The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-03-20
THE MERRY WAR IS ON
Two Candidates In the Race
for County Seat, Which
Means no Removal

| The county seat removal campaign
can be said to be fairly launched, and
from now until next November the
reasons why you should and reasons
why you should not support removal
Will be industriously spread before
the public eye. The people of Omak
announced in mild and placid man.
ner months ago that that town would
enter the lists as candidate for coun-
ty seat hOnors. OF late this announce
ment has been more positive and in
sistent Now Okanogan comes to the
| front and throws it's castor in the ring,
la Roosevelt, and announces that it
proposes to take chance in the run
ming. Recently the sleepy old town of
Conconully has awakened to the dan
| ger that the county seat may be wrest-
ed away, which would result in a rep
etition of the story of the disintrega-
tion of Ruby, and the people of that
burg will strain every fibre of their be-
ing to retain the court house, and who
is there to blame them for fighting for
life? The fine Italian hand of Con-
conully workers is seen in the appear
ance of third candidate. This scheme
has worked before and 1t will work
again. Omak, go far, has made no sub
staptial offer to reimburse the county
for the expense attendant upon a re-
moval of the county seat from the
mountain tops to the valley, which is
very much against the budding ambi-
tion of that place. Okanogan comes
to the front with very substantial
offer to defray all expenses of remov-
al, and to provide court house. This
proposition will be more attractive to
voters, for while the vast majority
want to see the county seat at more
convenient and less expensive place
to get to, they would hardly vote In
favor of removal If they thought 1t
was to increase the tax levy. The fact
is in this campaign for county seat re-
moval had Oroville made an effort It
might have proved to be formidable
candidate. and it's candidacy might
have kept other aspirants out of the
field Oroville has advantages over all
other towns in the county, advantages
that no one can gainsay. 1t is at the
junction Of the railroads that cut
through the county, east, west and
south. 1t is easy of access by rail, and
to add to the convenience of transport
alton Oroville has the best hotel facil-
tiles of any town of its size in eastern
Washington, and otherwise Is the most
attractive town to visit. The county
seat ought to be in Oroville, If the con-
venience of the public was taken into
consideration. Neither Omak nor Okla
hogan are directly on the railroad, the
former a long distance from the road
in fact. But what's the use of en-
numerating the advantages of Oroville.
The population is too much divided to
secure the united action of the resi-
dents to pull for anything that would
benefit the whole people. So long as
the town is divided against itself It
would be the highth of foolishness to
ask outside assistance to carry out
any project that might help the place.
The town in time is going to be city
in spite of any and all cogs now hold
ing it back, for death in time will re-
move these cogs and new blood not
affected by the bacteria Of old sores
will push 1t to the fore.
However, that is another story. Oro-
vile not being in the running its citi-
zens can look upon the scrap with
complacancy, and the people can vote,
when the time for casting ballots rolls
around, as they may individually elect.
There is one thing almost absolutely
certain and that is with three or four
candidates in the field the county seat
will remain indefinitely Just where 1t
Is today, and the contending COM
munities are throwing good money
away in the effort to change locations.
Everybody but very meagre minority
residing directly in Conconully feel
that the county seat should be on the
railroad. yet it never will be on the
railroad so long as the county remains
its present size and flock of candi-
dates continue scrapping for the pie.
The only thing that can be done to
improve existing and unfortunate con-
ditions is for representatives Of every
voting precinct to meet at some CEN
trail point, where each town ambitious
for county seat honors could present
its claim for recognition, the delegates
make choice of location and after the
choice is made stick to the town select
ed at the polls. II some such plan Is
not followed there always will be a
multiplicity Of candidates, and those
Who are compelled to go to the county
seat on business continue to suffer
the same trials and Inconvenience
that they have submitted to for a
quarter Of century.
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