Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-08-13

erty was S507 100000. Now it is 81 $751;
600, 600. The personal property alone
now is appraised at $4,000, 900 more
than all the property then. In the
county of Belmont, in 1852, the prop
erty was appraised at 81 1885,, 900. Now
it is $21 ,000, 900. In the township of
Pultney, in 1852, the property was ap-
praised at $40U, 600. Now it is apprais-
ed at $2,72S, 900; and your hourishing
city of Bellaire, here, is now appraised
for tax alone at one million and half
of dollars. Who anticipated this state
of things when the present Constitu-
tion was adopted? I shall endeavOr
presently to show some of the reasons
why these wonderful changes make
changes in the Constitution necessary;
and why we have attempted in the in
strument which we have submitted
for your approval, to provide for this
necessity. When this State was Or
ganized, and the first Constitution was
adopted, its total population was 45,-
000-just about equal to the present
population Of Belmont county. Our
present Common Pleas Judge, Robert
E. Chambers, with his industrious hab-
its, could at that time have discharged
the judicial labor of the whole State OF
Ohio about as easily as he can now dis
charge the judicial labor demanded
from him.
NO OTHER PRACTICABLE MODEOF
OF AMENDMENT.
1t has been said, in the course of
the discussion ON the subject of this
Constitution, that while the main pro-
visions in it met with the approval of
its principal opponents, there were
some things they did not like, and that
all those good things, or most of them,
could be provided for by the other pro-
cess of amendment, without the inter
vention of a Convention; that is, that
the Legislature could adopt an amend
ment and submit it to the people for
their ratification. Let me take a mo-
ment of your time to show the utter
impracticability of that. The verdict
of the people was that a Convention
should be called-and it was called, in
pursuance of their direction, by de-
cided majority; and one of the reasons
that operated on the people when that
course was taken and that decision ar
rived at, was the utter impracticability
to which l am about to call your atten-
~
the Legislature must be voted for at a
general election, and it must receive a
majority of all the votes that are cast,
not upon that amendment, but at that
general election. That, gentlemen, is
something that can scarcely ever be
accomplished. And why? The peo-
pie and canvassers are interested in the
question whether Tom, Dick or Harry
shall be elected Sheriff, or something
else, and they are around electieneer.
ing on that subject; and 1 venture to
say that in Belmont county, by way
of illustration, it would be difficult tt
to get even one person in each of more
than four townships in the county tC
give special attention to getting a full
vote on any proposed amendment
What is the effect of that? We DOM
vote at all on it; we don't think of it
That is the objection to that argument
land it is fatal one.
1.-THE PROPOSED CHANGES AND OBJEC
JECTIONS TO THEM.
Now, let us come to the question o
what the changes are in this Constitu
ton, and what the objections to it are
There have been vigorous attack
made against it, and made by men TO
many of whom / have the very high
est respect; but while / have that re
| spect, Ishall take the liberty of sayin,
J here at the outset that 1 regard, so ia
} as my humble judgment may 60, tn
| objections that are made to it in tn
r main are trivial, ,captious and frivolous
: and utterly unworthy of the approva
r of thinking men
Il TuyU UnD no ssnE OTII nD ~, O1IInrrr>
One of the objections referred to b.
3 my friend Alexander, which was pub
lished to-day in one of your city pa
} pers, is strong illustration of this.
have it in my hand. The Rev. Me
: 10y, of Cadiz, certainly man of YER
pure character, and high standing, VIII
r has been around advocating the adoI
ton of the new Constitution, speakin
I of the great improvements that
+ makes over the present Constitutio
/. and of the great necessity for the pee
q pie to rise up over any prejudices the
!. may have, and to meet and wisely az
upon the question they have got t
: solve, has all at once come out in
\ card here to this effect: Reading fror
/ the BeLlaire hadepersdent.
s CADIz, ONO.
d "Editor Bellaire Indepeadent-DEA
: SRI have been the advocate Of the Ne
{ Constitution, and have spoken briefly on se'
!. eral occasions in favor of it. l have CAREFUL
read it and compared its provisions with I'll
old, and considered them in several respec
!, an improvement. A few days ago my attel
:, tion was called to the ADOPTING clause whic
J. is-.Done in Convention, at Cincinnati, tt
!. fourteenth day of May, in the year one thol
q sand eight hundred and seventy-four,
. the independence of the United States Il
: lninety-eighth.'
3 1.-THE old Constitution has it, Done in Coz
d vention, at Cincinnati, the tenth day of Mare
h in the year OF OUR LORD one thousand eigl
@ hundred and fifty-one and of the independen,
J. of the United States the eseventy-ffth'
l. you will notice that the words of OIL
;, Lord have been omitted. This may ha,
y u been an oversight but 1 fear that the omissi,
Il has been made to accommodate the infid
, sentiment of our State, and if so it is dire
3, insult to that christianity under whose benip
e influences our commonwealth has grown
wealth and honor. have reason to belle,
@ that it is mean attempt to deface the pala,
- ium of our liberty by striking therefrom Il
name of Our Lord
e II deeply regret that am compelled
It cease advocating this Constitution and to vo
l. against it. Many are not specially eager
o. put God in the Constitution who will be We,
y first step towards discarding altogether Ii
. . Chistian Era. Respectfully, yours,
y Nv. 7. MELOY."
Il Now, gentlemen, know precisel
v how that must have occurred, unles
J. it is mere mistake of the printer, an
e 1 have had no opportunity to see TIL
,r original enrolled copy since learning
n this extraordinary objection. / wv
!. present when that clause was writer
}. / had no idea it had occurred until
n saw a notice of it in the papers With
% q few days. 1t YVES the mere accider
o tai omission of a clerk whom we wei
/, compelled to hire, at some two dollar