Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-12-12
STUCK THE WRONG CHAP.
The woodburn Independent Man
Striving to Create a Sensation
On Poor Grounds.

sert the letter in the JOURNAL, with
my answer:
w. II. RlGDoN, Salem, Dear Sir
The county court has decided to
build an armory in Salem probable
cost 5000.
The Salem Board of Trade asks
for $1,000 to assist in advertising Sa-
lem and county, and for not less
than $4,000 a year to macadamize
roads leading into Salem. The
Independent claims all such appro-
priatIons to be unjust and but
legalized robbery of over-taxed tax
payers for the aggrandizement of
Salem. Your opinion is respectfully
requested. - Wooodburn Independ-
ent.
ANSWER.
Salem is the seat of Marion county
and the capitol of the state of Ore
gon, and, while I do not favor, and
could not for a IN Oment consider Il
proposition to levy special tax Oh
Marion county for the improvement
of state property, or the construction
of buildings to be owned and man
aged by the state, still as a citizen
of Marion county l look with pride
upon our public state buildings and
appreciate the advantages Marion
county derives from the location of
state institutions In our county, and
let me in ali candor sly that / do
not believe dozen citizens can be
found in Marion county who would
be willing that the state cap
itOl should be removed from the
county. 1t is within the memory
OF the writer when q clamor went
up from this county for the re-
moval of the penltentiary from Port
land to Salem and also later when
the removal of the insane asylum
from East Portland to Salem was
made prominent feature in several
political campaigns in the county
and every candidate for the legisla-
lure irrespective of party in
those campaigns, will remember
that he found that in order
TO get the votes even in the rural
districts it became necessary to
pledge himself to vote for the loca-
ton of the asylum at Salem, in
Marion county. The people of
Multnomah county would have
been willing to have built the pub
lie buildings and presented them to
the state free Of charge for the ad-
vantages they would have derived
from their presence. But no, the
people of Marion county preferred to
tax themselves that the state in
stitutions might be located within
her borders. And now that we
have the public institutions shall we
be satistled-shall we lie down and
stop till the grass grows in our
streets and our county roads become
but by ways and COW paths' Pos
sibly few people have come to
Marion county for gold alone but
not so with the vast majority. They
come to make this land bud and
"blossom as the rose," to build
beautiful and pleasant homes, where
the burdens of life may be made
easy, where JOY and happiness may
ha nnntinnaI an,ntiona ln tha human N
heart, and where else upon the face
Of the globe can such desire be nc
complished In greater degree than
In the Willamette valley. aud es-
peclally In the county Of Marion?
Now the question presents itself In
this manner. There IL u sudden
awaking NIL over the northwest,
every city, village and hamlet IL
taking on new activity. and shall
Salem be left behind? Shall Marion
county bo satisfied with her present
county scat beoause II " lhe eapli al?
shall she be content IA have her
towns isolated from the county
10y inpassable reads fr three or
more months during the year.
one nnd all ~ these questions must
be answered In the negative, Mar
ion county must he improved IN
many ways We must have heiier
facilities Dr getting Ia ihe county
seat We must HAYS ~ better eouD'
~ scat, Snlen or Marion county
neither, have to-day public build
Ing with q hall sufficient a. accom-
mndalp a public meeting ~ hardly
ANY mature, We want slala build
lnRs N olies viii build them Gr
us, aud, yrs, ge sani oounly build
lngp, aDd arc willing "a laa our
selves a. bnili them, and gapd 0nes
~ that We appreciate the state
capitol, and asa county No VIII
show our appnriallon by pui ting
up nslepiabls pubic buildlDRs, BY
paving llp slIpuls NJ ihe capital, Wy
mahlnR ouT county nads highways
~ ronlnfns and pleasant drives
ior opf inA'pal lnH plrasu's sssksls'
VIZ Viii sbDa a sllrli ~ eulrTp'lss
that Alll aiifad lhp lnlnllRfani a.