Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-12-16
Town House Question.
sAYnnooK. Dec. 5lh. 1871.

your paper, has given, at considerable length,
his version Of our Town House difficulties,
aud has no doubt rendered his subject with
sufficient ability 10 fill the minds Of your read
crs with wonder and amazcment that 50 small
n head contained the whole he knew.
1t has been rule with me SO far through
life never to suffer my fire 10 be drawn by
game that Is worth less than the ammunition
and il the reputation Of large majority of
the citizens of this township, for honesty and
fair dealing, was not likely TO be prejudiced
by the misrepresentation of "South Ridge"
should not in The present instance, depart
from this rule II "South Ridge" was known
abroad MS well as he is at home, no vindca-
tion from his aspersioDs and misrcpresenta
tions, would be necessary.
Within the last fifteen years, the proposi
lion to build a town house has been voted up
on no less than half dozen times, either rs II
naked question, or one that was mixed with
the election of Board of Trustees, and as
often voted down by large majorities. AS late
as the Spring of 1869, the question of building
q town house was directly submitted to IA
vote of the people, and was defeated by
a decided majority at this election the ma.
jority against building would have been
greatly increased but for the strategy of those
who were interested in securing different re-
suit. ."For Town House" was written upon
all of OF the tickets that passed through the
hands of the managers of the faction in favor
of building, and many persons voted these
tickets without being aware that they were
voting afflrmatIvely upon the proposition
There never has been a time, when the naked
proposition TO build town house would not,
with full and fair vote, have been defeated
by vote of two to one. This question of
building has been mixed up in every possible
way, by selfish men who were interested in
building up particular locality, at the pub
lie expense; but the people would never
swallow the dose however well disguised
The law OF S1G0, authorizing the trustees ofa
township to build IA township house" costing
not more than two thousand dollars, including
site, made it possible for the few who were in
favor of building to defeat the known and Of
ten expressed will of the people, if Board
OF trustees favorable to the project, could be
secured. In 1870, three trustees were nomi,
mated who were suspected, and charged with
being favorable to the measure, and every
man OF them was defeated. In 1871, the town
house conspiratOrs again entered the field,
and by fradulenty coucealing their design,
succeeded in clccting two out of the three
trustees. But this success was achieved by
falsehood and fraud. The caucus that nomi-
ted these men was charged with design to
over-reach and deceive the people. The
charge was Indignantly denied. On the morn
ing. OF the election, AS the people gathered
they were suspicious, and another ticket was
put III the field. On the representations of
leading men in the Republican party that no
town house should be built, Or was intended
TO he built, the opposition ticket was with
dra wn except one trustee. One man who has
stood high in the party, andhas often received
substantial testimonials of its confidence, ex-
pressed the opinion that public Indignation
wonld drive from the township any Board of
trustees who dared to locate Il site and build
town house without the consent of the voters
of the township. Another citizen, whom we
have known from boyhood, and whose repu-
taton for truth and fair dealing had never
been doubted, declared publicly that no de-
sign to build u town house existed, and that
the charge was u Coppcrhead falsehood, made
with an intention to divide the Republican
party and secure the election of Democrats
One of the candidates for trustee declared as
he lived, that the charge Was false and with
out foundation. The representations of these
men secured the election of two trustees, who
had undoubtedly pledged themselves to build
town house if elected And to-day, these
men who made those fraudulent representa-
tions, stand shoulder TO shoulder with the
town house conspiralors against the people OF
the township.
Having been elected, these two trustees
however willing they mi ghl have bcen-dared
not betray their constituents without some
plausible excuse. The town house cOnspira-
tors called a citizens meeting on the 10th day
OF June. That such meeting was to be call
ed was carefully concealed from every person
who did not favor the building OF town
house at Ku Klux Corners Out OF a voting
population OF $50, eighteen men, deacons, lay
members, and sinners, all told, sat down in
council at this citizens meeting. This mass
convention, this Large and impartial gath
ering passed resolution requesting the trus-
tees 10 build Il township house, under the law
OF 1862 Any one having common sense, and
entertaining the simplest ideas of decency and
propriety, would suppose that such a request,
emenating from such a meagre assembly,
would have been spurncd by the trustees us
unworthy of consideration. A majority OF
the trustees regarded this resolution OF the
conspirators as the "voice Of God" The reso-
luton was presented TO two trustees, and
they-without the apparent delberation that
so wcighiy matter demanded, without "con-
sultation' with their associate, gracefully and
gracously yielded 10 the request OF the large
and extraordinary meeting gathered together
to take into consideration the important ques-
ton of building aud locating town house.
On learning the determination of the majority
OF the Board of trustees to build u town
house, and knowing that the law authorized
them to do it, the petition was circulated
through the toWnshiD 10 which over 00O