Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-01-23
County Seat Removal.

The ball is in motion and the contest open
ed by the friends of removal OF the county
seat to Beliaire, is being waged In earnest by
both sides. Petitions are being actively cir
culate J., and are being met by remonstrances.
| This bel the case, in what we conceive 10
be the interests of the large mass of the peo-
pie of the county, We offer few suggestions
for the consideration of citizens. And hrst
we may ask, what the necessity OF a new
Court House? Is not the old building suffi-
cient and ample to accommodate comfortably
all who may have business with the Court!
1t is true that the building is not grand one,
but it possesses some advantages which un-
fortunately are not possessed by the majority
of the costly edifices in the way of court
houses which have been constructed in tn s
regien of the State within recent years All
the Offices are ample for the public necessity,
and no one is turned away for lack OF room 10
transact business. What more is needed!
The people of Belmont county have been al
WAYS ready to tax themselves for public i'm
provements, where either the demands of char
| ity or public necessity required that they
should In this regard they are not behind
their neighbors, as witness their magnificent
Inirmary, their splendid roadways, their soon to
be constructed Children's Home. Where nei-
ther of these causes operate, as In the present
proposed removal, the scheme is likely TO meet
with almost general disapproval, except in the
locality seeking the removal, and even there
many of the soundest and most thoughtful men
are hostile to the present movement.
One of the principal points made against the
present location by the remOvalists, is "inac-
cessibility." If by this is meant that it is not
great railroad center, we agree. 1t has one
railroad, built by the subscription of its own
citizens which with the facilities Bellaire hang
its claims upon, will land our good friends OF
that city in St. Clrirsville in half hour after
they start, and return them home all within an
hours time. Then, st. Clairsville is the CEN
tire of system of macadamized roads, which
reach out in every direction and give the mass
of the people, who do not depend on railroads,
] an opportunity to reach here by conveyances
and means at their own disposal, when they
please, without the OUTLAY of none yrequired to
reach Bellaire. These questions aside, the most
important one to the people, we take it, is the
outlay which will be required and the burden of
taxation which will necessarily be imposed upon
those who own property. We are aware that
the remOvalists hoot at the idea that the change
will cost the county $500, 900 or 100000. But
if the experience of counties in the State, where
new Court Houses have been erected recent y,
teaches anything, it is clear that removal viii
not fall far short of costing $500, ,000-one dol
lar and half on each one hundred dollars of
taxble property in the county-or one mill a
year for fifteen years, not to say anything OF
the large amount of interest which would ac-
crue. Are the people of the county ready to
bear this taxi Have they not already enough
to bear, considering the stringency of the
times? They are paying this year one mill on
the dollar for. their Children's HOme-another
mill will be required for the same Durpose next
year, and probably the next year. They have
been borne down for years, with taxes for
roads, bridges, and Infrmary. Is this not
enough for the present? We present these
matters not only for the consideration of tax
payers, but ask that those who are not property
holders and who pay no taxes, but whose inter-
ests are interviewer with these, TO reflect upon
them. Oyerburdens have brought enough dis
aster already in this county to both capital and
labor. Why impose more now when neither
public convenience nor necessity require it