A brief description of the manner in which the loan bill was
brought before Congress may be of interest.

There is, in every session, what is called an urgency deficiency
bill, the object of which is to take care of the different
Interests which are likely to fail through inadequate
appropriation. The opposition to including the item of the loan
for the Exposition Company was found to be so powerful that it
could not be inserted in the bill when it was sent to the House.
This urgent deficiency bill passed the House and went to the
Senate. There the loan amendment was inserted, and finally our
amendment was added also. It passed the Senate and was then
returned to the House in order that that body might pass upon
the amendments which the Senate had added. In the meetings
before the two appropriation committees, as well as in the
discussion in the two Houses, the arguments for and against were
very forcibly expressed. One reason advanced as to why the loan
should be made was because other governments had been invited to
participate, and the company should be enabled to open its gates
in a manner befitting a national host. Among the main objections
set forth at length were: First, the alleged unconstitutionality
of the whole proceeding; second, the inadequacy of the security.
All those speaking against the measure affected a total
disbelief that the receipts would be sufficient to enable the
company to return the money advanced, and, of course, a spasm of
economy nearly rent these statesmen in twain.

The exposition management was not spared. More than one speaker
waxed eloquent over what he declared was wanton waste of the
greatest amount of money ever intrusted to an exposition
management, which wanton waste had made the Exposition Company
bankrupt and again at the doors of the Treasury begging for
funds. Those working against the bill triumphantly quoted the
following clause, which is section 24 of the original bill, and
which authorized the creation of the exposition. It reads:

"That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to create any
liability of the United States, direct or indirect, for any debt
or obligation incurred, nor for any claim for aid or pecuniary
assistance from Congress or the United States in support or
liquidation of the debts or obligati