The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1908-10-30
FO)uN( THE VOTERS
How Coeur d'Alene Speakers
Hide the Facts.
THEY REFUSE TO DEBATE
Opposition to Removal Even in
Caur d'Alene,

Several county seat meetings we,
held last week in Prairie precinc,
both BY the advocates OF removal an
their opponents. G.. r. KlOpf an
Martin PolesOn Of Rathdrum ad
dressed meetings at Dalton Garden
and Hayden Lake. Some Coeur d.
Alene boosters were present and trie,
to refute the arguments advanced bu
without success. Among other thing
they attempted to disprove the asser
tion that bonding the county for new
buildings for $3.50, 900 would cause al
outlay of 1926, ,OGO 10 interest ia 2;
years at 6 percent pc, annum OF
$4,000 year. Mr.. Poleson called
attention 10 the hundreds of Coeul
d'Alene town lots sold last spring b,
the assessor for taxes when but two
pieces Of Rathdrum property were
offered at the same tax sale. A
Occur d'Alene booster interrupted to
explain that the Kootenai county
assessor j0iped with two other asses.
ors and assessed property this year on
ifty percent basis (which made
Occur d'Alene taxes so high tha,
many people refused to pay Them"
But the oyer Jealous booster was
quickly silenced when reminded that
tie property sold was for the taxes of
1907, not 1908. He instantly col.
lapsed, and took back seat. saying
''he never thought Of that"
Following these meetings, the
boosters came out from Occur d.
Alene with their band and addressed
the people at Hayden Lake. They
said much about the Rathdrum court
house property. M. D. Wright said
he had no title to the land, and G.
0 Dart was produced to testify that
the court house was officially ap.
praised at only $4,000 when the county
was divided. But Mr.. Wright did
not say that in 1905, when the legis.
lature tried to move the county seat
to Occur d'Alene. he and G. w. Wood
claimed their title to the court house
site IN Rathdrum under the very
reversion clause Ia the deed which
Wright now seeks to hide from the
voter. He also failed to state why
he told prominent Rathdrum citi
zen that he would accept the latter's
offer, (made few days before to pay
hlm $4O0 for his right to the court
house site 10 Rathdrum in case the
county seat was moved. BY accept.
Ing that offer Mr.. Wright acknow.
ledged that his title was good aud he
knows that his part of the property
can revert to him in case of removal.
lie failed also to tell OF G. w. Wood
having assigned all his interest to the
reversion to Joseph Poirier Of Rath
drum and that Mr.. Poirier would
calm the property IL the county seat
Is removed. The reversion clause In
the deed Is good, and in case of re.
moval the court house and jail site 10
hathdrum, with the buildings on
them, officially appraised in 1905 to
De worth $22, (the actual cost is
much more than thaD would become
Total loss to the county, and M. D.
Wright knows it.
Mr.. Dart said the court house was
appraised at $4,000 and the other
speakers then told the people that
would be all they would lose by NOV.
'ng the county seat. He did not tell
'nem that the iail was appraised at
Tue same time at $4,000 aud the
vault ut $4,000, which would also be
,osI 10 case Of removal. Neither did
VI any OF the Others state that
'n's appraised value only represented
part of the actual cost aud real
present value Of the courthouse and
,a'l', 1t was natural that they should
es''ent on this, their object being
" conceal the facts from the public
- much as possible to which end
'uey announced at the opening of the
= 9'eeting that they did not come out
" ueoate with anyone and did not
a"t 10. They knew their argu-
aeuts could not stand the test and
10y meant to guard against repeti-