The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-10-17
STATE FAIR vlNDIcA1IoN.


The Pacific Christian Advocote, of
last week, had an editorial on the
management of the State Fair, based
upon rurnor, which reflected upon
the managers, and more particularly
upon the Secretary, making serious
charges.
( A committee was appointed, by
the Society, toinvestigate the charges,
and the following is their report,
which we find in the Oregosaiaaa of
the 9th inst:
We, the committee appointed to inyesti-
gate certain matters, would respectfully
submit:
WHEREAS, An article in the Pacific Chris
tian AdUocate of Sept. 25th, called "Oregon
State Fair" does great injustice to the man
ayers and particularly to the secretary of
| the society by stating, on rnnaor, that it is a
| rendezvous for gamblers, whisky sellers and
prostitutes that the Sabbath is desecrated;
that the secretary is in full accord with
| these things, and that through bribes and
sympathy with these people large sums are
forms of gambling, whisky selling and pros
titution are encouraged by this man tthe
secretary and his companions, and that ON
these accounts the fair is no longer encour-
aged by many of the best citizens of the
state, and that it will soon be given up to
the worst elements on this coast.
| And whereas, none of those grave and
highly damaging charges in said article have
a shadow of truth, therefore, we the board
| g cfofa
ment through a committee of three, appoint
ed by former and full meeting of the
board, to the patrons of the Fair, showing
the management of the same by the secre
| tary and his companions, which includes
the worthy president and the board of man.
ayers, honorable men, elected from eAery
county of the state.
We hold and emphatically assert, that
the men who have been at the head of the
affair as officers and managers, ticket ven
ders and gate keepers, superintendents,
marshals and committeeman have been Sc
lected from as honest and Honorable COM
munity as could be found in any part of the
United States, and that for business tact
they have shown fair ability, in that they
have brought up the Fair from small be-
ginning to its present magnitude, where
some tw enty thousand dollars are handled
in short time of two weeks, the expendi-
|
!; item in the annual report of the secretary,
to which we invite the editor for reference,
before launching out such slanderous state
ments upon rumor, and we invite all the
patrons of the Fair to scrutinize the table OF
receipts and expenditures.
!, Furthermore, we would state that finance
committee of three is appointed by the pres.
ident annually to investigate the secretary's
: report. The committee two years ago was
composed of I'll. Hanson of Multnomah, Af.
Luelling and DIR. Davenport ; last year, oi
Henry Miller of Portland, Seth Luelling Of
Clackamas, and A. j. Dufur of Wasco and
: would the editor say that these men are in
3 accord with the secretary in taking bribes
encouraging gambling, protecting prostltu
tion and squander large sums OF money? OF
2 to connive to desecrate the Sabbath :? Some
of these men are members in good standing
t in churches, and all are men of integrity
e and worth. These committees found the
r accounts correct.
, Furthermore, we would state that the
4 secretary was indefatigable IN accomplish
E ing the erection of our beautiful new pavil
l ion, an ornament to any Fair, coasting ovel
e S., 900. all of which was contributed by citi
zens of Salem and vicinity, mainly through
/ the exertions of our honorable secretary.
5 That some mistakes have been made
e that some ''lewd fellows of the baser sort
f carry on their nefarious occupations, We
: must with sorrow admit; but where is the
: blessed spot upon this green earth that this
e is not done ? and where is the business firm
i, that makes no mistakes in it's ventures
1 That providence did not smile upon us fo,
3 the last two years in giving us fair weather
4 is the cause of the falling off of our receipts
, Could the secretary and his associates helI
l that? If we have propitious sunshine nex1
] week, we can square accounts of floating
3 debt. The society is not bankrupt, nor viii
a men, who have in the infancy of the society
put their shoulders to the wheel by borrow
l ing money on their individual notes, or those
' who are carrying the debt now on their in
3 dividual responsibility, see the society die
: Also, instead of allowing desecratlon of the
Sabbath, the society has encouraged the Y.
NJ. G. Assertion in it's good work as far as
f asked for.
3 After these statements, can the Adoocatt
, do less than to give this paper an insertion
, in its columns so as, at least, to make
5 some amends for the injury done through
r said article to the honor and good name ol
the managers and to the finances, by it's pub
lication just before the opening of the fair
? Fair criticism upon facts we invite from
> press and patrons, but not upon rumors,
and we invite all to come and see for them
selves and we particularly invite the editor
: of the p. C. Adrocate, to come and see foI
himself, that in all Christian charity he may
; judge of these things whether they are SC
or not. HENRY MILLER,
G. w. HUNT,
r. C. GEER,
Committee.