The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-05-18

board consisted of three members,
one of which was selected each year
for the term OF three years to fill or
replace a retiring member, and the
member elected from the country or
farming districts was always elected
on platform favoring the consolf- |
dating of the county seat, claiming
that any increase of, county taxes
was caused by reason OF the two.
county seats, or two places to mold
courts, as Is now done. Then the
holdover members would have to
make the new member fully ac-
quainted with the records of the
county, show him the cost in the up
per and lower districts OF the courts,
tax collections, etc.. and the great
Inconvenience to the citizens of the
lower district if they would be COM
pellet to pay railroad fare to Fort
Madison. attend courts. pay their
taxes, examine records, etc. This
would be made plain to these new
members by all the holdover county
members, and after his retiring from
office cannot recall one OF them
who advocated one single place to
transact all the county's business.
From the foregoing it will be seen
that the single county seat question
was on wheels for many years in the
early history of Lee county, and a
number of our old time citizens, in
loyalty to their town, fought, for it.
Some of those who were residents Of
Fort Madison or West Point, and who
later made Keokuk their home were:
From West Point, Colonel William
Patterson, Old Uncle Billy Stotts, R.
P. Creel, Hawkins Taylor and many
others / can't now call to mind. From
Fort Madison, Hon. Edward John
Ter, Colonel j. G. Parrot and many |
others, who all afterwards believed |
that the dual county seat Of Fort !
Madison and Keokuk was the best I
and most economical solution for the
benefit and convenience Of all the |
citizens and tax payers Of Lee coun-
ty
Court houses and jails are now al |
ready ablished, with all the neces-
sary county Offices, both at Fort Mad I
ison and Keokuk and I want to warn
our rural tax payers and others in
Lee county against consolidating the
county seats or places of holding
courts at one place, say Fort Madt- I
son.
The immediate cost to the tax pay
ers for removing the mass of rec
ords and systematically installing
them at Fort Madison would be not |
less than $4,000 The loss on the |
old court house here, owned by the
county, would be worth less for any |
other purpose, say $4,000. The ex-
ira cost to double up the offices at |
Fort Madison to hold extra county |
records now in the Keokuk Office, say !
$4,000 more. A little later on |
hue and cry would be for new court |
house and jail at Fort Madison, say |
at a cost Of 100000 or double this |
sum according to the architects |
plans and specifications. Then to be !
added would be the extra court costs !
for transferring witnesses and Grim (;
inals, sheriff and bailiff, say $4,000 !
more per annum, and this proposed
consolidation would not require any |
deputies or clerks to transact the /
county's business than at present, |
possibly more.
My advice to the tax payers OF |
Lee county, regardless of where they |
are located in the county, is to let |
well enough alone.
I remember we'll when l first be- !
came a member of the board we had /
about falling due a bonded indebted !
ness of $660,O00 drawing from 8 per /
cent to 10 per cent semi-annual In
terest, which we succeeded in taking |
up at Az per cent interest. Now this |
old bonded debt is nearly all paid off |
and the consolidating of the county |
courts would sooner or later require |
another large county bonded indebt- |
edness, and l am informed the best |
citizens and largest tax payers OF
No IN foxy Of he
change, and consequently extra ex-
pense.
J. F. DAUGHERTY.
Keokuk, Iowa, May IS, 1915.
Suooest Preparedness Parade