Plentywood herald., 1933-11-09
COUNTY BLOWED UP,
OFFICIALS CHASED OUT
lBF EDGAR I. SYYERUDl

lBT EDGAR /. Sf NERUD1
Supposin' we read in our papers
some OF these cold wintery days
the above headlines. Supposin' that
our Medicine Lake Taxpayer in
the Producers News recently gets
his way, the old courthouse done
away with, records all destroyed.
and the officials chased out OF the
country. Just supposin' something
like that really did happen-then
whaty
II would be interesting to stand
fperhaps dangerously on the street
corner In PIentyWood and see what
happens. For one thing I'll ven
ture to say we would witness the
biggest crowd come swarming to
our eountyseat In all its history
Would this crowd be happy one.
eare-free. tax-free, putting on an
other Armistice Day celebration?
Would there be Paradise establish
ed In Sheridan county? In these
turbulent times, after all these
years OF loss and bitter discourage
ments, would this be most well
come release from tax bondage and
the beginning OF real New Deal2
AS I gaze into my little Crystal
of Fortune methinks / see this vast
crowd heading towards and swarm
Ing through the streets of our coun-
ty seat. They are shouting and
waving something. As look clos
er I see. instead OF banners, the
pink and white warrants OF Sheri-
dan county waited to and fro, over
$155, 900 worth of them and more
coming up- Sprinkled in here and
there can be seen bondholders with
another $176,00O due. Instead OF
cheers we can hear cries and de-
mands of Cash. Cash, Money, Ous
Fay. And most OF these would be
our own people, hard up, and suf-
fering. What calamity 1t would
be. IL our county "bloWed up
Another scene. little closer ito
home, would be enacted In all our
schools. The kids would have tc
stay home, no pay for the teachers,
no treasurer or assessor to levy and
collect 1t and no courthouse "ser-
wants" to do the figuring. Every
thing closed up, then there would
be real wailing and gnashing OF
teeth And with the sheriff and
court officials also gone we'd eth
er have to call the militia or go
back to covered wagon days. arm
and each "A law unto himself. This
would be what our Medicine Lake
Taxpayer would bring on to us, and
perhaps worse. We're skatin on
mighty thin ice right now.
One point In the statements of
my newspaper oppohents Is worthy
OF some consideration and that Is
the feelings OF our people In these
distressing times. 1t does seem
Hike a bit of irony or crazy, pitiful
paradox to spend money, extra
money. for a new courthouse when
40 many OF those who will have to
help pay for this project can hardly
keep a roof over their owr heads,
besides keeping body and soul to-
gether. But my opponents have
missed my point entirely. | sug-
gested a $4,000 courthouse, the
government donating $4,000 oi
this. leaving the $4,000 for us to
pay which In our own estimation
could be taken care of at no extra
expense by the sums we now pay
ont every year In rents, extra re-
pairs and upkeep We must NOT
forget the EXTRA hazard we have az
we'll zs the need for extra room. A
fire or other calamity should not
be needed to demonstrate our DO
sition, and that would multiply our
ccsts too As an unemployment
relief At this time this courthouse
proposition should be given some
consideration also.