The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-10-23
U DIVISION BEFORE
PEOPLE IN NOVEMBER

0OO NSS ~
come to divide the county, goes
without saying. The question: has
been the bone Of contention for
a number of years and the peo-
pie in general feel that it is
about time it is settled once and
for all. At various times dur
ing the past eight years the
question has been raised and di-
vision proposed and up to the
present time. the voters have
kept the county intact, due more
to the fact that the division
proposed were palpably so I'M
fair than to any real opposition
to county division. The real
trouble has always been that, in
proposing a division no thought
was ever given to the real well
fare Of the resident Of the coun-
|ty the only aim of the promoters
of county division being seeming
ly to divide. the county in such
a way as to give political pres
tige to the promoters and to
build up a county about their
town with the object of getting
the county seat for their home
town., no thought being given as
to what condition it would leave
the part Of the county in, which
was not included in the division.
Six years ago a division was up
before the people known as the
Stevenson county division which
would have left a bootleg in the
northeast corner Of the county
which would have been an ever
lasting disgrace not only to
Stevenson county but to Mclean
as we'll, had It carried, which, it
very nearly did. Again this
spring a division was started
for a proposed county Of Robin
son which would have. stripped
Mclean county Of practically all
its territory leaving them barely
enough townships to constitute
a legal county. After the Han
ma county proposition had been
circulated and it was plainly seen
that the Robinson county petit
ton was dead, the Robinson
county boosters went down to
Washburn and offered to give
the old county a number Of town
ships on the northeast corner
if the south end Of the county
would only stand by them.in the
fight, but the people in the south
part Of the county would have
nothing to do with the PROPOSE
ton, for it made a worse boot
leg than the old Stevenson coun-
ty proposition did.
So it can be plainly seen that
the people are anxious to have
the matter settled, if possible,
at the coming election. There
has been a strong sentiment in
the north part Of the county for
county division for a long time,
as the county is too large. A
large PERCENTAGE Of the voters
in the north part Of the county
will vote for division in any form
but the only thing that, has saw
ed the county so far was the
fact that a fair and equitable,
division never was proposed until
this fall.
But the Hanna county propos-
ed division, unlike the other pro-
prsed divisions, was not gotten
up by a bunch Of POLITICAL trick
sters but as the result Of a COM
promise. 1t was gotten up with
the sole object in view Of putt
ing a division before the eopple
which treated both the old and
the new counties alike and one
which gave no heed to county
seat fights or the. political tut
ures of some certain politicians.
1t divides the county into two
almost equal parts, geographic
ally, and the lines were drawn
with the object in view Of CIV
ing the best possible working
county to both the new and
old counties. If the Hanna coun-
ly division carries 1t will settle
once and for all time division
in this county and eliminate any
chance in the future for .
division ike that Of the old
Stevenson proposition slipping
through.
The people in the south part
of the county, We believe, real
ize. that the county is too large
at the present time and that
the people in the north part Of
the county have good grounds
for q kick. One trip to the
county seat from any place along
the north line Of the county