The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-09-18
COUNTY SEAT REMOVAL.
Up to Voters to Choose Between Con-
eonully and Okanogan.

into between the citizens of Omak and
Okanogan prior to the submission of
the names of the two places to the
electors of the county at the primaries
as candidates for the county seat
against Conconully the town that lost
out at the polls was to stand Loyalty
by the winner at the general election
in November. 1t is against the record
of past experience if the people of
Omak stand true to that promise, yet
the Omak Chronicle, that made a gai-
liant fight for it's town during the cam
paign, manfully announces its iuten-
ton to abide by the result, and it is
reported through other sources that
the citizens of Omak propose tn adhere
strictly to the agreement If they do
then the removal of the county seat to
Okanogan is an almost foregone con-
al has existed in this county for years,
the only drawback to re-establishing
the seat of government being the in
ability of the voters to combine upon
a location. Heretofore removal has
been prevented by tCo many aspirants
being in the field. Local jealousy has
been a strong factor in preventing q
change. With the completion of the
railroad down the valley the demand
for more central location for the
county seat has grown stronger in
popular favor, and The demand for a
change is almost imperative. There
is opposition to removal at this time
in a few precincts. Not that the resi-
dents of those precincts are satisfied
with the present location, bur opposi-
tiOn to removal at this time is based
upon the hope of county division. If
those who entertain such hopes only
knew how strongly the mora populous
counties of the state arc opposed To
th- creation of more counties they
would realize how little chance there
is of any division of Okarogan county
for years to come. In the meantime,
If there is no change in the county
seat, people will have to continue to
submit to the great inconvenience and
hardship that it is necessary to UNDER
go in order to reach the
county seat in its present To-
cation. However, it is generally
believed, and the recent vote would
go far to bear out that belief, that this
opposition to removal is not sufficient
ly strong to prevent vote favorable
to Okanogan in November, and that is
especially the case if the big Omak
precincts, with their 500 votes, throw
only IS per cent of that vote to OLan-
ogan. Removal appears to be more
certain just now than ever before
since change of county seat was first
suggested.
While feeling that change of loca-
ton for the county seat would be
greatly advantageous to vast major
ity of the residents of the county, yet
one cannot help feeling sympathy for
the people of Conconully, who neces-
sarily will be great losers by the
change. Conconully has been the
county seat for years. Many Of the
residents own property and comfort
able homes, representing about all
they possess. The citizens have al
most wholly depended upon the coun-
ty seat, the people and business that
the presence of the county offices draw
that way, for an existence. Tucked
away high up in depression of the
mountains, beautifully located from a
scenic point of view, with little pro-
ducing country Immediately adjacent,
without the county seat Conconully
would gradually 60 the way of Ruby.
That desolation no one wants to see,
and sympathy will be responsible for
many vote that goes into the ballot
box in favor of Conconully at the gen.
eral election. There are many most
worthy and delightfully."- likeable peo-
pie in Conconully, whom no one could
wish harm, and with county seat re-
| moval they are certain to suffer loss.
Yet it now looks as though the few
would be sacrificed for the benefit and
advantage of the greater majority, for
there is no gainsaying the fact that a
more central and accessible location
for the county seat would be saving
and great benefit to every taxpayer
in the county, and Okanogan is that
location.