Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1899 — Kentland’s Great Victory. [ARTICLE]

Kentland’s Great Victory.

The Kentland Enterprise prints he Newton county seat bill in nil, and having perused the document, we perceive that the ' Kentland lobby got in its work in the legislature in great shape. If the bill had been headed “An act to slim-slam all other towns in Newton county and compel the building of a court house at Xentland,” it would have been named just right. The bill is wholly in Kentland’s interests, yet the Enterprise had the nerve to say that it is fair to all interests. The bill makes it impossible to re-locate the county seat in any other town, and then, if no other town succeeds in performing the impossible, a new court house must be built at Kentland, It requires a vote of 65 per cent., or practically two thirds, or two to one in favor of some other town. That is an impossible condition and known to be impossible. Even if three quarters of the people of the county wanted the county seat re-located it would be impossible to get a two thirds vote for any one place.

And the law not only makes it impossible for any town to get the county seat, but it further discourages attempts to get it by requiring petitions for other towns, to furnish, before'an election can be ordered, full plans and' specifications ifor a new court house, deeds for asitefor it, bonds to pay costs of election and other onerous conditions. The evident purpose is to keep other towns from even trying for the county seat, and the reason is found in a provision which says that if an election is not held within a year, a new court house must be built at Kentland. The bill is wholly unfair and if Kentland does fcet a new court house under it, the people of the county will never be satisfied with that settlement. . r The only fair way to settle the Newton county seat trouble would be a law which put every town on an equal footing. It should require first a vote to decide whether the- county seat should ’be t relocated. If a majority favored relocation, then another election should be held, which would be a free pitch-in for every town in the county, Kentland included. If any. town did not receive a majority,then the lowest should be dropped and another vote taken, and if necessary still another, until some one town had a majority, and let that town have the county seat. We believe ' that some such method will yet be adopted, and that the people of the northern two thirds of the county will find means to prevent the present unfair measure from inuring to Kentland’s benefit, until another legislature has a chance to repeal this law and pass' a fair one. Do not fail to attend the barSin linen sale. Monday, March th, to Saturday, March 18th, at the Chicago Bargain Store.