The record-union., 1897-02-19
THE ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE
STATE FAIR.

Cra'igie Sharpe and a small lobby are
at work upon an attempt to move the
State Board of Agriculture and the
State Fair to Oakland.
There is not now and has not been
made any expression by the people of
Oakland authorizing Craigie Sharpe to
act for them and speak in their name
in this matter. nor to come here with
an offer in the nature of bribe to
move these institutions from the capi-
tai of the State
Craigie Sharpe is acting without au-
thority. There is no movement in
Oakland in the direction indicated by
Sharpe's effort. Who is Craigie Sharpe
anyhow, and what is his relation to the
community of Oakland? Is he acting
in the interest Of the people of the
State, or in behalf of purely personal
and selfish interests?
This effort to move the State Fair is
q movement to boom private concerns
and interests at the expense of the
State. 1t asks the Legislature to for
felt and throw away immensely vaIu
able property given to it in trust for a
specific purpose, and departure from
which win work forfeiture.
1t is a movement in the interest of
racing concerns that hope to benefit by
the proposed change of location. 1t is
mot demanded by the general interest,
and no good end viii be conserved by
it There is no institution Of the State
(which by title, purpose and fitness is
more properly located at the State Cap
ital, where it pays no rental, occupies
State property. and is in touch with the
chief executive and administrative de-
partments of the State Government.
No State institution has been more
rnaligned or so much misrepresented as
the State Fair. 1t has been the con-
stant song, for instance, of those who
hope to make 1t an instrument TO
further private ends (and this song has
been echoed by those who do not un-
derStand the facts that it is simply "a
horse racing institution" Now, as a
ana-tter Of fact, it is the law, and has
been for all these years, that not one
collar of State money can be used for
A1he promotion of speed contests, for re-
wards purses. or racing premiums Yet
with this fact staring in the face who
ever sreads. it is constantly falsely as
serted that the State supports horse
racing and hangs up purses.
Naturally and rightfully the Capital
sof the State should be the friend of the
State Fair, as should any other local
ity where It might be located Were
this not SO, such place would be justly
subject to reproach. Now the people of
Sacramento have been more than gen.
srors to the State Board of Agricult-
agre- They have given 1t in trust
a valuable property, one that has
greatly enhanced in value and has con-
finued to do SO from year to year. They
gave to the State for over twenty years
free of all cost to IT. a pavilion for the
holding of the States expositions. and
when the present pavilion was erected
the people of this city betrayed one
half the cost of the construction.
Sacramento never has and never will
stand in the way of State interest She
has been loyal to the State in the high
est sense of that term. She will prove
so for all time. Whenever ii can be
shown incontrovertibly that high pub
lie interest, wisdom and justice demand
the removal OF the State Fair to any
other locality, Sacramento will not be
found fafthIess to State interests.
But we affirm that by reason Of CEN
tralfty, it's relation to the great agri-
cultural sections, the navigable streams
and the interests of the people. and the
property possessed by the State mere
the Capital City Is the right and the
best location for the State Fair and
that nothing could be more unwise OF
impolric than to locate 1t at the TIRES
hold of the metropolis.
Wisdom, good business policy and