The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-01-19
Township Organisation.

$500 GAAS - AVe@%EACOO
Township Organization.
The Shove subject upon which oul
Sarmer friend has written and which
We 81 y below, ii we'll worthy the at
tention and confederation Of the far.
mers of Bottinsan County. There il
this 70 be said, that in all well regu.
lated and we'll governed counties, civ.
Il townships are a necessity, and
though there are some badly governed
counties where they have township
organization, as Rolette County for
example, still it Is fair to assume that
but for the power which the people
possess in their townships, the taxes
would be much heavier than they are,
even in such a county as our neigh
Dor on the east.
We believe it would be wise in and
well for the people if they were to or
ganize in their respective townships.
However we've started the ball--now
let Us hear the other side.
EDITOR OF P1oNEER:-In reply to
your request to give my reasons why
l believe township government would
in many cases be preferable in this
county to absolute county rule, let me
inst point you to the fact that the ex-
perience Of a century has taught the
people Of this country that the nearer
the government is to the people the
purer it il. Short terms Of Office and
men fresh from the people have gen.
orally been productive Of the best
results. In no other of the various
ramifications of. our government,
whether county, state or national, can
the principle of "by the people,
through the people, and for the PEG.
pie" BE- as closely applied al in town.
ship government. At the annual
meetings the people levy their own
local taxes and direct the expenditure
thereof where they will do the most
good. They have the power to direct
where roads and bridges shall be built
and fix the sums they think necessary
for erecting or repairing them. They
elect their town officers annually and
give these officers instructions as to
how they shall perform their duties,
and the law demands that these in.
struct,ons be invariably carried out;
the people have power to make by.
Jaws and enforce them in the interest
Of economy and for the protection of
their property.
They have power to eleot their own
assessor and to give him such direc.
.tions Is may be conducive to their
best interests in listing and validating
their effects, so long as these in
structions do 70: conflict with territor.
jail law; they have also power to fix
spd regulate the salaries of all town
officers except constables' and justices
fees which are paid by the county.
These and many other advantages
could be pointed out that eliminate
in favor Of town organizations.
Az l find it impossible to do justice
70 this subject ilp, single letter, I will
endeavor to show a few, points where
on the score of economy alone, it is
desirable to have town organizations.
First, look at the subject Of donating
lands for roads. At the annual meet
ing it IS an easy matter for The people
70 make . rough draft Of all the roads
required by the town, and then come
~ an agreement among themselves
whether each farmer shall give the
land required for such roads free, or
whether they shall fix a sum per acre
= will be just and right, and be . just
compensation to oil, while it il al
1nost impossible to come to this ar
rangement with a whole county, it be;
ing too unwieldy. Let us look at the
expense Of laying out q county road
ID contrast.
Twenty-four tax payers present q
petition to the County Board praying
that . road be laid out, say ten miles
ID 1eDgth-nnless there ID an adverse
petition with more signatures than
the original, they must appoint q COM
nnittee Of say three Of their number
10 view the proposed road and yalu-
ne the land and examine sites for
bridges &C., &c. Now I do not hest
tate to ray that these men would be
rustlers il they settle all damages and
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