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Show ILLINOIS t.VI) Tifl I AIR. The Illinois legislature has passed a bill appropriating $r5(),0U0 for tho world's fair. It was expected that the state would give a million toward the great exposition, but a penurious humor overcame some of the members of the assembly and they inaugurated a movement to reduce the amount. The that amendment was to cut the sum down to $.j0O,(JO0. This was beaten and the question recurred on the amendment amend-ment fixing tho appropriation at $700,-000. $700,-000. The vote on this was a tie aud the speaker cast his vote for it, refusing to recognize a member who desired to change his vote, aud hurriedly put through a motion to adjourn. It was natural that the members who favored a liberal appropriation should violently protect against such proceedings, proceed-ings, as tho state was thereby put in a position that is not at all creditable to it. The exposition will be worth many millions of dollars to Illinois, and the state could well afford to give one million mil-lion to the entertirise. The iucreasR nf assessed valuation in Chicago resulting directly from the fair will bring the state a million dollars in revenue in a very few years, while the increased advantages ad-vantages that will be secured for its mercantile interests will indirectly add still further to the resources of tho commonwealth. The exposition may result in ranking Chicago tho financial center of the country. There have been many indications indi-cations during the past few years that the inland metropolis is dividing financial finan-cial supremacy with New York. The latter has been the only city known to a large class of foreigners and has been able to hold business that would go to Chicago if the latter's position po-sition were understood. The great exhibition, ex-hibition, drawing people from all parts of tho world to tho city by the lake, will open the eyes of foreigners to its commercial advantages and the effect cannot fail to bo most pronounced. In yiew of these conditions tho defeat of the million dollar appropriation by tho means resorted to was a disgrace to the state. While Chicago is straining every nerve to raiso an immeuso fund that shall make the exposition the grandest that the world has ever known, the stale could well afford to give the proposed sum without a protest pro-test from any quarter; and if we are not mistaken in the character of the Illinois Il-linois people, the foolish politicians who made this exhibition of cheap economy will be severely rebuked when a proper opportunity shall be presented. |