The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-15
rs., slice of serrerson to walker.

Bessemer Weekly-
 We do not apprehend much serious ness moon the part of Representative Lacy of Walker County In any enort me ne may make to enlarge the area ot that county by subtractions from JsiieF sUP s,,P Walker County has now nearly sur daient territory to form two constltu- tIonai counties. While there may De hesitancy upon the part Of leglslattoGrs to divide up and establish new counties there can be no question but that they would resolutely oppose any increase of area to counties now cumbrous rom size and insufficient Tn weaith anu pup
 1t looks to us as if there was some thing back of Representative Lacy proposed movement rather than ths desire to accommodate any residents or this Jefferson County, residing in ter ritory obliging them to cross the Black Warrior River to reach the county seat The fact is that not one foot or Jefferson County's soil or area lies on the west or right bank Of the Black Warrior River; not foot or It on the Walker County side of the river; The truth is hundreds of people living on that side of the river cross 1t for the purpose of coming to Bessemer to do their trading and marketing
 We sbelieve Representative Lacy Is being used as a cats paw by some blr- mfnEham politicians, those who in our efforts to have established B new county By enlisting outside help and strength and melting there a selhsh hope of territorial aggrandlzement, those politicians hope to check any moy ement that the citizens of the pro posed new county Of Bessemer may make to secure it's establishment.
 In line with this purpose they have lately thrown a sop to Cerberus in a meeting of the Birmingha bar by pass ing a resolution faVoring the repeal Of the Morrow act abridging the jurisdic- tiun of the Bessemer City Court This act. which was an outrage in its incep- tion, and passage originally was not in the slightest degree criticised by any of the Birmingham press and was hailed with satisfaction and joy by the politicians and the bar of that city. Bessemer was weak and in the dumps then. and the purpose of securing new county was lying dormant. But the reViving consciousness Of the people. the supreme importance of establishing 2 their own self government has aroused the feeling of the people to the point of keeping the matter constantly in view and to improve every Oportunity to promote it's consummation The Bessemer departments of the Birmlng- ham press grossly mistake and mis- quote public sentiment and it's purpose in stating that here is no desire upon the part of the people here for new county. Of course people generally recognize that it is the design and pur- pose of these departments and papers to place Bessemer in the attitude of a suburb or appehdage of Birmingham, and large numbers of prominent eiti- Z0nS ana DuBlucES men nave been thoughtlessly and unwitingly led to furthering that view. But they have only to be aroused to the unwisdon and imbeCilty of such course to be urgent and resolute in their determination to secure the establishment of a new county.
 And this again calls our attention to the inaccuracy of The Advertisers statement that the movement for our new county has never been carried far enough to. threaten the integrity of Jefferson County. and, again. that "the sentiment in the section SurroundinE Bessemer has never been strong en0Hgh to encourage such a position" A ref erence to simple history would have cent of the voters living within the area of the proposed new county Of BesRemer. petitiOncd the General As- semblY for it's establishment and that the act passed the lower House by moro than a two-thirds majority. and that only the pestferous custom of "Senatorial courtesy" invoked by the now deceased. defeated the movement Again in tbe late Constitutional Con vention an ordinance establishing this county was only lost by we believe, two ma iority. one of which was Judge Thomas G Jones. who only voted ad- versely hecause he did not Relieve , ac- tion of this kind was proper for a Com stituti0nal Convention. but should be regulated hy law applicable to all such
 The project of the establishment oi the new county of Bessemer will not down. The policy and justice ot iI iy too Nident and imperative. Such Lacy will not stay nor defeat It.