The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-03-29
A Sensible View.


for signatures to a petition to call an
election to move the county seat from
Leon to Decatur City. A careful ex-
animation of the document revealed the
fact that many of our citizens are sign
ing, |, however did not become one Of
the crowd. certainly shall not vote
for the change if the election be held
and so saw no reason to petition for
something which do not want in order
to bring the matter before the people,
as the smooth gentleman suggested who
handled the paper.
Funny how people will sign petitions
just to be good fellow, or because
everybody else is signing it etc. etc.
A good fellow can get up we'll filled
petition for just about anything. AL
though Richland township is signing
this petition almost as unit it does
not mean that we will vote as we
signed for long before this thing
is threshed out many will have good
cause to change their minds. l ask
ed young man who had signed why
he did so, and he said "The court
house ought to be in the center of the
county, and l understand that is
Decatur City, l wonder how many
believe just as mistakingly as this
young man. Before me lies map of
Iowa issued by the state. According to
this map, the center of the county is at
point two miles west of Leon and two
and one half miles east of Decatur City,
and half south. Leon is nearer by
one mile, not much to be sure, but
enough to knock out the only prop that
is reasonably claimed for the Decatur
proposition.
Now it is true that county seat
should be located at the center of the
county, and in organizing new counties
this rule is always unless some good
reason, as unhealthy surroundings, poor
railroad facilities etc. exists. There
being no town at the exact center of
Decatur county, the court house should
go to the nearest town if it is suitable.
Leon is the nearest town, it is we'll
located, has two railroads and is all
that could be asked for county seat.
Plainly on it's merits Leon is the proper
location.
Why this agitation for the removal
of the county seat? Travelling over the
country buttonholing farmers to sign
petitions is expensive. Are the farmers
paying the bills? Our people would
never have petitioned for a change of
the county seat had not the "foreig-
ers come into our midst" They signed
only when purchased by the representa-
tives of Decatur City. Now why does
Decatur want the change? She is but
five miles from the county seat and
certainly her people can go that far to
transact county business without mur-
muring, for even if the change is made
Richland citizens must go from - to 16
miles. 1t is clear then that Decatur
has some other motive than the good
of the general public when she hires
men and rigs to canvass for the change.
The possession of the county seat
carries with it the location of public
buildings. 1t brings money to the banks,
guests to the hotels and restaurants
patrons to the livery stables, and more
people to the town. This is why
Decatur wants the court house. From
the view point of the Decaturites such
a position may be justifable, when it is
understood that business motives rule
us more or less, but does it furnish a
a good reason why you and should be
made the monkeys to pull the Decatur
chestnuts from the fire, especially when
none of the chestnuts will fall into our
hands? have nothing against Decatur,
in fact wish her we'll as do all the
villages of our good county, but when
she asks me to do something for her to
which she is not morally entitled, and
to work an injury to sister town
which will work her great wrong, l
decline to be such fool. for one am
sorry that this contest has to come up
it will tear our county from center to
circumference. If it could be settled
on it's merits and the calm Judgment
of the people could be reached it would
perhaps reach general good. But
such fear will not be the case. All
the arts of the politician will be used
in this contest. The Decatur proposi-
tion carries with it an offer of $4,000
for court house which can be con-
structed in no other way than plain
bribe. The life long jealousy of neigh
boring towns will be aroused anew, and
men will lose sight of justice in the
presence of jealousy and all the passion
which the politician will be able to
arouse. If it comes to this then there
will be more to say to Richland voters,
but for the time being / have said