The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-18


 which the new county is to be carved
 have no voice in the election Ohuer tue
 nroposed amendment, no county can be
 created with less than 600 square miles,
 and no county can be reduced py sup-
 traction from it's territory below the same
 area With this limitation and certaln
 other limitations as to the population anu
 taxable values of new counties, 5oO voter
 in any locality in the state may torth-
 with bring up in any locality the ques-
 tion of the creation of a new county
 More than half the counties in the
 state have an area in excess of 600 square
 miles; so that, while the first election that would come up under the amend ment if adopted, would probably be to create a new county with Bessemer as it's county seat, 1t is safe to say that in the course of the next few years the am
 bitions of towns desiring to be county
 seats and the hunger of onlce-seeKlhs
 politicians will result in numerous eL-
 forts all over the state to create new
 counties by the dismemberment Of eXlsuhs
 counties. No elections in the history of
 the state have been productive of more
 bitterness and waged with more animosity
 than elections involving the locations or
 county seats, and 1t is safe to say If the
 proposed amendment Is adopted 1t will be
 the source of endless strife and dissenslon
 in the state, which needs repose rom
 politics. instead of increased political ac-
 tivity. There was never less need izl
 the history of the state for the creation
 of new counties than there is today. The
 strongest argument which can be ad- vanced for the creation of new county is that the people in certain sections or existing counties cannot reach the county seat in a reasonable time and at reason able expense With the wonderful 1n-
 
 provement in our public highways, the county seats of practically all the eoun- ties of our state are more convenient 10 our citizens than ever before. IT there De any case in the state where the inhapi- tants of a given locality have not reas- | enable facilities for reaching the county seat, they can be given new county oy l act of the legislature without the neees- sity of adopting the proposed aneho- ment to the constitution.
 Would Consult Wishes of All. of a new county is formed by the leg 1 islature under the present constitution, It l is reasonable to. assume that In uehhlhs l ifs boundaries the legislature would con | sult the wishes of all the inhabitants or i inc proposed county. If the proposed l amendment to the constitution is adopted l the inhabitants of town like Bessehef T. 1 seeking to form a new county Tor lhe 1 commercial advantage to be deflVeu there- 1 from, will figure on what territory they 1 can vote into the new county py tle 1 nrenonderating influence of the votes upon l n,bicb thex can rely. The town of Bes- semer will have approximately in the l general election something like toO or l 500 votes In mapping out the territory to be included in the new county lhe 1 promoters of the new county scheme Will
 have to calculate upon strenuous oppoe siton from many of the inhabitants or 1 Jefferson county which they desire to ln- l corporate into the new county as well as 1 upon opposition from many of the m | hahtants of Walker, Tuscaloosa, BlDD l and Shelby whose county allegiance II l Is proposed to change, but with 'o0 votes 1 to rely upon at Bessemer, territory 1 can be sliced from Walker county Wlth 1 25O votes all of whom are bitterly op- l posed to the new county; and 4oo votes 1 would still be left at Bessemer with when 1 to overwhelm other voters desired to he 1 ooerced into the new county. Of neces- | sity with Bessemer as it's county seat l the county seat of the proposed new coul- 1 ty will be at it's extreme northern bound 1 a-v. instead of being approximately at ] it's center as 1t should be; and the shape | of the new county may be that or shoe- l string, or any other shape whatsoever l which the promoters of the new county l may find necessary to map out tn order | to carry the election. If the new county l advocates after the adoption of the pro l posed amendment are defeated Tn the | first election to create new county as l many of our citizens believe they will De, l another petition will be promptly signed 1 up leaving out some uncontrollable beats | and substituting others and another eiec- | tion held, and this agitation with It's at l tendant neighborhood conflicts and hard 1 feeling may continue indefinitely.
 Could Not Convince Legislature. | "Committees from the city of Bessemer 1 have waited upon legislature after legis- | Iature, asking for the creation of new | county, the members of the legislature, to whom the appeal for new county has l been made by the energetic citizens of Bessemer, have always heard from the | other citizens of Jefferson county pro- posed to be incorporated into the new county and from the citizens of Walker, Tuscaloosa and Shelby who are opposed to the creation of the new county, and the state legislature has always refused to create a new cornty with Bessemer as its county seat, presumably because they did not believe that the convenience of the citizens of the locality to be affected re- quired the creation of a new county, and did not believe that a majority of the citizens in the territory proposed to be in- corporated into the new county desired to be taken from the jurisdiction of the exist ing counties. The representatives in the state legislature are always ready to hear well founded arguments in favor of local self-government. The question of new counties and of their boundaries can cer- tainly be left with safety to the wisdom, discretion and patriotism of the state leg isature These are some of the argu- ments against the proposed amendment, which 1t seems to me should appeal to voters all over the state, including those not interested in the particular new coun- ties now in contemplation.
 There are some other reasons which seem to me especially worth considering by the voters of Jefferson county, whose territorial integrity will be assailed by the creation of q new county With Bes- semer as it's county seat.
 Birmingham the Center.
 The grand old county of Jefferson has existed in its present territorial shape for nearly 100 years Its history and growth are the subjects of just pride to it's citi- zens. Birmingham Is not only its com mercial, social and political center. but is almost exactly in the geographical cen- ter of the county. In no county in the state can so large a proportion of the in habitants reach the county seat cheaply !, and quickly as in the county of Jeffer- | son. If new county is created with | Bessemsr as its county seat many of the i present inhabitants of Jefferson cpunty who will thereafter be inhabitants of shs