The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-28
TROUBLE BREWING OVER TIE
emRs B. JACKSON oNE-MAN
EXPOSITION RECENTLY HELD
AT RICHMOND, VA.
rhs Affair to be Investigated by Con
gres.

signs fail, there is going to be trouble
over the alleged exposition" fostered
bv Col. Giles B. jackson. The race at
large feels that it is not in any way
responsible for the faseo, since Jack
SON "vest-poeketed" the enterprise
and made it q "one-man affair."" and
there is a general disposition to side
step the concern and leave jackson to
sstread the wine-press alone" Al
though there is now q cloud in the sky
scarcely larger than a mans hand, that
dark spot is nothing to what viii be
athwart the horizon when the official
reports are asked for by Congress.
The "eloud" Just spoken Of has tax
en- the form of a complaint lodged with
the State Accountant Of Virginia by
DR.. R. E. Jones and William Miller,
two of the officers Of the "Negro His
torieal and Industrial Exposition"
These gentlemen were supposed to be
"ofRcers" Of the corporation, but after
the money hove into sight it is said
they were completely ignored by Jack
son and knew nothing Of what was go
ing on. No meetings of the board were
called and jackson attended to every
thing in person, giving no accounting
to anyone nor taking anyone into his
confidence.
Getting wise, however, by means that
have not yet been disclosed, DR.. Jones
and Mr.. Miller sought out Governor
Stuart and laid before him charges
against Jackson, claiming that his ae-
counts were in an unsatisfactory shape
and that several large items indicated
extravaganza, if not worse. The Gov
ernor instructed them to file a written
statement Of what they had to say with
the State Accountant. They did this
and the papers are in the State ar
ehives, awaiting the return of Account
ant smyth to his Office.
The .coneessionaires, all Of whom lost
money because Of the poor attendance,
after paying big prices for privileges,
are as mad as wet hens. Exhibitors
were compelled to pay fancy prices for
space, and they are sore when they
think how little they got out of it by
showing their goods to from thirty to
fifty persons a day. New York and
New Jersey are having nothing to say,
and the report they viii make to the
folks who voted them appropriations
for exhibits viii make interesting read
ing. The big Colored papers are piling
on to Jackson on the one hand, or let
ting him severely alone on the other.
The masses Of the people prefer that
the promoter" get good roasting all
around, for they claim that If the race
assumes responsibility or apologies for
the farce, the failure win be charged
up to the race. If the press lambasts
the whole thing, the shame is fastened
on the shoulders of the one individual
who made the affair a mess. In fact,
there is a disposition in some quarters
to blame the press for its misplaced
leniency from the outset, in view Of
previous performances on the part of
the promoter.
The plot thiekens. It is stated that
the facts concerning the Exposition I"
are to be laid before President Wilson,
for his information, and similar state
ment is to be placed in the hands of
the ehairmen Of the committees on in
dustTial arts and expositions Of the
two Houses of Congress. The report
Jackson is to make to Congress win be
rigidly serutinized, and the movement
inaugurated at Richmond by DR.. Jones
and Mr.. Miller viii be watched with
interest. From such signs as these,
there is reason to believe that the big.
gest part Of the Jackson exposition
win be its aftermath.
The life of an exposition manager il
not "one grand sweet song.-Riehard
W. Thompson, in the Freeman, Indian
apolis, Ind, August q, 1915.