St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-03-25
Communications.
For the 81. Charles City Intelligence r.
An Unprecedented " View."

uinhs appear to be open to free dis
, cussion Of the County Seat question
t and as the subject has not been pre-
! sented in all it's phases, l wish to OF
fer few considerations to the un
prejudiced voters of the County.
desire to present an unprejudicet
view, and shall address such only a.
regard the subject in the Same spirit
Although my own reflections hav,
led me to conclusions differing from
the sentiments Of many, perhaps ;
majority of the voters of the County
| shall leave your readers to Judge OF
my freedom from prejudice without
; protesting my disinterestedness, OF
claiming more of magnanimity than
is common to selfish humanity.
1t is futile to attempt by argument
to overcome the prejudiccs Of men.
Prejudice emanates from passion, en-.
Wy, rivalry, selfishness. 1t darkens
the judgment, and reason has no pow
er to dissipate its binding influence
Those persons whose minds are gov
erned by it can only be moved by
stimulating some other passion adverse
to the one before predominant, and
reason or sophistry, wit or twaddlc
may answer this end equally well.
The discussion has been too much of
this misunderstanding more to ex-
cite local jealousy and selfishncss,
than to lead to the exercise of sound
discretion. Much of the reasoning.
is sophistical and many of the argu-
ments will apply equally well to eth
er side of the question. Let us look
at the "points " of the case, plainly
and fairly stated, side by side.
On the one hand it is said that the
County Seat is now located at St.
Charles and that the County owns
property there which if properly
managed will in great part, if not in
whole, pay the cost of necessary Coun-
ty buildings, and that the title to this
property will become the subject of
litigation if the County Seat is re-
moved, that the County has expen-
ded large sum in the erection of
Court House there, and this property
can not for some years to come be
disposed of for it's real value,-that
(other things being equal) the County
Seat should be at the centre of popu-
lation and that St. Charles is nearer
to that point than the place to which
it is proposed to move it,-that the
County Seat should be at some re-
spectacle centre of trade, and that St.
Charles is now, and promises for the
future to be, such centre.
On the other hand, it is said that
justice requires the County Seat to be
at the geographical centre, that it may
be equally accessible to opposite
parts of the County and it is said
that by locating tho County Seat there
we promote the settlement and i'm
provcment Of . large tract of valua-
bic land.
These are tho arguments plainly
stated, Invested of the cant and
scandal with which the ultraists of
either party have clothed them. l do
not propose to review or weigh them,
but with ono on two fucts and plain
differences will leave them to the can
did judgment Of the voters of the
County.
1t is principle not only in theory
but every where practiccd upon that,
tho centre Of population rather than
the territorial centre of a State or
County should be the location of the
Capital or Seat of Justice of that
State or County. To illustrate: JUS
tice to the people Of California and
Oregon does not require that our ma
tional capital should be located west
of the Missouri river at the territorial
centre of the Union, nor would the
consideration that its location there
would dcvelope the resources of val
liable territory be regarded as very
good argument in support Of the meas
ure. The Capital of the State of Mich
igan has been recently located far to
the south Of the Geographical Centre
of the State, for the very good reason
that the southern part of the State
sustains a much greater population
than the northern. Admitting this
principle it may be asked where is
the centre of population in this Coun-
ty! The returns of the last August
election show that in the vote for
County Judge there were cast on the
East side of the central meridian line
of the County 4sS votes, and on the
West side Of that line 23l votes
more than two to one. This fact is
conclusive proof that the centre of
population is far to the East of the
geographical centre of the County,
and it is not improbable that it will re-
main so from the fact that the guam
tity of timber to the East of that line
is two Or three times more than to |
the West.
l follow the argument no further. |
These views addressed to our. better
judgment should govern us in casting
our vote upon this question. If any
voter is governed by other considera-
tions than such as these; if any citi-
zen OF st. Charles votes for that place |
solely because he owns corner lot
there and wishes to enhance its value,
or if any west side" man is govern
ed by the bitter remembrance of be-
ing wheedled into limbo with the Sc
ductive bait of forty per cent. by an
least side" money lender,-that man
by voting degrades the rights of an
American citizen.
lie: us go to the polls as rational
men. 1t has been proposed that
the citizens Of ST. Charles do not
go to the polls, but rely for their
rights upon contesting the legality of
the election. / think this a mistaken
policy. Is it not arrogant and insult
ing! Will st. Charles insult the feel
ings of large part of the inhabitants
of the County? No! let us 60 to the
polls. We believe our cause is Just
and sink or Svim - lot nc ot,uJ IN,