Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-01-30
DE-. West and His Pc. secuto-s.

Mr.. EDI1OR:-Remote though we
be from the scene of DR.. Henry Vests
struggle with the "Whisi1ey Ring"
wrong, and injustice, yet we feel q
lively interest in is progress, and pray
may God defend the right! Since the
world, the flesh, and the DeviI'' have
conspired to crush DIR. West in your
town-the oIaer-loving, tempe. ance
people of the County have felt that in
the Dr's hands the good cause would
be nobly defended-and they have not
been disappointed. The fl sht WI h
D.. West involves more We AXE il,
than a mefe partisan tr;um ph 3. re
polls or elsewhere, though We know
how induSt iously the cohorts of whis-
key piled heir vocation to deIeat him
at the polls, and how reIea .iessly they
sill pursue him, with all tae magnify
and savage bitterness of their natu es;
this all we expected, and more. We
knew their purpose was to hound him
till he would be forced to surrender to
free whiskey and Iawlessness. The
appeal was made last Spring to the bal
lot and the verdict 7yas-"WeIi done,
good and f1.thIul servant" in his tri
umphant e.ert;on. Wesay We eSnect-
ed me he d Of pot house vam pires who
a1e only TOO well known al over the
County, to hiss out their pes..lential
hate at this good man; but never did
we expect, after the fight the Doctor
had made for Temperance and peace
ch- Stan virtues, to see The church
throw, through the action of part of its
Session, Us influence with the rabble.
We hear there is an honorable eycep-
ton 10 this course in one member of
the Session. TEen, again, So far as
we get impressions Of public feeling in
your town on the subject it is all with
the Doctor. Can it be so that the Doc
tor was refused a continuance Of his
case when brought to trial. even W hen
he alleged as reason the absence of
material witnesses from illness? We
hear he was. If be was, there was
neither justice, Presbyte. ianiSm, fair
play, OF any honor about it. D.. West
had clear and undeniable right 10
demand continuance and no "Cou;t"
ecclesiastical or civil would refuse it
him on the presentation of sucn plea
as we understand the Doc;Qr offered. -
If DR.. West had offended SO fearfully.
why not afford him chance to vindi-
cate himself in presence Of the people
who had conferred the functions of the
Eldership on him? We understand
this was fiatly refused, though he in
vited their pi essence to hear his crime.
We have the record Of other Star
but little anticipated their
in our midst, to strii
down good man, in The house of his
friends! aad this all done, we are in
in The name of Jesus CHI ist.-I
If these thicgs be true, Dame Justice
holds "balances that are false, which |
are an abomina.ion to the Lord" But, |
MIR. Edito-, 1 set out merely to say we
ara not dsir terested Observers of this |
con: owe sy, and as We Undet .tand the
me:i's of the con oveisy, our sympS-
thies are entirely with DR.. VEST
The jackals that howl at his heels
will find, reinfo.ced though they
may be by Churchmen, willing to do
-heic bidGing, the days of Jefiers and
MS bloody assi2es are numbered, not
only at the bar of public opinion, bu.
1t the court of the church. We are
glad there is a power to which Dr..
West can appeal for redress, beyond
he communicating influence of St.
Jlairsville whiskey and ST. ClairsvilIe
'owdies! Stand firm, Decor, jackals
attack the fleeing and the dead. "hfove
Immediately on their works." and
fight it out on that line If it takes two
or three summers," and my word for
t, you will have prisoners, scalps, and
,rophies to sell, keep and give away,
PEEsB TIER.
MartinsfeFIy, o., Jan. 9th, 1873.