Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-09-01
Democratic Convention.

The Democratic County Convention
met in the Court House, on Tuesday
and was called to order at 11H e'clocl
by C. n. Gaumer, Chairman of the Dem
ocratic committee, who presented the
name of R. S. Clark, of Morristown, a.
temporary chairman of the convention
and C. n. Allen. of Bellaire. and DR.. E
n. Riggs, of Powhatan, Secretaries.
Mr.. Clark, who is no "spring chicken
in Democratic gatherings, proceeded a
once to distribute his unfeigned thankl
for the expression of their confidence
he said he deemed it an honor to presid,
over Democratic convention of Bel
mont county; he looked upon the Dem
ocratic party as the great historic part,
of the country its history was one tina
they were proud of. The speaker indi
Gated that all that was good and glorious
in the country was due to that party
that grain grew; that agriculture wa
fostered; that mechanics prospered ;tha
manufactures developed-all because o.
the benign protection of the Democrat,
party; he called upon the convention t.
nominate sound Democratic ticket
composed of men of sound Democratic
principles from bottom to top; and said
let it be your only aim to select ticket
which will win, keeping local interest!
out of the contest. Again thanking the
convention for the hnnor done him
the chair calllrl for .he Iurther. pleasur.
of the convention.
The usual committees were appointed
a call of the delegates was had, and the
convention took a recess until 1 o'clock
After dinner the convention re-assem
bled, and the committee on permanent
organization through E. b. Winans, re
ported for permanent chairman of tbt
convention, r. s. Clark of Union; Vics
Presidents. VIM. Campbell, Jesse Bar
ton, T. C. Parker, Harry Danford, Jos
Hutchinson, Jos. Shannon, Henry Trash
er. John McNiece, VIM. Lee. Secreta
ries. c. n. Allen, E. n. Riggs, C. n
Gaumer.
The permanent officers were invited
to places on the platform, and business
proceeded under the regular organiza
ton.
The committee on credentials, by its
chairman, Thos. Pyle eff Colerain, report
ed all delegations full, and no contests
James B. Ryan, on behalf of the com
mittee on Rules and Order of Business
reported, and the report was accepted
and amended so as to require 43 votes
to nominate.
A motion to strike out rule 4, fixing
the order of nominations, beginning with
Representative, went to the table on mo
tion of Marion Huffman of Bellaire
The convention did not seem to under
stand that the object of the motion tc
strike out this rule was to break the
combinations, which afterwards result
ed in the nomination of Wagener. The
report as amended was adopted.
Hon. r. J. Alexander, on behalf of the
committee on resolutions, presented the
following resolution, the the authorship
of which, judging from tie feeble re-
sponse by the convention upon its adop-
tion, was evidently considered to ema
nate from the brain of "a crank:
Resolved, That the insane greed fol
Office, and desire to receive large pay fol
little labor, which nerved the arm of ar
assassin to attempt the life of the Pres
ident, moves us again to declare in ia.
vOr of reasonable salaries. and the great.
est economy of public expenditures both
National and State.
Mr.. l.. Bolen, of Goshen township, pre-
sented the following dOuble-barreled res.
olutiOn:
That we adhere to our Democratic Re
public, and advocate the right of each
citizen to vote on.qnestions of a public
nature touching the right of servants
elected to levy and collect tax to be ap.
piled for the erection of new buildings
for public use.
Resolved, That the present court
house is ample in size, commodious in
structure, pleasant in location, and good
enough in appearance inside and out
to last the citizens of Belmont county
for ten years.
Being put upon its passage the chair
decided that it appeared to be lost. Mr.
Bolen promptly called for division, but
the chair not recognizing that Mr.. Bolen
had any rights under parliamentary
rules, did not accede to the demand. .
Mr.. W. S. Barton a progressive young
Democrat of COlerain, offered a resolu-
tien that hereafter in Democratic con.
ventions that nominations be made viva.
VOce in open convention, and supported
his resolution in forcible speech, in
which he said that in this day and age
political parties should let the broad
light of day shine in upon their doings
The resolution was opposed by Mr.'J
W. Shannon, who was afraid that old
practices might be interfered with, and
old precedents broken down. The reso.
luton was lost.
The Central Committee question &C.
cording to custom, was brought to the
surface by Frank Hindman of Bellaire
offering resolution giving each voting
precinct member of the county central
committee. r. j. Alexander, ESQ.,, OF
Bridgeport, opposed the resolution, and
moved to amend by adding "that in all
meetings of the committee, each town.
ship shall have but one vote" Mr.. j.
W. Shannon favored the original reso.
lutions. Treasurer H. Eaton moved an
amendment giving Warren township
four members of the committee, which
was ruled out of order by the chair as
not germane.
Clerk A. c. Darrah, who was wise
enough to foresee that the convention
might strike rock in dealing with this
question, offered the following substi
tute which solved the problem and was
unanimously adopted: -
: That the Democratic Central Commit
tee OF Belmont county shall consist OF
one member. from each voting precinct
in said county, and that each commit.
teeman shall have the right to cast upon
all questions that may arise in commit
tee an equal number of votes to the
number of votes cast for the candidate
at the head of the Depocratic ticket al
the preceding State election. and that il
shall take sufficient number cf com.
mitteemeq. representing majority OF
the Democratic vote of said county. at