The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-03-25
For the Gate City.


4 on reading the article on the County Seat
question, in the ''Gate' last Friday. The
communication was very transparent, and re-
vealed the author just MS plainly as though
he had signed his name to it, or had delivered
| it at public meeting.
The writer makes numerous assertions,
which, in my opinion, have no foundation in
truth.
do not believe that three-fourths Of the
merchants of Keokuk, or the "bone and sin
ew'' are friendly to agitating the question Of
removal at the present. lie seems to be ex-
! cited against some man who owns huge
farm Just back Of Montrose,' because he
has presumed to give his views on the County
| Seat question. and asserts that he wants to
! get the County Seat to Montroso, and "if he
should be successful he will soon be adyer-
Using town lots for sale" &c. Again he
SAYS, s' Ii is singular that a man of his ago
has not learned more wisdom" oh, dear
and how wise we"Y Dung America are. Now
this man with the ''huge farm" and who is
so devoid of wisdom, is s. Beckley, Esq,
one of the most intelligent, Industrious and
moral citizens in Lee county.
lie owns just one hundred and sixty acres,
which he purchased some twelve years ago
and made his home upon it, and has it all
under cultivation, and thus earn his bread By
the sweat Of his brow. Not so with our
Young America, who, only year or two
81 no al ptar ooayIn
ering and adjoining Charleston at "a per
acre, some part Of which he has already laid
of in town lots, and is selling them at high
prices in anticipation Of the County Seat.
This accounts for the q milk in the cocoa
nut"
The people care not, so far az this ques-
ton is concerned, whether a man be wise or
ignorant whether he has huge farm"
or no farm at all, whether he berieh or poor,
whether he desires the County Seat, so that
he can lay out his lands into town lots or
make his cultivated farm more valuable
But ] think when they come to vote on the
question of removnl, it viii turn out that
they are decidedly opposed to removal.
The law provides that the courts shall be
held twice a year at Fort Madison, and twice
at Keokuk. Now suppose there should be q
majority for removal, and Charleston should
be made the County Seat; then the Records
and the County Judges Office would be held
at Charleston and the Courts wonld continue
at Keokuk and Fort Madison until the Legfs-
lature shall fix them at some other place ,and
/ this the Legislature might refuse to do for
| years, or if they should remove it from Fort
Madison, they would most likely remove il
from keokuk also.
The writer says the ''public buildings Cat
Fort Madison) are of no account" Now
does not every body know that the buildings
are very good and comfortable, and that we
do not need, and most probably shall not
have better, for ten or fifteen years to.come.
The court house at Fort Madison cost some
sl5 900, Of which the city Of Fort Madison
paid $4,000. The lots upon which it stands
were given by James Wilson for a court
house, and should it ever be abandoned for
such use the lots will revert to the heirs Of
Wilson.
think the communication over the sigma
ture Of 'Voter" is very judicious and sensi.
bic, and wish it could be read by every voter
in the County.
1t is unwise to agitate this yexed County
Seat question now. 1t will tend to excite
jealous animosities, Gas it has done beforc),
when there should be peace, in order that the
people may be united, so that weighter mat
ters connected with our railroad enterprises
may be fully attendedto Yours.
LEE COUNTY