Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-12-21
COSMOPOLIS
ANNEXATION
COSMOPOLIS TURNS OUT TO
Meeting In FORCE.
An Hour and Half OF OratOrv For
and Against ANNEXATION, With
JUST Enough Ginger Injected to
Relieve the Tedium of the OCCa.
sion.

The city council chamber was
hlled Saturday night, at the meeting
or the committee of the city coun-
Gil appointed to inquire in to the de
sire OF Cosmopolis for annexation to
Aberdeen. The committee consisted
of Ingram, Weatherwax and Leitch,
with Ingram in the chair
f.. Il. Boner, attorney for the an
neXationists, read the law bearing
on the subject, and argued that the
law left no discretion with the coun-
ell; that If the petition was in due
form that body was commanded by
the statute to call an election. and
allow the voters of both towns to
decide what they wanted.
}. b. Bridges appearing for the op-
position, thought it was case
where the council should exercise
discretion before putting Aberdeen
to the expense of an election, when
1T was apparent that the annexation
would not carry. In support of this
contention, he showed that Cosmo-
polls had less than 200 legal voters.
and that more than $50 of them had
signed protest against annexation,
and reasoned therefrom that an elec-
ton would be a useless expense. He
claimed the petition was defective
and doubted the validity of the law
tnat purported to give Aberdeen au-
thorlty to conduct an election in
Cosmopolis, and intimated that the
opposition would carry the question
into the courts if necessary
NJ. r. Sherwood, manager of the
Union Mill Co., was called upon, and
made a plea for the election. He
compared Aberdeen and Cosmopolis
to the United States and Cuba prior
to the Spanish war, and grilled the
methods of the Grays Harbor Com
mercial Co. He told of driving an
emmisary of that company from his
mill that day, who was seeking to
intimidate Cosmopolis employees into
signing the protest against anneXa-
tion. C. w. Brewer, of Cosmopolis,
gave Sherwood the lie direct, saying
that he went to the mill by permis-
sion of the superintendent, which
permission had been obtained at his
request by Manager Cooney, of the
Commercial Co. Mr.. Cooney was
present and corroborated this state
ment, and the matter was dropped.
c. w. Brewer, although a trifle
flustered by the Sherwood episode,
made the best argument of the even
ing for the opposition. He said he
spoke as one whose entire property
was in COsmopolis, and he regarded
the proposition strictly from his per-
sonal viewpoint. He feared if an
neXed CosmopOlis would lose it's
postoffice, railroad station, express
office and Justices court; it's taxes
would be increased, and their pres
ent plan of street and other improve
ments, which all are paid for
from the general fund-One-half of
which is paid by the Commercial
company-would be changed SO the
abutting property would have to
pay. He reasoned that the time
would come--when the vacant land
between the towns was occupied
when annexation would be desirable,
but that the present movement was
too soon.
l.. b. Minis, of Cosmopolis, related
some ancient history of that burg,
and alleged that the Commercial
company undertook to regulate ev-
cry thing in that town, from politics
to pink teas, and he thought the
time was ripe for annexation as a
means from escaping this hated
thralldom.
d. f. Speigle, the Cosmopolis drug
gist, made calm, dispassionate
argument against annexation at this
time. He thought his little town
better off unanneXed to Aberdeen un-
til the two mile hiatus between was
built up.
Stanley Smith, who has resided in
Cosmopolis for 25 years, spoke
against present annexation, and de-
MED that the Commercial company
l.4.erefered with the town council
or school board, as had been alleged,
saying he knew whereof he spoke,
having served in both bodies.
Rudolph Distler, who lives in Alb
erdeen and owns half section of
land adjoining Cosmopolis, denonuc-
ed the methods of the Commercial
company, and offered to bet $500
that a majority in that town would
vote for annexation If given a
chance.
Judge Pearson. who also owns
land adjoining Cosmopolis, conclud-
ed the talkfest by plea for an cleo
tion. in the course of which he at
times scared into the Fourth of
July style Of oratory.
At the conclusion, the committee
said they would announce their re-
Communications in the matter to the
city council next Wednesday night.