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The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., September 13, 1912, page 8

RALLY AT OPERA HOUSE

The ten days' campaign of the west end for county division concluded in White Salmon Monday night with a rally at the opera house. It was a full house. J.C. MacInnes presided, giving some very pointed reasons for division and injecting a witticism or anecdote now and then with mirthful effect.
A.R. Hayes stated the reasons for county division with telling effect, pointing out the benefits, meeting the arguments of the opposition, proving that taxation would be little if any higher, that the west end could easily carry its new responsibilities of government with economy in salaries of officers, and efficiency of service to the people.
Rev. Tate, after investigating the merits of the proposed division of the county and was so struck with the fairness of it that he came "over into Macedonia" and accompanied campaigners throughout the west end, made an excellent address, giving the experience of the people of Hood River in cutting loose from Wasco county. Their fight was under the same conditions as those under which western Klickitat is now fighting. For ten years they waged it, and then under the initiative they had it granted them by the people of the state. The Wasco objectors then admitted that they knew they ought to have had division all the time, and he believed that the same admission would come from Goldendale when division is finally accomplished. He bore out the reports of others of the benefits which the new county immediately derived. It is now on a cash basis, not a single warrant of indebtedness against it, has over $60,000 of macadamized road, rock crushers, steam rollers, has bought $13,000 in property, business has been more economically conducted, and it is convenient to get to the county seat. He denounced as unfair the Goldendale charge that the county division movement was started by a gang of politicians for mercenary reasons (a parallel case to White Salmon) and said that not half a dozen men could have been found in the new territory willing to go back to original conditions. Rev. Tate made a most interesting and convincing address.