Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-06-30
THE LAW AND THE TESTIMONY.

Z
seat shall be permitted to remain where it is or
not '-BeilRre Tribune.
The foregoing, italics and ALL. is a
sample Of the nonsense which the advo-
Gates Of the Rellaire ticket are dinning
in the ears of the people. Now. the ed
itOr of the Tribune is lawyer, at least
he graduated at law school once upon
time. although he does not practice the
profession; and, lawyer or not, his knowl-
edge of his mother tongue must be quite
limited if he is unable to comprehend the
very plain words of the Constitution
upon the subject concerning which he
undertakes to enlighten the public.
This matter was discussed in these col
umns last week, but the persistency of
these distHrbers of the public peace in
clamOring about 1.-THE right of the people
to settle this question for themselves, "
and the tenacity with which they stick
to falseheod and Misrepresentation, re-
quire further notice. So far as this pa
per is concerned, let happen what may,
it does not intend that the people of the
county shall be misled and deceived and
betrayed into foolish and idle step if it
can prevent it.
The Constitution of Ohio, article 2,
section 80. provides =
No new county shall contain less Than four
hundred square miles Ol TERRITORY nor shall anv
county be reduced below that amount; and all
lars creating new counties, changing county
lines, or reMODing county SEATS shall before ia
KING effect, be submitted to the electors of the
several counties to he effected thereby, at the
next general election after the passage thereof,
and be adopted by majority of all the electors
voting at such election.
This is the supreme law of the state
alike binding upon legislatures and the
people, and there can be no exception
made in behalf of the few miserable
demagogues who, if they mean what
they utter, would break down censtitu-
tiOns and laws and rip up the very foun-
dations of society in order to accomplish
their ends. We. can not hope that the
Tribune will print anything the CHRoN-
IcLE may say upon this subject, but we
respectfully suggest that fair play to-
ward its readers and common deceney
alike require that it shall print the fore
going clause of the Constitution.
Is it possible any man who can read
and comprehend the meaning of words
can misunderstood the effect of this sec
tion of the Constitution "1AH Ia,cs
remOUiRg county seats, shall,
before taking effect, be submitted to the
electors &c. Is there any misunder-
that? Will any boy who has
ever looked inside the lids of grammar
and never saw law school, reading the
foregoing provision of the Constitution,
have the hardihood to declare that 1.-THE
people of the county" have the determi-
nation of this question, as this great edi-
tor so bravely asserts? The Legislature
is the sole judge of the necessity of re-
moval-the people Of county have no
power in the premises; but enactments
Of that nature are imperative until rat |
fled by the electors of the county inter- |
ested. This proposition of law was laid |
lown-b by Colonel Groom, member of the
House from Franklin county, while this
question was being debated in that body
asst winter, and conclusively argued by
hat gentleman No member ventureti I
% take issue upon the proposition; and
We have no hesitation in asserting that
he member of Legislature who votes
or bill removing a county seat without
himself being convinced of the necessity +
If removal is derelict in duty, and is
plain responsibility which
he Constitution places upon him when
le is sworn into 6fice, and these bab-
,lers about "the right of the people to
determine this question for themselves"
veil know it. The very language of the
'ill itself about the defeat of which
hese malcontents complain so bitterly,
lives the lie to their utterances. 1t read
be it enacted by the General Assembly
# the State of Ohio, That the county
eat OF Belmont county, Ohio, be and
he same is hereby removed" &C., and
hen followed various stipulations which
we're required to be complied with be- I
ore the act should take effect.
Complaint is made that the reasona-
lie requests of these; petitioners have
een disregarded by the Legislature"
nd in justification of the revolutionary
IoceediRgs resorted to by these disturb
rs OF the peace of the county, it is de-
Jared 1.-The rights of the people can be
ecured in no other way" What dema-
ogy and nonsense! The law relating to
emoval OF county seats. is found in the
ection of the Constitution quoted above
nd in sections S1f-S15, inclusive, of the
evised statutes. Section Sl1 prescribes
he-qualilications of petitioners, Sl2 pro-
'ides that notice shall be given of the
Intention to present petitions, SI3 that
10 memorial which has been in eircula-
ion longer time than six months shall
e received, Sl4 that the presiding officer
hall inquire whether or not notice has
cen given. and whether or not such
memorial has been in circulation a long
r time than six months, and SIS that
ne petition or memorial shall identify
he place where the petitioners wish the
eat of Justice to be fixed. The manner
rescrihed in the foregoing sections is
he only lawful way in which the ques-
on Ut renewal of a county
eat can be raised. 1t has been raised in
hat way three successive Winters, with
rlends OF removal representing the
OuntY i'm the ITOusp of Ranrasa,t +;,o, )