The Greater Republic Part 61

The Sioux, however, kept their pledge, and, on the 15th of January, 1891, the immense cavalcade entered the agency. Everyone was amazed at the strength displayed by the Indians, which was far greater than supposed. In the procession were 732 lodges, and careful estimates made the whole number 11,000, of whom 3,000 were warriors. Had these red men broken loose and started upon the war trail, the consequences would have been frightful.

While the weapons turned in by the Indians were only a few in number and of poor quality, General Miles was satisfied the trouble was over and issued a congratulatory address to those under his command. His opinion of the situation proved correct, and the alarming war cloud that had hung over the Northwest melted and dissolved. While there have been slight troubles in different parts of the country since, none a.s.sumed a serious character, and it is believed impossible that ever again the peril of 1890-91 can threaten the country.

ADMISSION OF NEW STATES.

Several States were admitted to the Union during Harrison's administration. The first were North and South Dakota, which became States in November, 1889. The Dakotas originally formed part of the Louisiana purchase. The capital was first established at Yankton in March, 1862, but was removed to Bismarck in 1883. The two States separated in 1889.

In November of the latter year Montana was admitted, and in July following Idaho and Wyoming. Montana was a part of Idaho Territory until May, 1864, when it was organized as a separate Territory. Idaho itself was a part Of Oregon Territory until 1863, and, when first formed, was made up of portions of Oregon, Was.h.i.+ngton, Utah, and Nebraska. The boundaries were changed in 1864 and a part added to Montana. Wyoming gained its name from the settlers who went thither from Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania. It first became a Territory in 1863.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1892.

The Republicans renominated President Harrison in 1892, with Whitelaw Reid the candidate for Vice-President, while the Democrats put forward ex-President Cleveland and Adlai E. Stevenson. The result of the election was as follows:

Grover Cleveland and Adlai E. Stevenson, Democrats, 277 electoral votes; Benjamin Harrison and Whitelaw Reid, Republicans, 144. Of the popular vote, James B. Weaver and James G. Field, People's Party, received 1,041,028 votes; John Bidwell and James B. Cranfil, Prohibition, 264,133; and Simon Wing and Charles M. Matchett, Social Labor, 21,164 votes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE HERO OF THE STRIKE, COAL CREEK, TENN. In 1892 a period of great labor agitation began, lasting for several years. One of the most heroic figures of those troublous times is Colonel Anderson, under a flag of truce, meeting the infuriated miners at Coal Creek.]

CHAPTER XXII.

ADMINISTRATION OF CLEVELAND (SECOND), 1893-1897.

Repeal of the Purchase Clause of the Sherman Bill--The World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago--The Hawaiian Imbroglio--The Great Railroad Strike of 1894--c.o.xey's Commonweal Army--Admission of Utah--Harnessing of Niagara--Dispute with England Over Venezuela's Boundary--Presidential Election of 1896.

REPEAL OF THE PURCHASE CLAUSE OF THE SHERMAN BILL.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HENRY MOORE TELLER. Senator from Colorado. The most prominent among the "Silver Senators."]

Grover Cleveland was the first President of the United States who had an interval between his two terms. His inauguration was succeeded by a financial stringency, which appeared in the summer and autumn of 1893.

There seemed to be a weakening of general confidence in all parts of the country, and much suffering followed, especially in the large cities, greatly relieved, however, by the well-ordered system of charity. Many people thought that one cause of the trouble was the Sherman Bill, which provided for a large monthly coinage of silver. Congress was convened in extraordinary session August 7th by the President, who recommended that body to repeal the purchase clause of the Sherman act. Such a repeal was promptly pa.s.sed by the House, but met with strong opposition in the Senate. There is less curb to debate in that branch of Congress, and the senators from the silver States, like Colorado, Idaho and Nevada, where the mining of silver is one of the most important industries, did what they could to delay legislation. Some of the speeches were spun out for days, with no other purpose than to discourage the friends of the measure by delaying legislation. Finally, however, a vote was reached October 30th, when the bill pa.s.sed and was immediately signed by the President.

THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.

The most notable event of Cleveland's second administration was the World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago. Properly the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America should have taken place in 1892, but the preparations were on so grand a scale that they could not be completed in time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Model of U.S. Man of War Built for exhibit at Worlds Fair.]

The part of the government in this memorable celebration was opened by a striking naval parade or review of the leading war-s.h.i.+ps of the world.

They a.s.sembled at Hampton Roads, Virginia, coming from points of the globe thousands of miles apart. Steaming northward to New York, the review took place April 27, 1893. In addition to the thirty-five war-s.h.i.+ps, there were the three Columbian caravels sent by Spain and presented to the United States. When ranged in two lines on the Hudson, these s.h.i.+ps extended for three miles, and represented, besides our own country, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Holland, and Argentina. The steel-clad yacht _Dolphin_ steamed between these two lines, bearing President Cleveland and his cabinet, while each s.h.i.+p as she came opposite thundered her salute. No conqueror of ancient or modern times ever received so magnificent a tribute.

