Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-12-30


that two trustees, under such n coalition Of
things, should insist upon forcing upon the
township house the people did not wantf II
Is true the house only costs two thousand dol.
lars, and this amount Of tax distributed among
the tax payers Of the township would no, be
burdens0me II was not the contemplate
sum Of three cents laid by the British Gov.
crDment as taf on pound Of tea, that
aroused the indignation Of the Revolutionary
heroes, and arrayed them In arms against ths
mother country but II was the assertion Of
the right ON the part Of the British Govern.
mcnt TO tax them without their consent, and
an attempt to enforce that principle, that car
riei them successfully through the Reyolu-
tionary struggle. And is this same princi
pie of resistance 10 taxation without the con-
sent oi the people. that will make this resist
ance firm and successful against The aitemp.
to force upon the township house the people
have not asked for, and which they do not
want, and the building of which under all the
circumstances was most infamous in its con-
cepiiOn, and has been characterized in every
stage OF It's progress by an utter disregard of
the rights, feelings and wishes Of a majority
of the people Of the township.
"South Ridge" says when the trustees elect
ed in 1871, met to make their annual esli-
mates, they announced themselves ready ~
build a towi house whenever the people OF
the township should make their wants known.
| II such an announcement had been made by
the trustees, we should say that the principle
contained in such AN announcement was cor
rect But South Ridge" understands that
Mas statement does not fall gracefully from the
lips of a Sabbath School teacher, and mem.
Der of the church. He knows, or ought to
know, that he has made willful and dclibcr-
ate misrepresentation. The subject of town
house was mentioned 10y no trustee except
Mr.. Lewis and his announcement" was this.
That he was not in favor Of building a town
house TO please few men, and would only
do so when he was satisfied that large pOr-
tion of thr people of the township were in IA
vor of it," That announcement passed into
every part Of the township, and produced n
feeling of intense satisfaction among the peO-
pie generally. Those who had given their
votes to Mr. Lewis, with some hesilaions and
doubt as 10 the propricty of so doing, rcjoicej
| that they had not Withdrawn their confidence
from him; Others who hal refused to vote for
him, sorrowed that they had judged him ton
hastily, and with too little charity and all
felt relief that the town house question had
passed away To trouble us 10 more for Il year
to come at least. But circumstances soon
made it apparent that il was best to build the
present year." says South Ridge. What were
the circumstance" that made the building of
town house such an imperious necessity the
present yeary South Ridge docs not disclose
them. But the circumstance" mentioned
means that it was the last opportunity that
! the town house ConSpiratorS would have tu
make the present locality available. Ii was
now or never, and knowing that two trustees
favored Ku Klux Corners, it was determined
to build the present year" 1t was then tina
word" came TO these two trustees from IVA
rious parts of the township" asking them 10
build town house And it was then that no
tice of the citizens meeting ON the 10Th day Ol
June was scattered from Dan to Bcersheba.
Notice Of the meeting was given to the friends
of town house at the present locality" and
to no one else. South Ridge" cannot, after d
weeks hunt, name II single individual east o
the centre of the township, who lives ON the
Turnpike, North or South Ridge, North Bend
or any other part OF the township, and who is
opposed 10 town house at the "prcsen, local
ity," who ever heard Of The meeting until after
its labor of love and Righteousness had closed
Ii there had been no design 10 take advantage
of the people, why did not the Majority of tht
Board of trustees post notices of the meeting
throughout the township where they could b,
seen? Why was not notice but in the Ieie
graph, a paper of general circulation in th,
tow nshipg And above all, why did not Omar
the "town clerk" collect all his strength, ant
energy and summon the people to the meeting
with one ear-splitting blast from hi. trumpet
of rams horny" The sun on the 10th OF June
rose upon u people ignorant of any intention
on the part of few designing men to invade
their rights, and il set upon work as base and
mean, in IL small way, as was ever accomplish.
ed by any set of conspirators since the world
began. And it is behind this meeting-iraud
ulent in the manner of its gathering, indelen.
sble in its purpose and contemplate in num-
bers-on the lGlh day of June, that the build
ing of a town house against the voice of tho
people is sought to be justified.
"South Ridge" says that it is discrcditablt
for the township 10 transact its business at The
place where it does, and that ii is trespassna
upon the good nature of school district tc
compel such district to furnish place to
transact town business. How are the facts
An ounce of fact is worth u pound of theory
About the year 1910, the township joined
school district number in the erection of a
school house; the township gave the district
such sum as the district thought just, and til,
township secured the right to use the house
for the transaction of all its business The
house was built when each district in the
township had 10 bear the burden of building
The township contributed about fifteen pei
cent. of the original cost of the building. and
holds a perpetual lease for the use of the
house. Up to 1853 the township contributed
its proportion of funds for the necessary re-
pairs of the house; since that time, as every
I. Al. hail -.