The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-15
COUNTY DIVISION.
Ono OF the sHhjeots THAT viii Come IBs-
fore the Legislature.

Ouo uk tn0 HGuJEuIB VnMt VIII Tome 49,
fore the Legislature.
Now that the election ID oyer and quiet
reigns throughout the land, tho country
will turn lite attention to the matter OF leg
i~slRtion, this being the next great question
that will arise. Montana has had q long
period Of rest in legislative matters, and u
may BIO expected that nm effort will BIO made
TO rush into law-making this winter by the
Wholesale. There are Q faw much nseded
laws, bat the average Montana legislature
PUSHES into the work on such a grand scale
that the people fairly tremble at the
thought OF the assembling OF q legislature,
and express 4 feeling Of relief when tho
time for adjournment Gomez. 30 great is
the dread OF a Legislature that the people
feel that 10 IL almost better to ACCEPT the
lila that exist f,om not having sufficient
laws. than to take the chances of having
too much law making, The first grand Of
fort Of the coming Beasion promises 70 be in
the direction Of ~asRregatinR counties and
creating new onos, and II is probable q
great deal of general legislation will be re-
tarded by such schemes az will have only =
local significance.
But there is a great deal of importance
attached to the dividing up of counties,
says the Rocky Mountain Husbandman.
and sometimes they arc just and righteous,
but too often, we regret to sny. the projects
Tor new counties are born OF o desire for
Office and to build up soms particular town
at the expense of some other. rather than
of a genuine effort to better tho condition
of the whole people. In a sparsely settled
country like Montana the county seat
10 often remote from many pos
porous settlements, but this is I'M
avoidable. for the state Ia trayersed by nu-
msrous mountain ranges and the natural
divisions OF our country by rivers and
mountain ranges do not coincide with the
best interests and convenience of the peo-
Pile for county lines. for in every instance
there 10 more than one valley in a county,
and consequently there Is a mountain
range TO cross by q portion Of the people
in order for them to reach the county
seat. But while 1T 10 true that there 10
some Inconvenience in this respect. the
different portions of tho counties are
generally allied together by commercial
ties, and owing to the expense OF a
county government it is best to en-
brace large area in each county
den as much as possible. However,
while this is true, there arc some divisions.
that may suggest themselves at the coming
legislature that would greatly improve the
condition Of our people. The people of
northern Mtssoula county, for instance.
pie Of Missouia, are divided from them
by q long stretch of Indian reservation,
have a good population and sufficient tax-
able wealth, and could conduct q separate
county government without its working a
hardship upon the new county or the pres
emit county to which they now belong. and
we feel that they should BIT formed into a
county without any opposition and We be-
lieve they may be.
There is also an embryo project maturing
for the creation OF a mining county out Of
q portion of Meagher and Cascade, with
Neihart, Monarch or Barker rs the common
center. but there is not sufficient develop
mont, population and wealth in this district
to warrant the creation of a county at the
coming legislative session, but when the
business Of our sister mining camps shall
demand it we shall cheerfully accede to the
demands of the people and the business in
terests of that portion of Meagher. What
other new county projects may arise we
cannot say, but we feel oonfdent they will
be numerous from the simple fact that il
has been 80 long since We have had a work
ing session of the legislature. But be the
applications ever 90 numerous, only such
changes as promise to advance the inter-
ests of the whole people should be consid-
cred. since it will not do to legislate for the
benefit of sections. or for one section to
the detriment of another. The legislation
must be for the benefit of the whole.