The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-05-17
COUNTY SEAT FACTS
W. f. Cannon CorreCts the Mis-
Statements Made by Decatur
City Advocates.
Eden township, May IA, 1906.

i
ticle "Court House Free" signed by
Miss Bessie Kiting. wish to call the
attention of the voters of Decatur
county to some statements contained in
it. quote from the article: "Just give
Decatur City chance for relocation
and 5000 may be raised within thirty
days, the court house built and decided
to the county for 50 years, for one dol
lar Now, is that bribe to the honest
voters of the county to destroy the
present county and let it be removed to
Decatur City, for whose benefit? 1 an
wer, for none but a few money sharks of
Decatur City. 1t would decrease the
value Of lands several millions of dol
lars in the county. Why, that $4,000
would not pay the interest one year on
the depreciation in the value of the
lands in the county. Now quote again
from the same article: "No wonder the
lands are SO to $15 less in value per acre
than in adjoining counties. If the lands
depreciate in value the per cent of levy
will have to be higher to raise the same
every land owner in Decatur county to
pay higher taxes than in other counties
adjoining. Each county has to raise
about so many thousands of dollars
every year to pay the ordinary and
legal expenses of the county, and if
lands are only worth $40 per acre in
stead of $50, the per cent of taxes
would be one-third higher to raise the
same amount.
Now, there is not one sensible reason
why the county seat should be moved to
Decatur City. Leon is nearer the cen
ter than Decatur City, and has the adj
vantages of two railroads reaching to
all parts of the county, a large poultry
and egg plant which is to be doubled in
size at once, a creamery, and we'll stock
ed with good business houses, good
water privileges and other advantages.
Now, Mr.. Editor, l will quote from
another article in the Lariat of May a.,
1906, signed VIM. Cash. ''But it seems
to me if their statements are true that
the constant agitation of this county
seat question has been and is detri-
mental to the county at large and es-
pecially to the county seat. by driving
away men with capital who are seeking
a paying investment, that they would
be willing to let this question come to
a vote and settle the question at once.
And do they think if they should kill
the petition with remonstrance that
the taxpayers would vote $4,000 or
100000 tax to build a court house at
Leon with the county seat question un-
settlcd?' Now, if the taxpayers would
not vote a tax for fear the county seat
would be moved in short time, would
any sensible man or number of men give
$4,000 or 100000 to build court
house at Decatur City and run the risk
of getting the county seat moved to
Decatur City? Now, let every voter in
the county answer by signing the re-
monstrance.
There is no justifable demand for the
relocation of the county seat, from the
people of the county at large; they
know that an attempt to change the
county seat, even though they fail to
relocate the county seat, creates and
promotes discord and hatred that in
jures the county at large. No one cares
to locate in county fighting over the
location of the county seat, when it has
been established over so years by a
majority of the people interested. And
who is disturbing the tranquility of the
county and injuring the county at large
at this time except a few conspirators
at Decatur City trying to advance theil
own selfish interests at the cost of all
the remainder Of the people of the
county. This county seat question has
been settled over 80 years, the county
has adjusted their holdings accordingly
there will be no change in the count,
seat, hence this attempt to change il
against the best interests of the whole
county.
In regard to the location of the coun
ty seat those commissioners were tt
locate the county seat within sixty
days after the act was passed, but they
did not come in that time and were mo-
in the county until the last of July 1862
some six months after the act was pass
ed, and four months after their term al
: commissioners had expired. They hat
> no authority to locate the county sea
after their commission had expired, bu
were brought to the county by o. N
Kellogg in his own personal interest, a
he had claim on some land near Deca
8 tur City at that time. But the board o
8 county commissioners would not recog
1 nize the acts of r. N. Sales and O. n