Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-09-16
Republican Rally i'm BeIlaire
A Splendid Success.
Democratic ROWdies Attempt to
Break it Up.
Powerful Speed ofCoI. POorman.

others, of Beilaire, was held in that
city, on Friday night last. The spa
cious hall was crowded, every seat and
all available standing room being occu-
pied, while street full of people wait
ed and watched outside, unable to gain
admission. Just here We venture the
assertion that a more respectable or re-
spectful audience never assembled in
Bellaire. 1t was composed evidently
Of sturdy, honest, thinking men, who
came to near concerning their duty in
the present crisis. A few ladies graced
the occasion with their presence.
DR.. NJ. w. Junkins, President of the
Hayes Club, called the meeting to or
der, and named Henry Welsh, Esq,
to prcside-who at at once introduced
Col. Poorman, who was greeted with
rounds of hearty applause. We meant
to have given full abstract of the
Colonel's speech, and had so done up
until disgraceful attempt 10 break up
the meeting occurred. We must let
it suffice for the present to give our
readers only a brief opinion of its mer-
its, hoping soon to be able to lay it be-
fore the public.
The Colonel briefly referred to his
past course, declaring in it all he had
nothing to take back, having acted
from honest motives, and with others
had discharged sim ple duty as God
gave him to see it-but finding no vir-
tuoUs rest for the sole of his foot, with
his new allies, he finds himself with
the Republican party still, battling for
the right. He then proceeded to de-
liver one of the ablest speeches on the
financial and labor interests of the
country that has been made in our
State. The Colonel himself an active
labOrer, always identified with indus
trial interests of the State, it is only
just to say his eloquent expose of the
situation-the duty of all men in the
present crisis, was mastery effort. As
a political anatornist he proved himself
an expert in dividing asunder the soul
and body, joints and marrow Gf they
have any, of the communist blatter-
skite from Michigan, Trevelick, Blan-
dy and Ball. His speech on the finan-
cial issue was clear, forcible and con-
to every fair mind; and SO in
and skillfully cid he review
the whole present issue of capital and
labor, that he kept the uninterrupted
wrapt attention Of his large audience
to the last.
In exposing the sophistries and evil
tendencies of the teachings of Ball,
Blandy & Co., he was not only fortu-
nate but felicitous, and we hesitate not
to say, convincing. When at the
Democratic meeting a night or two
previous, Blandy was blowing that no
Republican dare meet them and dis
cuss the issues of the campaign. The
Colonel arose and respectfully remark
ed that he was there, and then ready
and anxious to accommodate him, and
asked to be heard-but he was met by
the howls of Democrats, Put him Outv
Shoot himH Kick him OutI' &c. As a
legitimate result of the teachings of
tie commune, what else could be eX-
pected? The Colonel took occasion to
say, the bravado came lily from a man
who had positively refused to meet
him on the rostrum, and Mr.. B. dried
up his blubber alb out the cowardice of
Republicans.
During Col. oorman's speech-after
be had talked halt an h0ur-a number
of men stampeded from the room, and
the Colonel remarked he chopped they
would all stay-he would say nothing
be shot, kicked from the room, or in
s snlted!"-and was proceeding happily
with his address, when one Dick Gro
zier stepped forward, and without a
word, dealt Mr.. John HeatheriEgtcn a
blow in the face. Mr.. H. was stand
ing in the aisle, near the platform,
when struck, and S, on the widest ex-
citement prevailed-women screamed,
benches were upset; many supposed
the h house was giving way-so silently
had Crozier crept in and made the as
sault. The audience were asked to
keep their seats, to prevent the assault
from having its intended effect, to
break up the. meeting, and The large
majority OF it remained quietly in their
seats. In the melee pIstol-shOt was
fired, the ball grazing the shoulder of
Presley Cowen passing entirely through
his coat, who was standing beside
Col. PoOrman, on the rostrum. After
an exciting scuff1e, in which no one
was seriously hurt, the Colonel finish
ed his address without further annoy
ance.
How can we find words to express
the withering indignation of all good
spirit of rowdyism prompting this out
rageously disgraceful attempt to break
up peaceable assemblage. 1t is assu-
redly time all such characters should
know that in free Ohio, though the
Democratic party would stifie public
opinion and public discussion, and del
egate the right of the masses to think
and act to ST. Geghan, after all they
have reserved right no. yet trans
ferred to the keeping of the Pope, Dick
Trevelick, or any OF their emmlssarles,
armed with fist or biudgeoD. Let the
utmost riyors of the law be meted out
to the offenders, and make them feel
the whip of the penalty of the law de-
scend on them like the bite of scor
piOns.
1t is alleged that Crozier, who began
the row, had no Intention of breaking
up the meeting, but that he intended
to resent an injury to one of his broth
ers, who was lampooned by one of tn e
brothers of the man he assaulted, on
the night previous. Admitting this to
be true, there is no doubt of his being
agged on by prominent Democrats of
Bellaire who intended to create panic
and break up the meeting. The insti-
gator of the row could not have mis-
take n the probable result, so that there
is no excuse for his action on that time
And now we ask that the question of