The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-21
AGAINST NEW COUNTY ' AMENDMENT
Chairman J. s. Moore of waIker Coun-
 ty Opposes 1t.

October 16. 1908. fear the general effect of the New Counties Amendment is not generally understood. It Is not limited to the formation Of Bessemer County, as some seem seem to believe. Under it's terms New County" contest will spring up in every part of this State where there is enough territory to make three counties out Of two, or four counties cut Of three. or five counties out of
 The Bessemer proposition is to make six counties out of five. If the amend- ment Is adopted, men who want coun. ty of1ices and can't get them in their a new county wherever 500 square miles can be found that will not re-. duce the counties from which 1t is taken below that area. The excess aooVe 6O0 square miles can be taken from county and the people outside Of the seceding territory have no voice in the matter. They can only stand by and see their neighbors depart. had been helping bear the county bur den. There Is no restriction in the amendment on the form of new coun- sies. The amendment as proposed horse shoe" counties or "shoe string" counties, cutting off & strip here and strip there Under the proposed amendment Bessemer County could run
 
 right of way to a point seven miles from Tuscaloosa, then cross the raiI- road and run back the other side of ths right of way, thus taking about tnlrty-etgbt miles of railroad track for taxation and not a single voter to op- pose 1t, except, possibly. a few section foremen who live on the right of way.
 Tuscaloosa County will be powerless to prevent it. Similar conditions pre- vail in various parts of the State. There Is nothing in the proposed amendment to restrain arbitrary action Tn m,sSs sns saaPs as sos Of % nSw counties: The new county will be supreme. They will of course consider only the inter- est of thes new county. Those who consider this situation purely as a To- a new county agitation springs up at home. they will realize too late that the proposed amendment Is not solely to dismemper Jefferson County
 A prominent leader in public thought in discussing the proposed amendment our county was one of the largest and most influential counties in the State. The Legislature so reduced its area and population until we are scarcely entitled to representative In the low- CT House. and was hitched first to one county and then another to complete a Senatorial district and necessarily Out-Voted always fin the election of a Senator. that If the Senator was acc corded 10 us the man was always dic- tated to us by the larger county, whether acceptable to us or not. 1t was not right but we had to grieve and bear 1t. Some of the larger counties might escape for awhile, but the same fate would overtake them sooner or later. TbSfe are not less than five new counties just waiting for the amends ment and then some of the old coun- ties that nave two Representatives and Senator. or. could dictate the Senator. would be fin the position that our county Is in"
 trust that every voter in Alabama will bring this question home to him. self and that every one who does not want to give up any of his own coun. ty will vote against this amendment
 Yours resuectfully.
 J. g. Moore.
 Chairman, [