The Empire County argus., 1854-08-26
County Seat.
F. IL. G..

Az the time is rapidly appr aching when the
.Iccon will be held which will decide the location
f the county .eat of FL Dorado county and as it is
subject Of deep interest and great importance to
all Il at the selection should be jndicious and
y'~e one. we think it not improper or "btru'ive As
Al ma is one Of the candidates for the location. to
make few suggestions the subject.
Among the candidates who have preferred their
claims this location before the public, it is conf,
ienily believed that Coloma, the present county
,eat. holds the highest rank. It is believed that
notwithstanding the strenuous Efforts made to place
her in the back ground while other places of much
less real pretenSions are forced into notice. she still
upon greater number Of the citizens Of this
c uny why she shoul remain the county seat than
any her candidate in the field.
In the first place, Coloma was declared the county
,eat in accordance with the vote and the will of Il
majority Of the voters in the county and it seems to
Us that nothing less than majority vote should
remove it. 1t is well known that in all new coun-
ties great dissenSions. distraction and difference,
operating most seriously against the best interest
IF the county have had their origin in attempts to
remove county seats from their original location
These attempts in nineteen out Of twenty, are
not prompted or suggested by any desire to promote
the welfare of the whole county. hut that Of the
particular location to which it proposed to move
the county seat 1t is therefore Obvious that the
greater the facilities for removing county seats, the
more frequent will those attempts be made. Be-
sides mere plurality vote does not SO truly deSig
nate where the county seat ought to be- as is done
by majority vote. because it is easy when great
number Of candidates are in the field. to distract
public attention by local interests while some lo-
cation by no means the most eligible, but capable
IF concentrating upon itself considerable vote,
secures the election. We think that a majority of
The people in county should be suited in a county
seat. and not mere plurality. There are new
six places spoken Of rs candidates for this location.
and should each poll respectable vote. onr-fth Of
al the votes polled would elect. But does it not
ocenr to evpry one. that election had under such
circumstances would upon ref ction, prove unSat-
sfacory to the minority. and suggest tine proprioty
and perhaps necessity Of again removing the loc;l-
his special act for holding an election was carried
through the Legislatures we will be able to perceive
a striking coincdcnce between the design above
suggested and that which has actually occurred
Ii is also believed that the Location of the county
seat at Coloma. during the last four years. has, to
"A greater extent. promoted the convenience and
interest of the whole unry than its location else
where. would have done We contend that Columa
nearer the centre of the population Of this county
han any other candidate in the field. while LAGER
Vile that claims to he that centre is really very
nearly the eastern verge of the population of the
county and that if the county seat was located
here those who live in the western and north
western portions of the county would be compelled
in orle, to get the county seat. to travel over
nearly the whole ofthe populated part of the county
It is not to be expccted that the county seat be
n every mans door. and in large county like this
lac4 il where You will. those who reside in remote
sections of the county must travel considerable
ls,ance to arrive al it, But we are well convinced
HAT those who have been the prime movers in thi
attempt to remove the county seat have not been
those who lived at the most incnnvenient distances
rom the court house. and we are also we'll perSua.
led that their motives have been more to enhance
the price of their own properly than to promote the
convenience and welfare Of the public. We regard
he effect which the cation of the county seat may
have upon the value Of private property as circum-
stance that is merely accidental. and not as one
which enters fairly in the question now presented
b fore the people of this county in relation to the
proper location Of the douniy seat.
We also think that the removal Of the county
seat at this time would involve this county in II
debit for which no adequate motive can be offered.
This is consideration in which every tax payer in
this county. well every good citizen, is deeply
interested.
We are aware that attempts have been made to
deny this result, but we think that any fair and
candid reference to the facts as they do and will
exist, will convince the citizens Of this county that
such will be the issue Of q removal Of the county