The Ordway new era., 1909-01-29
GRANT COUNTY
10 Be. Or Not To Be. Some Thoughts
On County Division

I
which we do not become weary. The
sonth side of the river is awakinr to
the fact that the proposition is not
the huge joke it was when the matter
llrst became public.
The north side people are out after
the division and are doing all that can
be done honorably to bring IL about.
They are comforted by the fact that
their hearts are made stout by having
good cause. There are few people
on the north side who are opposed to
II, but the pessimist or obstructionist
Is always In evidence. Selfish reasons
actuate many men to oppose. truly
meritorious moveS-moves that are
for the best interests Of all, but meet
the displeasure of the individuals who
take the negative side for the sake OF
opposing. But the individual living
on the north side who opposes IL,
ought To be classed rs Il freak.
1t is useless to re-state the argu-
ments in favor Of county division.
The people on the north side know
them by heart. The arguments can not
be gainsaid. Every north side citizen
knows that the reasons advanced In
favor OF creating the new county are
well founded. They are accepted by
reasonable persons everywhere. Only
the extremely selfish person, and
IA ntH and hove ,nnnsinn
The apostles OF the south side tell
us that they can not afford to lose us
because IL initiates against them
politically. In n sense, this is true
We have stood by and seen both OF
the dominant political parties OF
Otero county nominate all of the
county officials from the south side.
The north side gets nothing. II is Il
sort OF an ornamental tail to the real
dog, which costs us from 100000 to
s25, 900 per year to wag, and we do the
wagging ourselves. We get a COM
missioner on this side OF the river.
but II the district extended fifty feet
south OF the river, the commissioner
would, no doubt, be selected from
that side to make the delegation solid.
We get one commissioner from this
side because the law gives IL to us.
not from any courtesy from the body
on the south side. 1t looks a5 though
we are to be seen, not heard. We are
to vote for the sake OF voting. We
are to pay taxes for the sake OF paying.
We are done soiM his. We intend to
have county on the north side. We
expect your opposition. II we lose
now, the fight will be renewed. We
will succeed in the end. The north
side will be soliditled politically, and
we serve notice now that there VIII
always be something doing over here
In the way OF business and IN politics,
and the man or set of men who expect
to coerce us will awake to the fact
that we, as citizens and voters, Will
not be trampled upon.
We cannot endure 10 mill county
levy. Otero county has levied tax
of sl36, 900, which must be paid this
year! How much higher 1t will 20
next year the Lord himself only knows.
What is to be done with this amount
of money? Senator Swink said a short
time ago that the older we get the
bigger we feel and the more we want.
As Otero county grows in wealth and
population. the more extravagant De-
come her county officials. we want
reduction of taxes, and county gov
ernment which will be more econoln'
ically administered. Large counties
are more extravagant than the smaller
ones. Kiowa county has only Of
mill levy for county purposes. Tne
big county of Otero goes her llt miiis
better, reaching 10 mills. The north
side, II we are given the new county,
can transcribe the records and pay tue
current running expenses OF the
county and have money left with such
u levy as l6 mills.
II we succeed In dividing the coun-
ty. we know we shall be able to snow
our political lords Of the south side
that we are capable of local sell
government on scale so much lower
than the standard adopted by them
that our parent county WILL OF ac
least ought to be, ashamed OF her
extrayavance. Nothing short OF coun-
" division will possibly do, and tnat
90 cxnect TO have, notwithstanding
We haye opposition from across the
river. 49,
The bill has been introduced In the
Senate and the new county mas oeeu
named "Grant," after Elk Governor
Grant OF Colorado. .,,,.,ox,.r