The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-12-27

" W"ttH HnN -NdiN tNc htoA iHtHt Nni'
OF that county. It Is very easy ior the
man who lives IN the county seat Of
a large county to dote on the senti-
ment OF pride IA his countys great
ness, but to the man who drives nifty
mites to the county seat, takes three
Digs TO- the return trip and sleeps
two ttSbss Ia n wagon yard, the sentl-
ment oi grandeur soon fades away.
County government Is nothing to the
whole people unless It is convenient
and within his control The man who
for selfish or political purposes clam
ors for a big county. and who criti-
cises our convention for the counties
it has made. should answer some Of
the following figures from the official
records:
West Virginia has fifty-five counties.
with an average area OF 44S square
miles. and 1900 people per county.
Nebraska has ninety counties, with
an average area OF S54 square miles.
and 1850 people per county
Kansas has 105 counties. with an
average area of us square miles, and
14,004 people per county.
Missouri, Oeaving out the city of
St. Louis) has ia counties. with an
average area Of sos square miles. and
22,2O5 people per county.
Arkansas has seventy-five counties,
with an average area OF 70S square
miles, and 1850 people per county.
Texas has 244 counties, with an aver
age area Of l,075 square miles. tthe
big counties of the west incipded), and
1880 people per county.
In our state Of Oklahoma our con
ventlon nss made seventy.five coun-
ties, with an average area OF 933
square miles, and 10000 people per
county.
Now reader, you will observe that
Texas Is the only one OF these states
having an average area per county as
large as ours, and Missouri Is the only
one of these states having larger
population per county We believe.
our readers, from this table viii very
very correctly realize that criticisms
OF this map are ridiculous.
County Taxes.
The next question arises as to
whether large county means Il small
er tax rate than a small conuty.
We say that il does not, and answer
this from reference to our neighbor-
ing states. The figures we give you
being taken from the financial state
ments Of the state auditors for the
year OF 1904
Kansas.
Harvey county has $40 square miles.
the county tax was an average of
$4G14 ger square mile, and Harvey
county has no indebtedness.
Cowley county has 1880 square
miles, and the county tax was $99.64
per square mile. and the county has
$l66,000 bonded Indebtedness.
Missouri.
Caldwell county has 43O square
miles, and the tax was an average
of $4,000 per square mile. and the
county has no Indebtedness.
Vernon county has $50 square miles.
and the tax was ali average of $500
per square mile, and the county has
$4,000 bonded Indebtedness.
Texas.
Delta county has 260 square miles.
and the county rate OF taxation was
So cents on each $i00.
Henderson county has 500 square
miles. and the rate of county tax
alton Is 65 cents on each 500
Now reader. examine the map OF
these three states and YOU will OBJ
serve that we have taken counties in
the same general location In each
state, and If you examine every county
in each OF these states you win find
thar the saving in taxation is almost
invariably in favor of the county of
less than GOO square miles, tYou will
find better government in tho small
counties and the people better salts
fed with their county government
There 10 no condition OF local govern
ment so satisfactory as that which is
within easy reach and control Of the
whole mass OF people OF the wnole
county. It Is very easy for tile lit.
lie bunch arosnd the county seat OF
a great big county to get together
and pass a resolution that WIZ. the
people Of this county, protest against
its subdivision into counties of rea-
sonable size. or course they protest
because the subdivision OF the county
means the loss of their chances for
graft and imposition on tho public
and II is not 10 be wondered al that
they appeal TO every influence they
can reach in the county 10 aid them in
their protest but the real question is,
and should be, with this convention,
what do the people of the other parts
of tho county desire?
The people OF the comfy seats, il
is true, have their right to be heard,
but no greater right than the people
who live Gfty miles from the cognty
seat. The clamor that aspiring towns
We're asking for county division in
order TO boom their town Is equally
met by the clamor Of the existing
county seat TO keep iself the favored
boom town. Their rights are equal
but the rights OF the people are above
both and il is presnned that the peo-
pie in the ne wcounty will exercise
their right to locate their own gounty
seat where Il best suits the people of
the new county. and it Is to be sim
ccrely hoped that In each new county
the mass Of the people will so direct,s