Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-02-05

| As for her expecting 10 obtain any part OF
Lafayette or Iowa counties, that is all gam
mon. People of Grant Does any thing
but sheer selfshness originate such plan
Of divisions Look at i'll A county fifty
miles long and twelve miles wide, and
! Platteyille, their county seat, on the eastern
verge of the county, at that. If this is not
gerymandering, we do not know the defini-
ton of that word. Take your compasses
and ascertain how much nearer the north
and south extremes of the county will be to
PlattevilIe, than they now are to Lancaster.
You may shorten rope by cutting IT IN two
in the middle; butyou will only 'ceaken It,
by separating the strands. Make county
but twelve miles wide. and it il only half an
hours ride from any part Of it beyond the
jurisdiction of its Courts! The line of d.
vision proposed, would separate school dis
tricts, divide fnrms, and place the dwelling
houses Of some in one comfy aud their gar
dens in another. II would make requisite
new registry Of half the deeds, and road
surveys, now on record in Grant county, at
an enormous expense. twill either deprive
the new county of its proportionate share of
the paupcr farm, public buildings and prop
crty now owned by the county of Grant, or
originate much difficulty and litigation per-
haps, about the division of assets and liza
bilities. Ii viii leave the western county,
buriened with debt incurred for the mu-
tual benefit of the whole county as il is.
IL will leave the western county without
suitable Court house and with diminished
ability to build one. II will make necessary
the creation and payment of two entire sets
Of county officers in place of one set. 1t
will open the way TO agitation, corruption
and seliishness in the attempt to establish
new county seats. twill impose upon both
counties an enormous increase of taxation,
aud for years and years, county orders will
he so greatly deprecated, that they will
scarcely purchase labor or materials for ne
cessary works of internal Improvement
/ The weight and commanding influence of
old Grant, in the Councils of the State, will
be LOST and lost forever. Ii is such divis-
ion, as will of necessity result in further di
visions of the parts divided. The North
and South ends of the tape-string county,
will find that this division has only given
them weakness without convenience, and
will quarrel to be separated. United as we
now are, we shall be able to continue and
extend those liberal plans of Improvement,
/ in the construction of roads and bridges and
in the comfortable support of county pau
pers, which now characterize our county
and make US proud of it; and without SOL
! itary dollar Of additional tax upon the eoun-
t ", simply by an economical management
of the Fiscal affairs and sale of tax titles
! and redemption certificates belonging TO the
county, of lands which are now wholly I'M
! productive Of taxes, a good substantial
, Court House of stone. can be built and fin
ished in Lancaster, by one of her citizens,
, the onb man in Grant county trho can or
/ ,cin take this property at par in payment
for erecting such a building. These unre-
; deemed lands of non-resioents now wholly
/ unproductive of revenue, would yield an
, annual tax OF several hundred dollars, and
f would soon be settled and improved, to the
, manifest heneh, every way, Of the whole
county. The Commissioners hayemaae no
appropriation for building Court House;
bur that they ougAi to do %, we boldly de
clare. Undivided, the county Of Grant viii
soon contain population of 10000 iuhahi-
! tants; and will then be entitled under the
new Constitution, to share of a liberal
I fund which is aeeruing from the donations
of Congress Cor the support of academies.
Every consideration in the world, tayors
the union of Grant county, with her resour-
ecs undiminished, her landmarks unmoycd,
her influence undivided, potent to sustain
and carry out all the useful purposes of
county organization aud to make her great
influence fel, and acknowledged throughout
Wisconsin.