Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-20
Malyern's Attempt to Gain Mills
County Seat, Results In
Failure
BITTERNESS HAS BEEN INTENSE
So Fierce Has Been the Conflict Be-
tween the Two Factions, That Even
Lifelong Friendships Have Been
Destroyed = Has Been Expensive
Fight to Both Factions.
Special to rimes-Republican.

Special to mes-Republican.
Glenwood July 2O.-Glenwood has
won in the Mills county seat fight, the
petition of the Malvern organizers for
a submission to vote on the cues
ton of removal having been found by
the county board to lack 104 votes of
the required number. The boards de-
cision was reached late yesterday, at
ter it had been in session for twen-
ty-one days. Contests of this nature
always engender i'll feeling, but in this
instance the bitterness has been ex-
traordinarily great. Neighbor has
been arrayed against neighbor friend
against friend, and if there is voter
in the county who has not, many times
against his will and desires. been
forced to take a stand on one side or
the other of the question, he has not
yet been found.
Has Destroyed Lifelong Friendships.
So fierce has the contest been wag-
ed, so insistent have both sides been
in their desire to gain sentiment, and
so prolonged and bitter has become the
argument on the question, that in no
few instances have lifelong Friendships
been destroyed and families who have
been on the best of terms no
longer regard each other with any de-
gree of favor. Charges and counter
charges have flown back and forth
since the filing of the petition and
and that undue influence
has been used to secure signatures
been a charge of frequent occurrence.
Boards Position Trying One.
The position of the three members Of
the county board, upon whom devolves
the responsibility of sitting from the
mass of evidence and argument made
before it, the actual value of the con-
tents of the two papers, was most
difficult and trying one. During the
of the long hearing there have
been overZealous ones who have at
tached improper motives and improper
to their individual acts
and comment But be it said to the
credit of the three members, few have
believed other than that both factions
and interests would get square deal.
The members made no attempt to
conceal their personal preference in the
matter, altho insisting both sides would
be treated fairly in the matter. Two
were known to naturally favor Mall
vern, and the other Glenwood, the
present county seat. But the conf
dence of the general public has been
strong in an unprecedented verdict.
Has Been Expensive Fight.
The fight has been an expensive one.
both to the county1and to the individ-
uals who have given of their time and
to the cause. The salaries of
the members of the county board alone
quite an item. a total of $12
a day, and the session has lasted twen-
ty-one days. Then there are other le-
gal expenses which the county will be
called upon to pay and the money that
has been expended in making the cam
vass for the petition by the Malvern
people, and in circulating the remon-
by the Glenwood. people, would
reach pretty figure il there were any
way of ascertaining what it has been.
And again the loss in a business way
must have cut quite figure. for it has
not been possible for those interested
to avoid more or less neglect of their
private affairs