Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-01-20
Salem, Oregon Politely Asks
Salem, Virginia to Get off
The Crowded, Little Earth

tSaiem (yirginia) Times Register)
We have always khown that the
West held itself in high esteem in
comparison with the East, but we
did not know that any section in the
East WAS expected to efface itself,
should it happen to retard the progress
of some section of that "Wild and
Woody" wilderness. We have known
that we were effete, ate with knives
and forks, when spoons would suffice,
and merely "existed," where western
eEs lived-and. we had fondly hoped
10 be allowed to continue our sex
istence," TRANQUILITY, traditionally con-
ventionai. if you will, receiving our
due share of reverence, mete to cur
age-but no.
Salem, Virginia, is asked to get off
the face of the earth. She is firmly,
kindly, frankly told that she stands in
the way of the development of that
growing young state metropolis-Sa-
lem, Oregon. So, please get out of the
way.
The following rather amazing letter,
which eommends itself by reason of its
ilngenuous gall and its astounding ig-
nOrance of the import of local tradi-
tions and associations in the East, is
addressed to the Salem, Virginia, Cham
ber Of Commerce.
Salem, Oregon, Jan. 5, 1917.
Secretary Chamber of Commerce,
Salem, Virginia.
My dear sir:
Salem, Oregon, is one of the towns
that is coming to the front. We are
spending lots of money for advertis-
ing.
Your town being of the same name,
it naturally draws from us, and from
business principles, we think it would
be q good thing if you would kindly
take it up with your citizens and
change the name of your town.
Hoping to hear from you, we are,
Yours very truly,
Salem Commercial Club,
By Ivan G. Mcdaniel, Manager.
To read the letter is to run the gam
us of emotions from splutering inco-
herency to amused chuekles One inn
mediately sees the hopelessness of at
tempting to explain to the mind that
fathered such request the utter in
expediency of such change. Such IL
reverence would lead one to any ex-
tremers. No doubt Salem, Massachu-
sets, also has been asked to renounce
its name.
The most charitable explanation is
that those same witches that favored
Salem, Mass, with their kindly visi
tations i'll 1910, meeting with such in
hospitable reception and untimely TAX
ing off, using return tickets to get
back to earth in 1917, were set off by
mistake in Salem, Oregon, by the astral
express. Wherefore the commercial or
ganization Of that city has become
bewitehed.
Youth must be served. Though we
run our unassuming course some 5000
nliies from this bouncing namesake OF
ours we stand in its light. Alexander
the Great told Darius that there could
not be two suns in the heaven and pro-
ceeded to successfully demonstrate this
statement But here we have a whole
constellation of Salems-some 40 an
the United States. What 8 to be done2
One town aspires to sole possession OF
this much to be desired name and by
virtue of being situated in the West
bases its claim of more valid title, de-
spite priority claims, traditions and
mere considerations of sentiment.
We have nothing but the best of
wishes for the continued growth OF
Salem, Oregon, and we are rather in
elined to believe that if its future sue
cess is contingent upon being the one
and only Salem, then its possible
growth and development is not to be
envied. If its name is no more than a
business consideration; if it has no tra-
ditions, no past, no history that is not
indissolubly linked with its name-for
certainty it would not suggest for 9th
ers what it is unwilling to do-then it
should not be adverse to making a
change of name, itself.
In this connection it might be sug-
gested that Salem, Virginia, was es-
tablished in 1902, while Salem, Oregon,
came into existence in 1856. Salem,
Virginia, was town of some import
ance before Oregon was possession