The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-03-03

Five weeks voting on the subject
bring forth. all that we have publish
cd about it, and the several letters
given in this issue. Not enough peo-
pie were concerned about 1t to make
q total Of 20 letters by the fourth.
week nor, by the fifth, and for this
installment we publish several OF the
best ones, cutting out repetitions.
Men and, women are but children
OF larger growth, and the discus
sion of what to do with the fair
grounds emphasizes the fact. We
ask the reader to consider some OF
the points in the subject, that people
have overlooked Notwithstanding the
plain statements OF information that
have repeatedly been published. For
instance, we published the fact at the
beginning. that the directors propos-
ed to sell the fair to the county only
upon the one condition that 1t be
continued by the county as q fair.
The directors will not sell il to the
county to speculate on by selling It
OF in city lots. Yet several Of the
writer's advise buying 1t because 1T
is snap, and they would have the
county get the title thru the gener-
osity of the stockholders, and then
sell it in lots and rejoice at the
profits. No such offer has been made
and no such gift to the county treas
ury will be considered. We repeat 1t,
If the grounds are to be sold In city
lots and the money pocketed, 1t will
be done by the stockholders Of the
fair. They do not owe the county
anything, and will not donate, nor
sell at a sacrifice, the property which
the stockholders and the directors
have developed. a8 e..ys .a
1t was stated in the beginning that
the stockholders can get more out
of the property by selling 1t them
selves in city lots, but that IL the
public want fair and want 1t with
sufficient keenness to lay hold or II
and work, the present owners would
sell it for that one purpose at cost.
In reply to this statement, some OF
the writers and many citizens take
the view that the owners are trying
to unload 1t upon the county" There
is nothing to warrant such views OF
suggestions. The very generosity OF
the owners is held up as something
vicious, and 1t is just such vicious
views as this that cruelty public
spirit and make the big generous
men of the community retrench and
swear off ever doing anything for
public good. The county commits
sioners have been roasted for trying
to get. control of the fair grounds to
make it political foot ball, when as
a matter of fact the commissioners
have been absolutely neutral and
have been spreading our literature on
the subject and saying to people
"This matter is uD to you and we
expect to follow the wishes of the
public IL we can find out what their
wishes are" So long as people are
untrue to themselves and their Of
ficials and hold them up in the wrong
light by merely drawing upon Their
own imagination and assuming thai
things are what they are not, the
public, or some of them. must be
held in contempt by the officials and
by all thoughtful citizens. 1t is quite
likely that the misconception of the
commissioners attitude in the matter
arises from careless reading and
careless quoting of the printed in
formation placed before the people
and it is unfair to the thoughtful
care-taking individuals to class them
with those who have so radically mis-
quoted anybody's purposes.
Note that in the first article award
ed a gold prize on this matter, the
writer stated that the fairs at Bel