The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-02-09
For The Ohio Star.


s,,5 ;ndenendence enough to bring to public no. t
.J,, ,o;act of arscting new Inrmary buildings d
We'll satisfied am i that the exposure "h en- mas
Asen made of the plan, has knocked It IN head for
\ ;s scl,eme that cannot bear the light, and the
s,,tar;np of the Commissioners, shows that they
eeain to feel the pressure of public opinion. Not
,yithstanding the pretence put forth in The Senti-
ne. and WAig of last week. That the Commission
ers were only institutng inquiries upon the subject
am well convinced that their determination was
to build-for they seem to have acted upon tie
advice Of their undivulged and mysterious s. COM
petent mechanic who, with wisdom that will
render him immortal, " decided that the buildings |
could not be repaired I" s. They [rhe Commis-
souers,1 accordingly, says the Sentinel, employed
Mr.. Skinner TO draft plan of suitable building"
Mr.. Skinner did make draft and am informed
$50 900 would not erect the buildings projected by
his draft and yet extravagaut i: is, have never
learned that they promptly rejected it, ms they
should have done nor do know that they formal
" adopted it. But the fact that they could for a
moment hold such plan under advisement is
surprising-and is not calculated to inspire CONT
dence.
But if the Commissioners, as is pretended, did
not intend to build. why did they employ Drafts
man at an expense to the County of, as have
beard it stated, from $40 to $50! The exact
amount is immatefiaI. II they may expend one
dollar, they may hundreds, in getting up magnif-
cent plans and drawings for their own amusement,
without any intention Of employing those plans
or drawings for practical purposes! But. AYERS
the Sentinel, the Commissioners IS employed Mr..
of n. hill
out debating TO him in reference TO the plan
Was that done'like business men-men worthy TO
be the guardians of public economy! Would one
of these Commissioners, if he wished to build
dwelling house for himself hire al his o,cs erpense
craftsman "without debating to him in eference
10 the plan 7"
Tie Sentinel also says, I" if we are correctly in
formed, the Commissioners have come to no defer
animation in the matter" Worse and worse.
Are these guardians of the financial interests ofthe
County acting without aim, plan or "determina-
toni" Do they bindly put themselves under the
influence of competent mechanic, whose COM
potency is rendered very conspicuous by the fact,
chat he can discover way to repair a building
but to tear it down, and erect palace in its stead
Do they without any determination" employ
draftsman, at the expense of the County, ':wiih-
out debating to him in reference TO the plan "a
craftsman whose designs vie with the palaces of
the crowned heads of the old world If they are
not competent to form determination" and ''dic
tate pan," or if competent, are too negligent or
Indifferent to do it, in either case they are not fit
to engineer the erection of County buildings-and
this believe would be the verdict of very large
e IL, IL.
could they speak upon the subject-and for one,
should like to see these Commissioners, who.
without any $" determination" act upon the sug-
gestion of s'competent mechanic" and employ a
craftsman, .without debating to him in referc nee
to the plan,"-I repeat, / should like to see these
Commissioners in situation where the ballot bcx
could speak their prases-and seriously suggest
10 them, to give us tax-paying voters chance to
do them justice, next October.
All that enlightened kindness and humanity can
diclate should be done for the comfort of the Pau
pers-but the idea of the ''great unknown" ''com-
petent mechanic" that the present buildings can
not be repaired, is absurd and ridiculous. Heaven
deliver us from the counses of such competency
and the sufffages of the people deliver from,
Commissioners who can be led. thus bI:ndly nto
extrayagance.
l don't believe half the Taxpayers in Portage,
are, to-day, well housed, as are tho Paupers at
the lnfrmary in Shalersville And / believe fur
fher, that less than thousand dollars, expenj-
ed in repairs and additions will provide amply, for
all Pauper wants for dozen years to come.
But there is another aspect to this affair, which
] wuuM respectfully commend to the editor of the
iSeatinel, and to the old Democratic Party, as well
as tax-payers generally.
1t is this: Though the Commissioners are
Democrats, yet this incpient scheme of extravu
gance is not, in my Judgment, strictly chargeabl'
to the Democracy. The Democrats have lon
charged extravaganza and lavish expenditures upol
the Wings, and (though once myself membe
of the. Wing Party candor compels me to admit
the charge has not, been entirely, without fouuda
siou< 7.s's1
am inclined too look upon the exiravagan
scheme of building mammoth brick edifce, for al
Infrmary, as, in part, at least, the product of Wb
infuence--and in this view, it is perfectly natura
and proper that the Portage County 6hig, shou
step forth, as it Gid last week, to the defence
the Democratic (!) Commissioners.
It is well known that the Auditors office alway
exerts large, if not a controlling influence, owe
the Board of Commissioners-and the Democrac
of the County, to some extent understand, and a
may, if they will enquire, that the Democrat
Auditors office fell, several months since. to
greater or less extent under Wing influence.
1t is well known that Auditor McBiide wa
very wormy last fall, because the Democrats re
fused to nominate him for re- election. Th;
party, for reasons creditabIe to themselves, dror
ped the present incumbent and nominated NJ
Frost, a competent and worthy gentleman, car
able, himself, of performing the duties of tn
office.
Mr.. Mcbride from that moment, overlooking til
deep obligation which the Democratic Party b.
laid him under, by SO generously sustaining hil
many years, turned the cold shoulder to his o.
party associates, sympathized with the Wing nom
nee, and desired the defeat Of Mr.. Frost The reg,