, 1883-10-06

We are credibly informed that in
securing signatures to these petitions
all manner of misrepresentation and
chicanery are resorted to. The great
hue and cry raised in the rural dis
tricts by these dealers in town lots
at the county seat is that a division
of the county will increase the taxes.
Such silly talk will always catch the
weak and timid, while many others
sign the paper presented to them as
the easiest way to avoid the big
auger which they know is always
ready for insertion by the public
spirited citizens of our sister city.
So far, so good but if it be true,
as we are informed, that a large per
cent. of those who are signing these
remonstrances are not voters in Spo-
kane county, then our neighbors are,
indeed, overeaching themselves in
their frantic efforts to hold up the
price Of their town lots.
With the legislator Of average in
telligence petitions or remOnstranccs
will have but little weight in deter
mining a question of 50 much i'm
portance as that of the division of
Spokane county. Every man of av-
erage intelligence and experience
knows how little is expressed by the
names on a petition or a remon-
STRANGE. A prominent public man
once offered to wager that he could
obtain bona fde signatures to petit
tiOn to hang the best man in the
community.
Facts and statistics, which do not
lie, will have more weight with
thoughtful and honest law makers
than all the petitions in Christendom.
What are the facts concerning a di-
vision of Spokane county? Simply
these: We have a county one hun
dred and fifty miles in length from
east to west, with an average width
of siXty-five miles, containing an
area of about 5000 square miles
equal to about One-eight of the en-
tire area Of Washington territory,
and containing population Of about
1900.
That part of Spokane county lying
east of range forty contains an area
of about 1000 square miles and
population Of about 1000; enough
territory and population for one of
the best counties in Washington.
West of this line, in Spokane county,
is an area of about 1000 square miles,
neutrality-suspicious. OfabOut 5000.
This area is about one-tenth Of the
entire area Of the Territory, and con-
tains about One-siXth of the agricul-
tural lands embraced in our Territor-
ial limits. The population and tax
able property contained in Spokane
county, west of range forty, are more
than double the population and tax
able property contained in Spokane
county at the time of its organiza-
tiOn. The settlers in the western
portion of Spokane county now have
to go, by the usual route of trayel,
from one hundred and twenty to one
hundred and fifty miles to reach the
county seat.
The real "nigger in the wood pile"
in this county division is very per-
ceptible without the aid of micros-
cope No county buildings have yet
been erected at Cheney, although the
people in this end of the county have
helped with their taxes to build all
the bridges in the county, at least
nine-tenths of them being located in
the eastern part Of the county.
Now, then, if Cheney can hold on
to us until we are taxed to build an
expensive court house and Jail at the
present county seat, being fixture,
we will be permitted to have a new
county and build a new set of county
buildings and the necessary bridges
for ourselves.
That Spokane county must be divi.
ded now, or two years from now, is
evident to every intelligent taxpayer
in the county; and the only question
for the people in this end of the county
to consider is whether we will be
taxed to pay for two sets of county
buildings or one.
Thank you brethren, we would
rather be eXepsed.-Sprdgue Herald.