Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-02-04
Removal of the County Seat.
To fhs Citizens of GeImoal Coaaty

pOlUteu Il COMMITTEE W duuiCSS NOu vi
the subject of the removal of the county
seat: more especially in reply to recent
addresses and publications from ST.
Clairsril!e, against removal.
The first feature Of the question
which claims our attention, is the ex-
tfaordinary excitement INTO which our
fellow ci,izens Of St. Clairsviile have
fallen, at this stage of the matter. LIST
Because We supposed they understood
that a removal sometime S on was a fore.
gone conclusion with the people. Cd
That the application for a law TO aut,
horize removal was. praciica ly only q
preliminary inquiry as 10 whether the
people wished the removal to be made
to the place which might succeed in
having lis name Incorporated in the act
the people sill having the power to mega
tive the removal, if the place 9amed
should not prove to be satisfactory to
the majority.
10 this day, when the doctrineof "po-
pular soyereignty'i is SO generally recog-
nized. it is certainly singular that the
citizens of St. Clairsville should be -un-
willing to allow the peopie TO o. upon
the question And we should certainly
be surprised. if any considerable mum
Der ui the intelligent citizens of Bel
mont. should be induced by bsg bars.
c%onjur- d up by interested pafIiesssI
a remOnstrance against the pxsaee OF
a law, allowing them the most perfect
Ii erty TO vOte upon the question as they
might prefer; especially when. in any
event. the vote being ut a general cleo
ton, it could not cost the county exceed
ing 81 at each ballot box, or S6I for
the whole county. If, too, the position
of St. ClairsviIle he so ant -democra &C as
to aim at curtailing the elective franchise
if, as it is rumcred, she is already
threatening to exclude all persons petit
tionIng for removal from the favors of
the several cliques which have her fore
controlled the nominations for public
officers, it would seem TO be time for
the people to assert their independence,
and CAIN TO vote on all questlORsuf pub
lie interest, where the constitution and
! laws provide for such expression.
Another noticeable general feature, as
| the effort to drag into the discussion.
! questions not necessary to the honest
| and calm conside alton of the specia'
matter now before the public mind
questions which are doubtless designed
to create prejudice, where argument
might prove defective We allude to
The attempt made to show the movement
| i'm favor of Rellaire as originating with
.sSptcu ai0rs and especially non-resid
en,s, Even if this were true, what diff
erence does it make TO the county whet
her one set of property holders at Bel
Iaire shall gain, and another set OF pro,
perty holders at St. Clairsville, equally
..spec ,Ia,ors." except that they cs,n sell
nothing.) shall lose, Pr0ridrd The COUNT
and Is cliizens at large are gamers by III.
changed Most certainly if any prefer
ence on Their merits. be admissible al
ali it should he exercised regardless oI
character and residence, in favor Of those
NhoSe capital and energy are daily ad
ding 10 the population business and
wea tn of the county, rather tb9a in ia
vor of those who, after half a century.
influence Of the county seat hive sue
eeeded in bnilding up on y a sSssf vii
age Of l000 inhabTtaurs. ~
But, instead of this movement at Bel
laire havin. originated with The .specu
lators." so-calIed, we are eredihly in
formed that outside pressure, ard o'heI
instrumentalities. have forced actor
upon the citizens of Beilaire, Garlic
than they contemplated.
We shall now refer to some of tn,
points made in the Address by the com
mittee appointed at the st. Clairsvill'
me. ting of the 4th inst.
They start with the general psoposi
tons that lin selecting a site for
County, seat, which involves no %tecuni
arv sacrifice, it should look to the terri
rorial centre, the centre, of population
the facilities o arproach fr.'m all part
of the county the heaithfulness OF tn
I, location. and the accommodations OF III
, place for persons in attendance on court.
These propositions are fairly put
when, applied to a commercial tendenc
:, in the bus ness interests of the peopl
or greater s'facilities of approach" exist
! 10 counter balance the advantages of cen
traliiy Of position, whether geographl
cal OF in regard to population But tn,
, Commute have lost sight of the facts o
tie Gaze, or deemed il best ioiicy to ar
| que away from their own propositions
They admit, with an ingenious speci
men of candor, that St. Crairsville j
, not in the centre of the territory of til
: county. 1t is. as they say, smear tn
centre of population ow near? W
ask. The Committee do not say. The
= do not state that it is ear the centre c
: population, bat they allow i'm, ic,,ior
: or rather, inference. that such is tn
: TACT. But such is not the fact; certain
Q lv not. to the exclusion Of Reiiarie. eve
: upon simple territorial consi ;%erations
Ry reference TO tue table incorporate
o below and taking four townships fo
: each point as respectively the mos
e closely related by natural convenience
of approach we find that Uni,n, Rich
a land, Wheeling and Coleraia, with a
5 area Of Ia squares nrd--vw~-Aela
e ton of but 1914, or equal TO ;s5fo III
square mile; whist York, Mead, puItne
n and Pease, with an area Of III mile:
: have "A POPULATION of lu35S or equal I
81 to the square mile, difference q
So per cent. in favor of Bellaire!
That Committee claim, also. that ST
Clair>viile has the advantage of tn
National Road. and common roads cen
tcriug into ii from all parts 81 the couu
p ty," aud th.t place upon the Railroa'
S has bnt little advantage and furnishe
but little convenience TO those havin
the means TO Havel of their ~ who d
. not live convenient To Il railroad station
un ess tie distance is very considerable
I Tbfs rims II. tn The consideration Or ano;h,