The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-03-02
GIVE Us A Court HOUSE.

owner in Clarke county that suita-
BILE and safe building should be pro-
vded for the preservation of the county
records. This is thing of the great
est Importance, and one would think
that Vancouver especially has had
troubles enough on the question of
title to induce any person in the pos
session of property to take all possible
precautions against further trouble
on that score. Suppose the records of
the county auditors Office should hap
pen to be destroyed by fire, what end
less troubleaDd confusion would result
Would not every sensible property
owner In the county prefer to pay u
few dollars rather than run such a
risk? 1t must be that every person
opposed to the idea of building court
house is the owner of property OF he
would not fear the slight additional
tax that would have to be imposed on
that account. For, if he owns no
property lie would not be called upon
to pay any part of the taxes.
The argument against running into
debt is very good one when c0nsid-
cred in connection with ones own
private or domestic affairs. No one
would more stoutly maintain the folly
of an individuals living beyond his
means, than /. But can this always
be maintained when taken in connec-
ton with public affairs? 1t has been
claimed by some of the ablest finan-
ciers that large public debt is not
entirely bad thing. Some writers
have even gone the length of saying
that National debt, as a really and
safe means of investment, is a public
blessing. This, of course, cannot be
true, as "a National debt IL more or less
of ali incumberauce. But it nnst he
borne In mind that the rral Incumber-
ance is the expenditure, not the debt.
If the vast National debt Of our c0,,n-
try had been occasioned by the maxi
ing of internal improvements of a
useful and necessary character and ex-
pended for such purposes, instead of
having been sacrificed for powder and
shot, etc, to quell powerful rebellion,
it would be a question If it would not
really be u public blessing, which
would more than outweigh the slight
burden it is on so large II population.
judiciously expended, | believe 1t
would be to the interest of this coun-
ty, and in a business point of view a
good investment, to incur an indeht-
ednes of so large sum as fifty thous-
and dollars, or even more, for the con-
struction and maintainance of IA few
The county would eventually be more
hn Is h,,k
ton would not want to pay it all at a
slap, nor would it be proper that they
should. Let the new comers and
those who would afterwards feel the
benefits, also bear their share. So
with the the court house. There can
be no question but we need one. This
must be, and Is admitted. Why then
should we not have one? Those peo-
pie who will say IL Is because we cail-
not af"rd it, are Of the kind who
would allow their fences and buildings
go TO ruin because they cannot afford
few cents worth Of nails, and spare
the trouble to drive them.
II 1t he the indebtedness that would
result that Is the fearful objection, a
special tax of about 20 mills would
furnish sufficient funds to obviate the
necessity of creating any indebted
ness, and for Que would sooner bear
my share than see the project fall
through. Nevertheless, say let
Others who will also have the benefit
Of the building also bear their share Of
the expense. Such buildings as we
have now would he u disgrace to a
county of half the population and Of
far less promising prospects than ours.
In fact we have no accommodations
whatever for the county sheriff, county
auditor and recorder, or any other
county officials, and but but very poor
accommodations fnr our county court.
Pei haps the building we have may be
made to serve for court purposes just
IS any old barn might be made to
serve for religious services, but our
church citizens, OF every denomina-
tion, have too much zeal to be satis-
fled to worship In novels. Even the
fear of incurrlnga IA debt does not pre-
vent their having something better.
Shall not the whole county show it.
self to have have sufficient public
spirit to have one good public building?
We need not make n greater burlesyue
of justice than we are obliged to. Our
courts should not be held Ia a dilapi-
dated old baru OF a building, when we
can avoid 1t, and prisoners should not
be confined In Snch AN apology for =
Jail as the present old log building.
We have business men aiming IN
who have Sufficient faith in the county
"a build tine brick stores aud erect fnr
a. n. ~