Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-20
A O IN PHILA-
DELPHTA

III I'll OF bfOtheIly Love is
agitated and it's harmony dis
turbed because the citizens are
not of n mind over the PROPOSE
ton to put W. a "seni-centenn1al'
exposition to celebate the one hum
bred and fiftieth anniversary of
the signing of the declaration of
independence. Nearly fifty years
ago they celebrated the centennial
anniversary with a great interna-
tional exhibition. It was n of
the first Of such affairs in this
country and it went over big. We
do not remember how the financial
end of it came out, but it cost the
treasury of the state a consider
able sum and also got some assist
ance from the United States, we
believe. The one they are plan
ming for no? is to surpass any an
niversary celebration in this coun-
try in the past and will cost a big
wad Of money no doubt. Congress
is pretty sure to be asked for an
appropriation, and the citizens OF
the state and city will be Emporium
ed for financial aid if past exper-
fence of these big exhibits is any
thing to go boy. Now some Of the
staid old residents of the Quaker
City are not as enthusiastic as
they might be about the coming
celebration and are suggesting that
times are hard and the taxpayers
weary, and the exposition in 1926
might we'll be passed by. That SEN
timent meets furious resentment
from the boosters of the big tair,
and they are calling to DIRECTORS
1.-The town pump party" and show
cring them with sarcastic jibes
about their lack of patriotism and
mossback principles. The Spring
field Republican tells US that the
town pump party" in Philadelphia
is opposed to a sesquieenternlal
celebration of the signing Of the
Declaration of independence in
the form of a worlds fair. James
M. Beck, solicitor-general of the
United States, formerly of Phila-
delphia, applied that whitening
phrase to the obstructionists III a
recent speech before a a meet
ing Of sesquicentennialers of the
worlds fair variety. The issue
has become a very live n in Phil
adelphia and MI. Beck had to go
to the limit in his ridicule of the
opposition in order to whip up a
sentiment for an international ex-
position that would far surpass the
famous one of 1876. According to
the Public Ledger:
He took as his text the eff
forts of Latrobe, the engineer,
to convince the good people of
early Philadelphia that he
could pump water TO them by
engine power, thus dispensing
with the town pump.
"But they would not have
1t So" he cried. Nov today
there are two classes of objec-
tors to great movements tor
Philadelphia. One I will call
the town pump party This
party is reminiscent of the OBJ
jectors to the steam pump.
"Since the beginning of the
city the town pump party has
consistently retarded t h e
growth of the municipality.
Franklin earned the enmity of
the town pump party, yet no
city ever held a more useful
citizen.
II saypto you Philadelphians
that were it not for the town
pump party this city would be
the London of the western
hemisphere, with New York
its Liverpool.
"The town pump party ele-
ment, including some influent-
ial bankers, did not want the
capital here, and the Pennsyl-
vania delegation permitted
Thomas Jefferson and. Alex
der Hamilton to locate it on
a swamp near the Potomac,
and the capital of Pennsylvania
was permitted to be removed
from Philadelphia.
IN other words, all that was
wanted then, as the town pump
party says today, was a home
week in Philadelphia. Now
Philadelphia has come to the
parting of the ways. 1t is eth
cr going to take a great step