The Exposition and the Assassination

     A portion of President Roosevelt’s message was devoted to the three great expositions, the Pan-American, the Charleston and the prospective commemorative one at St. Louis.
     The following is what the president said about the late exposition at Buffalo:

     The Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo has just closed. Both from the industrial and the artistic standpoint this exposition has been in a high degree creditable and useful, not merely to Buffalo but to the United States. The terrible tragedy of the president’s assassination interfered materially with its being a financial success. The exposition was peculiarly in harmony with the trend of our public policy, because it represented an effort to bring into closer touch all the peoples of the Western Hemisphere, and give them an increasing sense of unity. Such an effort was a genuine service to the entire American public.

     The presence of President McKinley at the exposition drew many thousands of persons there on the two days of his attendance; but the tragedy which occurred on the second day practically wrecked the enterprise financially. There were some big days later, but the exposition was closed for several days on account of the assassination, and the public mind throughout the country was so excited and diverted for two or three weeks that the exposition lost its grip on the interest of the people.
     Had the president not gone to Buffalo he would not have been shot—at least, not then, and probably not at all. But Buffalo gave him a splendid welcome and during those sad days after the shooting the bearing, labors and sacrifices of her leading men and citizens generally were in the highest degree unselfish and noble.
     It is undoubtedly true, as President Roosevelt says, that the assassination interfered materially with the financial success of the exposition. The subscribers to the stock never will receive a dollar of their money back. But that is not all. There will be heavy default in paying the contractors and the bondholders unless some way shall be found to increase the funds at present in [sight?]. It is understood that a bill will be introduced in congress appropriating $1,000,000 to help pay the claims against the company which represent, over and above the stock, actual expenditures for which at present there is no available money. Senators Platt and Depew have given assurances that they will support this measure.
     As Buffalo received no aid from the general government for its exposition it would seem that the country might well agree to contribute the amount named in behalf of so worthy an enterprise so disastrously affected by the event which plunged the nation into mourning.