coudivis.html

The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., February 24, 1911, page 2

COUNTY DIVISION

Petitions remonstrating against county division were circulated along the eastern boundary of the proposed new county from Appleton to Lyle and secured a good many signers. The second petitioners represented that it was not fair to ask the people for the division of a new county, get their names and then put in the county seat and county commissioners afterwards. This was magnified into a big grievance. It may not have appeared to be just the right thing to name the county, the county seat and the commissioners afterwards. So far as we have been able to learn that there was no intention to take "snap judgment." After the petitions were in it was learned that the name of the proposed new county would have to be in the bill, along with the name of the county seat, and three commissioners. The legislature was half over. There was no time to call a special election on these matters. It was believed all the time that the legislature would designate the county seat, which would be only for two years, when a vote of the county would be taken as to the permanent county seat. So a mass meeting was hurriedly called and took a vote on all three feature. The country people seemed to demand "White Salmon" for a name, after the river and the valley. Messrs. Gordon of Glenwood, Brune of Lyle and J. Wyers of White Salmon were recommended for county commissioners. Mr. Morginson's name was proposed, but it was found that he had not signed the petition.
When things are left to the last minute, as in county division, mistakes are liable to be made, and things done that otherwise would not be. Members of the county division committee afterwards went to Lyle, and conceded the protesters the county seat and the naming of the commissioners if that was what was standing in the way of a unanimous support of county division in that precinct.
White Salmon have a right to start the movement for county division, belated though it was. White Salmon has been the main booster and developer of the west end. Her citizens have spent hundreds of dollars to advertise this section, not only speaking favorably of this immediate community, but of all part. She has taken the initiative in things for the betterment of the country. White Salmon is campaigning for better roads, citizens paid out unstintedly, property holders in some of the largest cities of the United States sending checks to better conditions. Its Development League is spreading the fame of this favored land to such an extent that a letter without the name of the state written upon it will come through. White Salmon is today the most widely known of any of the names of Klickitat county. Why then should it not take the prominent part for the division, for the cutting off of that part of the county which has shown the most progress and upon which property holders would still more concentrate their efforts with the territory narrowed down to its natural limitations?
White Salmon wants county division for the benefits that would come from that alone. White Salmon wants to be the county seat in case of division, but concedes that the people have something to say about it and that they have right to determine the seat of county government.
It has been conclusively shown that a majority of the people want division, and if there is any virtue in that, such things as commissioners and county seat -- of secondary consideration -- could be held in abeyance until the vision is accomplished, or until an election of the people could be held to determine it.