Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-03-09
THE TIDE n OUR WAY


county must prepare to pay dearly
for their position. In the first place.
q special election at a cost of perhaps
$1,000 would have to be held at once
to arrange for funds wherewith 10
purchase grounds for county build
ings In the city OF Occur d'Alene.
Bonds must be- Issued and sold for
the construction OF a new courthouse
and a new jail The people OF the
county within towns and on the
ranches must foot these bills. We
prefer to let the reader draw his own
toncsJs ons az TO TIE styl' and ele-
gance Of the equipment for these
county structures we would be asked
20 furnish. That the buildings and
the grounds would not fall behind
the large pretentlons OF Occur
d'Aien 10 without saying. Occur
d'Alene prices for Occur d'Alene
property would be the rule and the
people would pay handsome for this
Indulgence.
IAN this would unquestIonabIy
help some Of the residents OF Occur
d'AIene city, but there the benefit
would cease. That enterprisIng city,
now almost swamped, with debt. a
debt probably as large as the debt OF
the entire county. would gain an adj
vantage. but how. let us ponder.
would that benefit the great masses
OF the people outside Occur d'Alene?
The promoters OF the scheme are
ready 10 submerge the county in or
der to help out Occur d'Alene. Ger
tainly a magnificent mark OF local
pride were the price not TO be exact
ed from the pockets OF others. The
beauty OF the town would be made
atill more attractive at the expense
Of every man, woman and child In
the county"
The above two paragraphs are the
afth and sixth reasons advanced BY
the Rathdrum county seat commit
tee against the removal OF the county
seat to Occur d'Alene. That there ID
nothing convincing In the argu-
ments, We are free to admit. which
makes them all the harder TO an
swer. But there are misatatements
OF actual facts. which needs to DO
only briefly mentioned.
In the firat place the question OF
special election and the arbitrary ig-
nFe set down a. lta cost. are not H.
sues, and II they were. the same con-
dltions would have 10 be met at
some future time. and might as wall
be used AZ an argument against ever
attempting to change the county
seat. because this expense must be
met. There % no progress or adj
yancement without expense. and no
one - ally enough to believe that
the old Are-trap &C Rathdrum. by
courtesy called at courthouse. Is to
last forever and be pointed to with
shame by even the people OF Rath-
drum a. Our courthouse. Some
day new building must be erected
" not elsewhere. then at Rathdrum.
and with an expensive building there
people would be reluctant to vote
for change. even thought II were
inconvenient 70 reach the county
seat.
No one but citizen OF Rathdrum
would advance such an argument as
the expense Of an election for a rea-
aon against removal. but Il IL
matter Of submitting the question to
the people TO see what they think
about removal rather than case of
anticipating some dire evil which ex-
lists only In the mind Of Rathdrunl-
lie.
TIE people Of this city win donate
a site for courthouse and Jail worth
more than the ground and buildings
and all personal property owned by
the county IN RAthdrnm. What Is
the use, then. In trying to fool the
people BY such iilmay statements as
the above regarding cost. IL Is
probable that the county viii have
ample and convenient oHices fitted up
In good buildings IN this city for
such time as h required for the eret,
ton Of new buildings on the alta
which this city will donate. II the
county b TO have new buildings. why
not erect them before the big lumber
companies cut all the timber OF and
get cat OF the county, Let them
help bald for the future and do not
leave the burden until they have
poeketed their millions and left.
The average eitiEen ought to think OF
these things.
We ask our RAthdrum friends who
call attention to Occur d'Alene's In
dehledneas what the debts OF this