Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-17
TINE DIVISION OF TINE JUDICIAL
DISTRICT.

of our 18th judicial district, the Tn
bune of last week publishes what pur-
ports to be the preferences Of various
of the attorneys Of Colby as to the
division. In none of the various ex-
pressions is there single valid argu-
ment advanced to show why the shoe
string is preferable to the compact d.
vision. So far as the editor OF this
paper has been able, he has hitherto
avoided obtruding himself through the
columns of this paper upon The pub
lie, nor does he wish to do 80 now.
But the assertion of the Tribune that
he ever made speech at any bar or
other meeting advocating the shoe
strlng division, is without any fouxda.
ton In fact, although the
Tribune got its information hon
estly. 1t can easily be proven
that upon being requested ut the meet
ing referred to, that he declined to ex-
press himself on the subject further
than to say that he wanted to act with
the majority. To his mind the divis-
ion of the district in compact shape is
much preferable in every way, and
even did all the attorneys in the dis
trict entertain different views, unless
they had some stronger argument than
has yet been advocated, the editor of
this paper would not be wrong neces-
sarily il the belief that such an un-
couth division would be hurtful to toe
political future of Thomas county and
northwest Kansas. Graham and Rocks
county have not single interest in
common with Thomas and Sherman,
and very little with Sheridan. As a
political body, the six northwest coun-
ties may in the future if politically
joined, act together and do some good
for this part of the state; with their
interests severed they never will. Can
didly, the editor of this paper is open
to conviction, and if it can be shown
by good reasons that the interests of
Thomas county will be better subserv-
ed present and future, by dividing the
district on the shoestring plan, he will
advocate that plan-but so far he has
neither seen nor heard any argu-
ment outside Of the pitiful
one, that so sure as the COM
pact division is made, Decatur county
will have the judge and the Oberlin
bar will more than even heretofore,
control the litigation of the district, to
the prejudice of the bar of any other
place in it. and particularly that of
Thomas county. If the shoestring dis
trict be made, Stockton will furnish
the judge; if the compact division be
made, Oberlin will furnish the Judge.
To all intents and purposes, Stockton
is farther from us by rail than Ober-
lin. 1t is urged that were the shoe
string district formed, that Sheridan,
Thomas and Sherman counties would
control the action of the district. What
guaranty is there that such would be
the case? Absolutely, none. The
press of Sherman county, within the
past month have shown such animOsi-
ty toward all that is of interest to Thorn
as county, that the schism between
Sherman and Thomas is much greater
than that between Thomas and Deca-
tur. Sherman county voted for can
didate from the extreme eastern por-
ton of the senatorial district-what
should prevent her from voting with
Graham and Rocks? Nothing is more
likely than such action. Her press
says that she is opposed to Thomas
county as a matter of business. that
between Colby and Goodland there
cannot be a generous rivalry. To de-
pend on Sherman working with Thorn
as, unless and except Thomas, at all
times, works for Sherman, without
any claims or pretensions herself, is a
vain hope. By making a compact
district, the Oberlin bar may still con-
tinue to traverse the district and &C.
get some work in Thomas
but, if the members of the
Oberlin bar get knocked out in court
On about every case in which any of