The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-07-13
ROSA LAKE.

A"e'e 10 sreat deal OF indignation
expressed here with regard to tn,
management of the late election. So faj
as we can learn there was only one Doll
ing place ON the second Mountain. and n,
that part Of the county covers an area o
more than 700 square miles, it was i'm
possible for the majority of the settlers t,
get to the polls. We don't know who i,
to blame for this blunder, but the genera
impression is that it was a preconcerte,,
scheme to lessen the votes in favor of the
division. One thing We do know is tim,
parties at the foot'of the Mountain oppos.
ed to the division, circulated u story
Among the settlers to the effect that there
would be no polling place ON the Noun.
tain at all and those wishing to record
their votes would be obliged to 90 to the
valley. The result o: this was TINT 81
great many did not:go out, some, because
they didn't know where to go and Others
on account Of the distance. This should
not have been the case. The county was
just to the expense Of an election and
every man should have had tho priyi-
lege of casting his vote according to his
Judgment. There seems TO be an
impression in the eastern part Of the
county that the settlers up here were
not in favor of the division, or at least
were indifferent to itbecause they did
not DISCUSS it through: the papers. The
fact is easily explained. We are 80 far
west here, and our mails are 10 irregular
as yet that we don't get the papers until
about two weeks after they are published
so that it would have been useless to
answer these letters that appeared in the
PIONEER xpREas as the question would
have been settled long before the answers
could be published. In fact there was
very little to answer The only argument
that bore any weight was that the thing
was premature. and this we all admit.
But since the thing was brought on.
certainly not by any action of ours, it
would have been much better to have
carried 1t. In that case the county would
have been saved the expense of a second
election, which certainly will take place
at no distant day, for we have no inten-
OF acting the Changer on" to Pembina
county. Mr.. Betchel's statement that
the new county would never be able to
liquidate the debt which it would be
Obliged 70 incur comes to nothing. We
have been long enough in this western
country to know that the benevolent
spirit does not prevail to any great extent.
and where we see man assuming that
role we are suspicious enough to look for
a selfish motive beneath it. The state
lnent that parties up here are interested
in forming the new county in order to
influence the locating of the county seat
is scarcely worth referring to. The only
idea have heard expressed up here
with regard to that is that some central
place should be chosen. I hope your
readers will pardon my reference to this
question at such a late hour, but as 1
have explained we are little behind the
times in some respects out here yet. l
write now simply to let the public know
that this part Of the county was not
asleep, but were almost unanimous in
their verdict, the vote being something
like no for and four against the division.
PRo Bono PUBLlco.