Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 147, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1904 — Goodland Knocked Clear Out [ARTICLE]

Goodland Knocked Clear Out

The Supreme Court Declares The Whole Re*Locatfon Law Unconstitutioual. The Supreme Court rendered a decision in the Newton county, county seat matter Friday, and the decision is a complete knock out for Goodland. The entire law under which the various re-location elections were held, and in the last of which Goodland won the county seat by a small majority, has been declared unconstitutional, and thia, of course invalidates the election of Goodland It leaves the whole matter just as it was before the law was passed, and the final location of a permanent county seat and the erection of a good court house is now a matter as distant and uncertain as ever. ' The decision is a specially hard blow for Goodland, for the chances are over whelmingly against such a combination of circumstances ever arising again as to make the choosing of Goodland a probability. The decision of the Supreme Court reverses both Judge Thompson and Judge Palmer, and whether or not it is good law, it certainly is

not-good justice, for Goodland was fairly and justly chosen for the county seat. Thefo’lowing regarding the decision is from the Indianapolis Journal. The point of view from which the Supreme Court considered the question was from Section 22, Article 4, which reads: “The General Assembly„shall not pass local or specific laws, regulating county or township business.” The court held that county business has no prescribed or technical meaning but the law implied as much. The entire act of the Legislature was consequently held unconstitutional on the goounds that the Legislature would not have passed a statute providing for a relocation without special provision regulating the mode of acquiring the new ground, the disposal of the old and other questions relative thereto, and promoting the construction of new public buildings The evidence in the case shows that the old courthouse in Kentland was built in 1860 and is now so badly decayed and dilapidated that the whole structure shakes and. trembles when the courthouse bell is rung.

■5 The next thing to be done is ot apply to the state legislature for a fair, and equitable law for the relocation of the county seat; which this law just invalidated was not ‘by any means. If such a law can be secured, this decision of the Supreme Court may be the best for Nqwton county in the end, for I it would pave the way for a permanent settlement of the trouble, by locating the county seat some, where near the center of the county-