The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-01-12

wrapped up in the fair idea that it is
religion with them are still irving to
bolster il up BY every method. They
ty to make ii appear that public SEN
ument is still strong for it. An ex-
ample IS the Portland Telegram.
which sent wires to a number of out
of-town citizens, asking FOR express
ions. In every instance, the recip-
lent Of the telegraphic inquiry was
already strongly on record in favor
Of or interested in the exposition pro-
ject. Several were among those
named on the Board of Directors of
the Fair. To the uninitiated reader,
the replies received from these hand
picked outsiders might appear as in
dicating that some real sentiment eX-
lists out in Oregon in behalf of hold
ing the fair. Some day Telegram
readers will grow tired of being con-
tinually deceived. This is simply a
typical instance Of the kind of decep-
ton ordinarily practiced BY that
newspaper.
Sentiment out in the state so far
as the fair is concerned is mainly in
different as vet, OF those few who
have taken a position for or againS.
it, those opposed are in the majority.
Those who are Indifferent are certain
to swing, most of them, into the op-
position. The financial conditions
prevailing in their home neighbor-
hoods will be the main influence to
swing them, but other influences will
be at work which cannot be Offset
The primary nominating campaign is
to come soon. What is set forth from
platform and press during that CAM
paign will tend to arouse the state
against the fair, and to some extent
against Portland for trying to vote
IS2,0OO,0O0 onto the outside for fair
to be held in Portland.
To drop the fair project will be
to give the wound a chance to heal.
To persist in the fair project will be
to open the wound wide, and friction
unquestionably will ensue that will
split the state more or less against
Portland. 1t is not for the interest
either of Portland or Oregon to pei
sist in an issue which threatens such
sinister results. Aside from who is
at fault, the fact remains that the
| fair tax proposal raised sectional is
sues which it would be for the best
interests of Oregon to bury and bury
deep.
Reports of what happened at Sa-
lem during the special session are
certain to be set forth and rehashed
all through the primary nominating
campaign as we'll as the fair cam
paign, should the issue of the fair be
maintained. Some of these reports
will be distorted and exaggerated un-
til they do far more harm to Oregon,
Portland and the fair than they
would were the simple truth told. 1t
would be better to drop the whole
business rather than stir the mess up,
for it was mess.
So far as any evil happening to
Portland or Oregon by abandoning
the fair is concerned, there will be
none greater than the humiliation
felt by man who quits drinking af-
ter boasting that he would drink the
town dry. Outside Of Oregon, few
people have heard of the fair. The
resolutions passed by Congress hard
" made a dent. The polite letters
exchanged with governors of other
states will have been forgotten, even
if they are remembered to now. True,
Seattle, Spokane, San Francisco, Los
Angeles and other competing cities
have done their utmost to encourage
Portland to go ahead with the fair,
as our competitors will gain pretty
much the entire benefit of a Coast
fair without the expense or tremen-
dous effort necessary to the holding
of it. We may have to stand a bit OF
ridicule from them but we are used
to that and are growing industrially
at rate that justifes their envious
filings. We will live through all the
sarcasm they may feel disposed to
waste on US.
At that, our quitting the fair at this
time will not give them the cance to
Joke that they will have if we hold a
$4,000, 900 fair, for S6,000,00O fair
after San Francisco will be worse
than a joke if we call it worlds fair.
And if we do not call it worlds fair
what's the use of deluding ourselves
into the notion that any foreign coun-
tries except Japan and possibly Chi
ma will be handsomely represented
here?
Honor and common sense dictate
the dropping of the fair project while
the dropping is good.
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