The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-11-12
THAT STATE rAIR MATTER.


The suggestion Of the DEMocRAr,
sometime since, that the place for
holding the Fair ought not to be Sc
lected pornonently at Salem, seems
to have dissatisfied every paper that
has seen fit to notice it. The sub
stance of the reply to our article is
embodied in the following, taken from
the Salem Press, where we find it with
credit to the Commercial:
WnY9--An exchange wishes to know why the
state Fair Is continued at Salem year after year,
aud strongly insists that tho institution shall
''pasNarouud.' In the first place. the grounds
have been permanently located at that place, and
great expense incurred in Improving them see
ondly they are as centrally located rs could we'll
be thirdly, it would have tendency 10 divert
the public interest from its accustomed channels
by having migratory State Fair. Tho great hue
and cry Of partially. clanishncss and fnvoritism
In the distribution of premiums, viii not bo aba-
q by having tho location Of the Fair changed
There would always be some complaint arising
from disappointed competitors.
In the first place it is by no means
certain that the Grounds hnve been lo-
Gated pe,mnena1they have only
been located for term of years. 1t
is nonsense to say that great expense
has been incurred in improving them
MS every person who attended the last
Fair must know On the contrary
everything about those grounds indi-
Gates shabbiness. The pavilion is
not rs good us the barns of many
thrifty farmers. The fences about the
track are broken and leaning, and on
~ in some places stagger into sort of
perpendicularity The Judges Stand
to say nothing about its filth, was in
such condition that it shook and tot
tered with the weight of the judges
and reporters in manner suggestive
of broken boards and broken bones.
There was not well upon the grounds
where drink of pure fresh water
could be had. There was not even II
tin cup out of which To drink the
muddy fluid that was to be pumped
from the miserable holes parodies on
wells and mockeries to thirst. If
there is county in Oregon not willing
TO furnish in single season more sub
stantial, neat and real improvements
and accommodation than these then
LET that county never ask for change.
Secondly, they are not rs centrally To-
Gated rs they could well be. The bulk
of agricultural Oregon lies south, not
north, of Marion county. The popula-
ton III this direction Is greater by one
third than in the northern direction
of course we exclude eastern counties
from the computation. The distance
from the present location to the north
ern boundary of the State IL only
about 40 miles while 10 the southern
boundary it Is three times that dis
lance. The tendency Of change 10
divert public interest from its accus-
toned channel" may or may not be m
objection. II susceptible OF any in
terpretation, ii must mean that people
having become accustomed To go to
Salem it would be ruinous to divert
them from that channel of travel.
The cry of partiality, clanishness
and favoritism in the distribution Of
premiums, viii be greatly abated by
having the Fair swing around circle
of two or three counties. It would
more widely distribute the benefits
arising from the holding of Fair, and
in this respect remove much of the
jealousy that that exclusively -for-Salem
policy creates and in this very respect
it would relieve the officers Of the So
ciety from the unjust suspicion of IA
voritisIn. In the election of these Off
GERS it is notorious that the county
where the Fair is held must inevitably
hold a controlling vote, since larger
proportion of those in attendance will
be residents of that county The small
trouble and trifing expense of trans
porting articles aud products TO the
exhibition is feature that gives the
citizen of that county large per cent.
of the exhibitors and enables them al
ways to claim the lions share Of the
premiums. And as these things must
follow the Fair, the only equalizing
process there is, is to change the loca-
ton occasionally. A more general
satisfaction with the management OF
the Society, and more generous rival
ry between the citizens of the various
counties is not likely to hurt anybody.
There is another reason for change
and, however puerile it may seem to
some, it is entitled to consideration
The State Legislature and the Supreme
Court are greatly retarded in their
business by these exhibitions. The
evils of the limited sessions of the for
mer are severely felt in the great pres
sure of business that characterizes the
closing days. of session, and always
result IN q multitude of lily considered
and imperfect enactments. No bust
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