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The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., November 15, 1912, page 2

WILL KEEP UP FIGHT

Brooks' majority over Spencer has been reduced to less than 50. It is a slim margin on which to tie up immediate county division. It is regrettable that personalities so entered into the campaign that the greater object was overlooked and voters in certain precincts went against their own interests.
A rather dirty campaign was waged against Spencer. Facts were distorted; possibly expenses were magnified, the objects of the campaign belittled. White Salmon town studiously knocked, and in lieu of argument the prejudices of the people appealed to.
Over in the east end, for instance, a farmer was told that division would mean an additional cost of $10,000 a year and would raise his taxes one-third. "That means," said the man, "that I will have to pay $25 additional taxes, so you see I can't afford to vote for division." Even at Brooks own estimate of $10,000 -- way to high -- that man would have an additional increase in taxes of about $1. It was not so long ago that Mr. Brooks went out into the country and urged the voting of $10,000 so that the Sam Hill could go on with his state road which begins and ends nowhere and no one travels. There was no cry about the increased burdens of taxation then. No one got the idea then that his taxes would be increased one-third. And when the $10,000 was voted for and most of it paid those who had urged its appropriation did not go around in sackcloth and ashes and weeping great gobs of sorrow over the …… missing text ……… division. It is expected that in the heat of a campaign enthusiasm will often get the better of judgment, but in this one just closed judgment certainly showed its heels to gross exaggeration.
The closeness of the vote, however, has shown the strength of the west end and had we all pulled together on the single proposition of county division it would have carried stronger than the opposition carried it against us. The vote of the west end is good getting close to half the vote of the entire county and in a couple of years, at present development, will be able to dominate the political field if there be a united effort.
Though handicapped by the election of Brooks, the fight for division will not be abandoned. The west end realizes its growing strength, has compelled the admiration of the opposition for the strong, unflinching, systemic battle it has waged, and the Enterprise believes it is warranted in saying that western Klickitat will not stand for a cessation of the fight till it becomes a new county. It will be carried to the legislature, and should the bill be strangled in committee as it was two years ago recourse may be had to the initiative, which has been approved by the people at the polls. It was under the initiative, that is, the appealing to the whole state, that Hood River valley finally accomplished division after the political obstructionists of Wasco county had successfully opposed them for eight years. Two years from now, too, the west end will have increased its voting strength still more and an election then will mean a victory.