Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-07-31
BELLICOSE BELMONT.
Special Correspondence Of Enquirer

SDGSdu Tile IdN III dlH OA fCif enASh'
In good soil, under industrious cultiva-
tion, it has developed, and for many
years this has been i city Of statesmen
and legal luminarics. The proud in
habitant directs the attention of the
stranger to many an old mark in town
having connected with it "reminiscences
of men who have been famous in the
affairs of the nation, and the surround
ing hills are dotted with ancient man
sions of the great, some of whom have
retired to easy private life, but more of
whom have CROSSED the river. 1t is
still professional" town. You can't
turn cornei without jolting lawyer.
There is enough legal business in the
county to engage the attention of
Judge the year round, and there are
enough lawyers to attend to all the
cases faithfully, and keep the Court
house steps handsomely polished be-
sides. There is also a great deal of
political caloric, and a county seat
question which rocks the venerable
bills and upheaves the valleys. There
is lively local enterprise, too. and a
tenacious grip on all the honors which
the town has gained IN the past. The
proneness of the railroads to seek the
water levels left St. Clairsville high and
dry, with nothing but the National
Road and county roads to depend upon
for communication with the rest of the
world. Many thousands of dollars
were spent on pixies to overcome, as far
as possible the deficiency, andprobably
no county seat in the State is more
highly favored than st. Clairsville in
the way Of roads. Then the citizens
spent $4,000 to build a narrow-gau
railroad to connect them with the Bal
timore and Ohio, and now rejoice in
the whistle of the iron horse literally
the iron horse, for there is only one on
the line. A car with passenger and
baggage apartments, and a few flat
boats on wheels" complete the outfit Of
rolling stock. There has never been a
collision on the road. 1t would require
some skill to get up one. 1t has been
suggested that the Superintendent
should start the car from St. Glars
vile down the winding and picturesque
valley and allow the engine coming up
to meet it half way, just to advertise
the road by means of genteel smash
up. At corporation election
held on Saturday the voters of st.
Clairsville almost unanimously voted
tax on themselves to build a railroad
to connect with the Tuscarawas Valley
enterprise on the other side and the
town will soon be able to shake hands
with the brethren in two dilections.-
The new railroad will help to fortify St.
Clalrsville in her position as
THE COUNTY SEAT,
Though it will by no means settle the
question. Ambitious Bellalre, which
has some thousands more of popula
tion than its ancient and honorable
neighber on the hill, has been making
tremendous effort to take unto itself the
seat of government, and the question,
not being disposed of at the last ses
sion of the Legislature, is entering in
to local politics this year with such
violence that politicians of unsteady
nerves are on the verge of distraction.
If Bellaire, which is the hardest fight
ing element in the war, was able to re-
concile minor differences, it could as
sure the widest Courthouse battle on
record. But Bellaire is little wabbly.
When an amendment was offered to the
bill before the Legislature last winter
providing that Bellaire should be at the
expence of purchasing ground and
erecting the Public Buildings in the
event of removal of the Capital from
St Clairsville, an erroneous impression
went out that the amendment had been
made part of the bill, and some of
those who had been the most enthusi.
astic in demanding removal suddenly
became the most agile in kicking"
against the bill, which was supposed to
have that end in view. Bellaire though
still little unsettled in its plans, is
determined to fight last winters battles
over again, and the county seat ques-
tion so afflicts the political parties that
there is fear of the political voice of
Belmont not being heard on such an
important matter as the United States
Senatorship. How to keep the county
seat matter out of party politics is the
conundrum which even little children
are asking in every part of the county.
One of the plans seriously proposed is
for both the Democratic and Republi-
can parties to nominate for Represen-
tative in the Legislature men who do
not live either at Bellaire or ST. Clairs-
vile, and who have not ''formed or ex
pressed any opinion on the county
seat matter. This programme, if car
ried out, would undoubtedly secure
very stupid representatives at Colum-
bus. 1t would be on a level with our
magnificent system Of selecting Jurors
from the ranks of those who do not
read newspapers, and who have not
mind enough to form an opinion when
the particulars of tragedy have been
related to them. The son the fence"
plan is not likely to be adopted. Next
comes the Bellaire proposition to nomi-
nate Acknowledged forRepresentatlve
and county officers throughout, with
out regard to party preferences. Bell
aire has been in earnest in this matter
but the idea has been so severely dis
touraged in other parts of the county
that it is about to be abandoned. This
is the first stage of conditional di-
vorce of the county seat question from
county politics. Theinext proposition
is that each party shall nominate a
county ticket, except Representative,
leaving that office alone as The chalk
m ark to be 'toed" in grand nd-up
fight for the distinction of Court
house with bell on it. How long this