Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-04-17
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION ACT.

wv .1Njllk OaSu ~
While the above act may have
some features that recommend it,
adoption lv tic people. still it is
beyond question 4 much cuil-
'bcrson" and expensive" method ufad-
mini-trriug county affairs than lii"
old "ou;I:v cnuri system. III" pro-
pie ::rc accustomed to the latter. and
q. tic." can IL. 40 doubt that il is the
simplest. cheapest. and most cxpCdi-
inuS way of irar~ar.ing county bust
ness. County courts have become
unpopular On ar""nnt of III" extent
Of their r"wor. and abuse of public
trust. Had tn" Legislature passed
laws limiting this power. and reach.
i'll" Extravaganza or maiicasancc in
Office. aud in addition To this. provi.
drd for township collectors and
assessors. the evils complained OF
world have been rclncdird. TIL,
most objectionable feature Of the act
is section five. which provides that
the county court EHy. AT its next SEES.
: sion after the election. proceed to iii.
vide tli" county into townships. CON
!nrininG. A. near rs population and
streams will admit. to the size OF
Congressional surveyed townships.
Tie Missouri Statesman in com
nrntin" on tie above section and
olro.inr tho adoption of the act by
Boon" county. SANS: Under this sec
li"n, the division is 10 conform.
not to congressional ed
:t"wns!irS:" that is. in iixin" the lines
of III" townships. county courts ar,
not I" have respect To congressional
townships N the sense that they may
group two OF more of them together
and thus form II municipal or civil
township. but plainly and evidently
the division must conform. las near
rs POI u@latinn AMI streams will! admit.
I" the SIC of congressional surveyed
townships"
This provision fixes tho size Of Z
township. and the size must CORES.
pond a- near a. l"pulati"m AND
streams vii! admit. to the size of til,
congressional townships.
Therefore il is clear. if the Gr;l
section means anything. that the
county court of Boone. and of every
other county. i compelled. rs a rule,
I" div'd" the county into Townships
six miles square. that hcin" the Si:c
al III" congressional townships.
There i"iuy twcnty-rnur such
townships in boone. md each of
,nrm rr'my entitled 4" ono suphrti.
."r. (who isa judy" Of tho county
Corri.l one assessor. un" collector an,
iw" Justice. If the l,rrcr. il follow,
that il this law were adopted i,
rnnnr We would have II lmnrl %
twenty tour r"untv court justices
twrntN.:"ur assessors. twrnty-iou,
collectors. aud ,nri~.rimli Justice. a.
the I'"nr". aud u swarm at "'lrr ON
rri. to mnh"a mu,IIl" ur"li 'iai duty,
,a> ia" people. and eat on, their sub
>iHrrr.
Tw%rni,.inur judge. "r Tho count,
court MI 90 the l",frh ut the .nn,
time. billing platform >irrirhin,
n,r".- ia" rn.irr lru"ih at the court
hnn>r. or. IL lr.>rnrl ~ lrn"tl,, pre-
.tdin" ~ ,l"uhlr Tile on that l'laiiuru,
" hat y lu'Itrr"uS spectacle woul,
TIL. present, What, IN umwirlLy an,
cumbersome mud expensive ma,
,,liur To transact the business of u
county, substituting rnmplr\iiy Ia,
simplicity and NrSuti"us aud costly
Ar,nN. for cheap and speedy justice
\ nrnrh at Ia nine jud"'S |
deemed sufficient for the grrnt huiir
of the supreme" court of ia" nitr,
state. hat for the administration u
only a part nt ia" affairs ola siuglt
, county We must needs CnihrUM" al
!, the w""l>ack nearly four times tina
=. number, nj n dahl, cost To the rr"pl
81 SIX per dn,.
Other provisions of thi. remark
ably law, equally hr>crvim" populn
condemnation. will be pointed on
I. ii occasion drmnnd>.