Chicago, having won the prize of the location of the World's Fair, selected the site on the 2d of July, 1890. This covered nearly 700 acres of beautiful laid-out grounds and parks, extending from the point nearest the city, two and a half miles, to the southern extremity of Jackson Park. The site selected by the directors was the section known as Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance. The park has a frontage of one and a half miles on Lake Michigan and contains 600 acres, while the Midway Plaisance, connecting Jackson and Was.h.i.+ngton Parks, afforded eighty-five acres more. It is 600 feet wide and a mile in length. Since world's fairs have become a favorite among nations, the following statistics will give a correct idea of the vastness of the one held in Chicago, from May 1 to November 1, 1893:

London, 1857, 21-1/2 acres occupied; 17,000 exhibitors; total receipts, $1,780,000

Paris, 1855, 24-1/2 " " 22,000 exhibitors; total receipts, 6,441,200

London, 1862, 23-1/2 " " 28,633 exhibitors; total receipts, 1,644,260

Paris, 1867, 37 " " 52,000 exhibitors; total receipts, 2,103,675

Vienna, 1873, 280 " " 142,000 exhibitors; total receipts, 6,971,832

Philadelphia, 1876, 236 " " 30,864 exhibitors; total receipts, 3,813,724

Paris, 1878, 100 " " 40,366 exhibitors; total receipts, 2,531,650

Paris, 1889, 173 " " 55,000 exhibitors; total receipts, 8,300,000

Chicago, 1893, 645 " " 65,422 exhibitors; total receipts, 33,290,065

The countries which made generous appropriations for exhibits were: Argentine Republic, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Danish West Indies, Ecuador, France, Germany, Great Britain, Barbadoes, British Guiana, British Honduras, Canada, Cape Colony, Ceylon, India, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, New South Wales, New Zealand, Trinidad, Greece, Guatemala, Hawaii, Honduras, Haiti, j.a.pan, Liberia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Dutch Guiana, Dutch West Indies, Nicaragua, Norway, Orange Free State, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, Salvador, San Domingo, Spain, Cuba, Sweden, Uruguay.

All the States in the Union entered heartily into the scheme, their total appropriations amounting to $6,000,000. The original plan called for ten main buildings: Manufactures, Administration, Machinery, Agriculture, Electricity, Mines, Transportation, Horticulture, Fisheries, and the Venetian Village; but there were added: the Art Galleries, the Woman's Building, the Forestry, Dairy, Stock, Pavilion, Terminal Station, Music Hall, Peristyle, Casino, Choral, Anthropological, and many others.

OPENING OF THE GROUNDS AND BUILDINGS.

The grounds and buildings were opened October 21, 1892, with appropriate ceremonies by Vice-President Morton and other distinguished citizens.

The most important exhibits were as follows:

The Transportation Building displayed about everything that could be possibly used in transportation, from the little baby-carriage to the ponderous locomotive. The progress of s.h.i.+p-building from its infancy to the present was shown, among the exhibits being an accurate model of the _Santa Maria_, the princ.i.p.al s.h.i.+p of Columbus, which was wrecked in the West Indies, on his first voyage. The Bethlehem steam hammer, the largest in the world, was ninety-one feet high and weighed 125 tons.

Among the locomotives were the "Mississippi," built in England in 1834; a model of Stephenson's "Rocket;" a steam carriage, used in France in 1759; and a model of Trevithick's locomotive of 1803. There were also the first cable car built, the boat and steam fixtures made and navigated by Captain John Stevens in 1804, and the "John Bull," used on the Camden and Amboy Railroad, and which, it is claimed, is the oldest locomotive in America.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MACHINERY HALL.]

The exhibit in the Mines and Mining Building were divided into 123 cla.s.ses, including cement from Heidelberg, mosaics in Carlsbad stone, French asphalt specimens, French work in gold, platinum, and aluminum, silver and ores from nearly every part of the world, and ores from different sections of our own country.

The Government Building was specially attractive, with its exhibits of the several departments of the United States government. A case of humming birds contained 133 varieties, and in another case were represented 106 families of American birds. There were stuffed fowls, flamingoes, nests, Rocky Mountain goats and sheep, armadilloes from Texas, sea otters, American bisons, a Pacific walrus, 300 crocodiles of the Nile, crocodile birds, fishes and reptiles, and an almost endless display of coins and metals.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The Department of Ethnology contained figures of Eskemos and specimens of their industry, Canadian Indians, Indian wigwam, ancient pottery, models of ruins found in Arizona, a bra.s.s lamp used at a feast 169 years before Christ; scrolls of the law of Tarah, made in the tenth century in Asia; silver spice-box of the time of Christ; phylacteries, used by the Jews at morning prayers, except on Sat.u.r.day; knife used by priests in slaying animals for sacrifice.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

In the State Department thousands of people gazed with awe upon what was believed to be the original Declaration of Independence as it came from the hand of Thomas Jefferson. It was, however, only a close copy, since the government under no circ.u.mstances will permit the original to leave the archives at Was.h.i.+ngton. But among the original papers were the pet.i.tion of the United Colonies to George III., presented by Benjamin Franklin in 1774; the original journal of the Continental Congress; Lincoln's Emanc.i.p.ation Proclamation; an autograph letter of George III.; and various proclamations issued by Presidents, with their autographs and letters, by Was.h.i.+ngton, Franklin, the Adamses, Jefferson, Madison, Polk, Van Buren, Monroe, Lincoln, Grant, Arthur, and Hayes.

WONDERFUL HISTORIC RELICS.

[Ill.u.s.tration]