Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-04-15

THE TRIUMPH OF LAST AoNDAYs-one Of the
most exciting elections ever held in this school
q. -Iict, occurred last Monday. Two hundred
and eleven votes were polled, the largest. per-
haps ever polled In the district at any election,
and the result LIS one that the honest taxpayers
Of this district may feel proud over.
Since the erection Of our new school house
there has been q settled conviction among the
respectable portion of the people that we should
secure O number-one school director, in order
that the schools might be commenced in the
new building on such principles as should make
the new school house a blessing and benefit to
the town and district. For several months the
matter had been talked over by leading, promi-
nent men OF both parties, and a pretty general
understanding arrived At. Rev. Robt. Alexan-
der, a Democrat, was thought TO be the NEST
available and desirable candidate. and after
consulting him, 1t was decided TO run him with
out reference TO party. This srraignment was
satisfactory to all the Republicans, and to ma
jority Of the Democrats. The cone-tops, how
ever, were not satisfied because they had not
been consulted, and a few days before the cleo
tlon they-a self constituted, meddiesome junto
who are determined to have everything their
own way-concluded they would not submit
and nominated q candidate Of their own, who
was no less q parsonage than the great J. ID.
Heaton, member of the State Central Commit
tee, Of the County Executive Committee, ana
editor of the st. Clsirsville Gazette, the recog-
nized organ Of the Democratic party They
were apprehensive. that even with these hlgh
sounding titles they would be unable to carry
the district against as popular and efficient
man as Rev. Alexander, and they went to work,
Just as such dirty, contemplate scalawags and
low, political tricksters will work, to drive him
of the track. They represented to him, as we
are informed, that if he permitted himself to
run against Heaton 1t would result in strife and
difficulty in his church, and he, rather than !
run any risk of such q contingency, at once de- |
ciined to have anything to do with the matter. |
The cone-tops at once commenced rejoicing |
over their triumph, and supposed, ss the polls
were already opened and the election already
commenc ID, they would have an easy victory.
The Republicans having failed in their efiors 10 |
avoid running a candidate Of their own,
determined to run Rev. J. b. Johnston, admitted
ON all hands to be one Of the best men for the
position in the district, but q man against whom
the editor OF the Gazette had been laboring for
years to arouse the prejudice of Democrats be-
cause of his outspoken Republicanism, and Bit
ter hostility to slavery. They had little hope
OF succeeding, as there was Democratic ma
jority Of at least twenty in the district. The
decent. anti-clique element in the Democratic
party, however disgusted with the meddlesome
impudence Of the three-cornered, Know-Noth-
ing Clique, determined to rebuke their impu-
ience, at once Joined with the Republicans in
The support of Johnston, and elected him by
of nineteen.
We do not claim this as a Republican victory
it is a victory secured by Democratic votes
put we do claim ii as a great triumph ofthe bet
.er element over the baser element; of the man
over the political trickster; ofworth and merit
over partisanship; of respectability over ruff
anism, and Of fairness over trickery, and we
the people Of st. Clairsville over a
triumph that inaugurates the policy Of securing
he best talent and capacity for the control Of
BUR public schools, and that ignores party preju-
lice and disregards party drill, when the educa-
,ional interests Of the community are involved.