Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-03-30
ARGUMENT OF COMMITTEE
For the Proposed County Of esmh Following the Present,
ton of Facts by NeSmth County Committee Reosr%is.
County Division Measure Which Electors of OREGON Ws
Decide November g. 1910. v"

= When, in 1S4S, oregon applied to
= congress for territorial government,
Daniel Webster said: ut is so far
off that a delegate to congress could
> not reach it's capital until a year
after the expiration of his term"
] What a change since Webster's
time! Oregon, born in obscurity
little more than half century ago,
and for years practically unknown
, to the outside world, with no system
except the agency of its own people
to herald it's manifold advantages
and unrivaled resources, has moved
! steadily onward in Importance until
today, with head aloft, she occupies
an enviable position among the fore
most states of the union. And we
of this great undeveloped common
wealth are looking forward, like an
eagle pluming his wings for a higher
flight to a still nobler career and a
prouder station. Enterprise is plan
ming new forms; labor a new impe-
tus; brain and Drawn are at work,
and past attainments are a guaran-
tee that through these united efforts
a greater Oregon is assured.
Someone has truly said "The
nope VI luC luJuIt greatest uGN6lOp-
ment in the inland empire lies in the
evolution of the small farm and to
the intense methods of agriculture. "
The tendency is strikingly in this di-
rection throughout the Pacific North
west. There is a gradual and con-
tinuous drift from other occupations
to agriculture and horticulture, and
the demand for smaller tracts of land
suitable for family support and
profit is increasing, which means
that ere another decade, through di-
vision of large realty holdings, de-
velopment will be more rapid than
during the past quarter century.
The large counties, many of which
contain more area than several of
the states of the union, will likewise
be divided as population increases,
the creation of which will have
further tendency to build up and
develop the country, as is shown by
the creation OF Sherman, Morrow,
Gillian, Wheeler and Hood River
counties. One glance at the map
of Oregon will convince the most
skeptical that the smaller counties
develop the country. The most
densely populated and most extern
sive development of our resources
are to be found in the group of COM
paratively small counties, while the
larger ones are sparsely settled and
the resources wholly undevelOped.
1t is also true that an examination
y of the records will invariably show
the smaller counties to be maintain
ed on a lesser tax than the larger
ones, while it is a fact susceptible of
the fullest demonstration that they
have more mileage of and better I
highways, where the conditions for
working them are the same. Time |
was when WascO embraced more !
! than tWO-thirds of the entire state |
of Oregon, but increased population !
= and a consequent desire for self-gov-
ernment, in which the American peo- |
pie have been taught to believe, and !
which eliminates taxation without |
, representation, have now changed |
| all this, for the betterment of indi-
vidual conditions and the material |
advancement of the whole state. Lo-
/ cal self-government is the ideal form |
/ of government because the people |
, of any locality are better qualified to |
! administer their affairs than persons |
! who have no special interest in them
or their affairs. This the trainers OF |
/ the Oregon constitution contemplat- .
ed when they wisely provided that |
/ any section of the state having an
area of 400 square miles and pop
/ ulation Of 1900 might become self
governing through the creation of
county.
! The people of southern Lane and
northern Douglas counties, num-
bering more than eight thousand,
believe that they are better qualified
IN "a int 8I,.,9v
adyantageously and more economic
ally than comparative strangers to
their respective communities, have
prepared bill under the local in
] itiative and referendum, asking that
new county, to be known as Nes-
NTH, he created from portions OF
the two counties mentioned, the lines
being drawn in strict adherence 10
the topography and natural water
sheds of the territory, leaving vast |,
resources and large population to
both the older counties, and in each
particular case taking less value
than area, the chief desire in this
respect being to benefit the citizens
1 of the proposed new county without
/ working injury TO either of the old
counties or any resident thereof.
That the citizens of the proposed
. county of Nesmith are practically
unanimously favorable to the meas
ure Is shown in the fact that 92 per
cent signed a petition praying for its
creation. And to further show the
sentiment of the people of the state
and their endeavor to build up a
Greater Oregon, it is only necessary
TO say that over 10000 signed the
petition for the initiation of this bill
WI ch will be voted on November
y, l9lO-being about thirty per cent
more than the required number. ,
which signatures were either yolun-
tary or secured without an extraor-
dinary amount of solicitation. The
lines follow natural divides as near !
as practicable TO the center of pop- /
ulatlOn-C Cottage GrnVa the nrnnncnd |