The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-02-06
THE PIRwCR COUNTY SEAT
QUESTION.
lroR TIE INTgLL1GEycER.
FEBRUARY 3. 1880.

Ao4S an = W AcS~'
The tax paying voters OF Pierce will
be callsl upon ct the next general
election 70 determine the location Of
the county seat. A few sore headed
politicians about New Tacoma, in de-
spsir 1t the poverty-ridden aspect Of
their town, conceived the brilliant idea
Of "iesthsring their nests 1t the ex.
pense Of the county. and prevailed
upon their sbort-ighted Represents
tives in the Legislstare 10 push through
q bill in furthsrancs Of their scheme.
The psopls OF tho county - . majority,
had expressed no desire for change
in the 6oalty sss& and il fact it was
we'll known b. the orisinstors. - by
everybody slss. II this move went hat
an unprejadioed. uneorrupted public
expression uoald bs decidedly against
msei6k ) change ct thb tims. which
could 66ns1t 10 one Other tAan ~
interested ones about New Tacoms.
But these wire.workers thought to
blind tho people and handicap their
better judgment by honeyed argument,
false promises and fslssr prsctisea.
Wk5her the people are 20 be thar
duoee reupeius to b seen.
Tue sdvbcssss for . change In the
county seat have not yet besn able to
bring forward . single asgaosnt OF
any weight in its favor. Their only
pretepss 1t such 10 that Tacoma - more
nsarly the center Of the county's popu-
latiou than Stsilacoom. This my be
true O. islss. Neither facs OF itself
could hsvs great bearing on the sub.
ject. The distance betwesn the two
places - mt great enough to prejudica
the clai6s II either. Ore 10 nearly ~
ACCESSIBLE - the ether 10 the farming
pdrdlstioa Of the county, sni eli will
admit that Steilscoom occupies more
nearly the geographical center.
Then il devolvss upon the Tacomaitea
to sho~ some valid ground for thei'
claim 10 the county seat before they
cun expect the tsxpsyess to vote the
pap Of the public treasury into theil
famishsd mOushA The people ere mol
overly .aoxivus 70 build . town fer thu
N. r. Il r. Company or anybody elss
unless they can derive come beneA,
thereirvm. II there - mensy 70 spare
for pnblie improvensnts. sxpend It ia
improving our thoroughfares. Farmef'
would prefer good rosds and bridges
to carpeted court houser. To accom-
plish this they would oheerfully ride q
few miles further, two or three times q
year, To reach the county seat. and
would ungrudgingly forsgo the dainty
Injuries Of y '.R .,lf0sd Hotel" for the
waolsseme fare Of . "aArmou Houss'
for the few days they might bs held a
the beck and call II the Law.
The Paysllup Valley vote will DO al
imp -:Ant fAct"r 10 the solution Of this
question. Tacoma, and Wilkesen un
der Tacoma influence. will be solid fo
New Tacoma. Stsilaooom, Muck and
the prairies, equally solii for Stella
COON. Puyallup will determine en-
location Of tue county seat. Now vii
the taxpayers of the Puyallup VALLEY
voluntarily shsckls themselves will
the eaormops expense OF providing
Qusrters for lev hungry otiice-ssek
crs'alout Tscomaf MT very likely te
d. it. Among the leading citizens anc
taxpayers Of Paysiiap Valley ] hsvs
yet TO find . single one in favor o.
moving the county seat. and think
have questioned the snsjority.
@. w. B.