Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-12-28
LEr SOUTU Rave EXPOSITION.

TO the securing OF the great Panama
Exposition in the greatest city Of the
South-Ncw orleans. 1t Is our priv
iicge and our duty, it seems to us. to
lend every individual and combined
effort to this end. The completion
Of the great Panama Canal will be or
such untold Importance to the whole
country that 1t will be most fitting to
celebrate the occasion with an expo
Sition worthy Of the greatest country
on the face OF the globe. This expo
Sition ought to be held in the South.
While on several occasions small
aXpOSitions have been held at differ
Hant points in the South, the really
great cXpOSitions have gone to cities
like Philadelphia, Chicago and St.
louis. When these great eXposilions
took place there was no city in the
South capable OF handling success
fully enterprises Of such magnitude;
honce no serious attempt has been
made to bring one 10 this section.
Now, however, the situation is diff
fcrcnt. The development Of New
Orleans during the past decade in all
the essentials OF Il modern nIctropo-
lis has placed the South in position
OF ability to meet such demands. and
thc opening Of the Panama Canal has
Furnished the opportunity to do it,
New Orleans having made all the
preparations necessary to enable her
TO undertake the task Of building uD
great exposition, is now applying
20 Congress Tor official authority to
organize one to celebrate the compile
ton of the Panama Canal
The country should celebrate this
great achievement in order the more
effectively to bring it to the atten-
ton Of TIC commercial world and to
emphasize the enhanced influence,
dignity atd power which the success,
ful k,letion of this enterprise has
br, ne % the United States. Con-
side h}oethcsc things, New Orleans,
p, being the nearest great seaport to
the canal and having more intimate
business and social relations with
Panama and the adjacent countries
<han any other American city, is the
place ut which the exposition should
'5c held. San Francisco is also maxi
ing a determined fight to secure Con-
.gressional recognition Yet, the
canal is so remote from San Fran
cisco, further, for instance, than New
York is from London or Paris---that
Il Panama Exposition in the Pacific
Coast city, as has been very aptly
said, would resemble very much
the play OF Hamlet with the Prince
of Denmark omitted from the pro-
gramme." The San Francisco
steamships make Panama In q days,
while from New Orleans the present
schedule is four and half days, al
though the latter city has announced
already that, with plans presently
maturing, the voyage will be reduced
to three days.
San Francisco is so remote from
the center Of population (2,500
UilcS) that comparatively few people
east Of the Rocky Mountains could
visit an exposition held there. How
many, for instance, could go from
South Carolina? New Orleans is only
500 miles from the country's center
OF population and has far better
transportation facilities by rail river
and ocean than San Francisco has.
This great exposition will be held
Caring the year 1915, and all the
NactS and figures point to New Or
Jeans as the logical point for it, A
Niagara exposition would be as in
appropriate in the remotest corner
"f Texas as the Panama Exposition
"onld be in San Francisco. Neither
section Of the country has anything
in common or in keeping with the ex-
position subject.
The matter OF selecting site for
'he Panama Exposition viii be taken
|ndcr consideration by the United
states Congress at the present scs-
sion. The government, OF course,
will be expected to contribute libc-
Aally to the SUPPORT or the great en-
Eerprise, and it is to be hoped that
ihe South's greatest city will be able
10 catch the ear OF Congress. Our
own Legislature will convene on the
10th OF the coming month, and that
body, and every other similar South
ern body. should go on record as ia
%2ring the holding OF the exposition
in the South and give evidence Of
Willingness to lend every reasonable
assistance as live. progressive States,
70 the great undertaking IL brought
within the borders Of the Great New