. ladies and gem
tlemen of the commission, upon the com
pletion OF this beautiful building in time
for the ceremonies attending the opening
OF this historic exposition You have
earned the praise. and the thanks as
well, of all Marylanders, for the intelli-
gent and splendid manner in which you
have performed this part OF the work in
trusted to YOU.
In every vital movement or emergency
in American history during the past 27S
years Maryland has been among the first
in action and always in the vanguard.
More first things, from the first steam
boat, and the first railroad and the first
telegraph, TO the first revolution in print
ing have come from Maryland than from
any other State in the Union
1T was my special privilege to be
among the very first governors In the
United States to commend this exposi-
ton 10 a legislature, and Maryland was
one Of the first States to authorize a com
mission and TO take action looking for
ward 10 the contamination which we Wit
ness here to-day.
so it is but in line with the record 10
have Maryland first in readiness to re-
cei7e the throngs which came yesterday
and which / hope viii continue 20 come
until the last day Of November.
First Governors Meet.
Tt may also interest you to know that
the first governor Of Virginia entertained
at jamestown 273 years ago the first gov
ernor of Maryland
IN 1896 John Hammond, one Of the
early ehroniclers OF Virginia and Mary
land, wrote a description Of the two col
onies. which be designated as Leah and
Rachel; or, Two Fruitful Sisters, Virginia
and Maryland
Maryland and Virginia, however. en-
tered into compact which made them,
for purposes Of trade. a single State
Before that compact no ship from the
ocean could reach port IN Maryland
without the consent of Virginia or with
out complying with the regulations which
Virginia might think III 10 establish.
mo trader from Maryland could carry
his wares to Virginia, and no trader from
Virginia could carry hts into Maryland
without paying the tariff tax which might
be imposed, respectively, By the two
States.
old Compact StiII Binding.
Upon the invitation Of George Wash
ington, commissioners met at Mount Yer
non. and there formulated the compact
OF 17S7, which is sdn binding as the high
est law upon the two States. BY that
compact Maryland acquired the free navi-
CATION OF the Chesapeake. free trade vas
established between the two States. and
Virginia acquired concurrent jurisdiction
over the Potomac, a river which belonged
exclusively to Maryland
THE discussions ana consultations
growing out Of these matters brought
about stIpendous results, for out Of them
came the first conference looking to the
establishment OF more permanent union
between the States. which was held az
Annapolis IN the old senate chamber. Of
which this room is a reproduction. This
conference inaugurated the movement
that resulted in the convention which met
in Philadelphia in 1877 and framed the
Constitution Of the United States
In shaping these events the greatest OF
Virginians, the greatest Of Americans. had
much to do. Without him The Coustitu-
ton Of the United States, as we have Il,
would not have been written, and. hav-
ing been written, without his influence
would not have been adopted
"on the soil of Maryland the GROWING
act of q great military career was en-
acted when, at Annapolis, on December
g. l7S3 in the old senate chamber, Wash
ington finally sheathed his sword and
returned 10 Congress his commission as
commander-iu-chief of the Continental
army