Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-06-23
REPUBLICAN, STATE TICKET

The law provides the steps which shal
be taken in order to bring before the Leg
islzture Of the state the question of the
removal Of the seat Of Justice OF 4 coan
%. Notice mast Be given thirty day:
before the assembling Of the Legislature
Of the intention to present petitions
Upon the presentation Of petitions the
msttsr b referred to she appropriate
csmmitsee. which thereupon hears and
coasiders llmatters touching the ques-
ton. ana reparss its findings and recon
nasndations 10 the body which it repre-.
sents. That body thersupon considers
and determines whether or not the in
stsrssts of the people of the whole county
require such removal, or not. and acts
accordingly. These are the requirements
Of the constitution and laws of Ohio
The Legistatsae, hearing and consider
ing ali the facts presented, is the sok
jadge of the necessity of removal. Under
The law, the fact that petitioners may be
in majority counts nothing, unless
they are able to show that. the public in
tefests win be subserved by such re-
meyaL And this provision of the law is
wiser than are the men who are utteriHg
the deDagoeas cry that the majority
shall rule. Amsjority they have never
had, by the way. Suppose, for instance,
last year a majority of the people Of the
county qualified to petition had peti
toned for removal, and that the Legis-
lature bad been bound to enact law re-
moving our county sset to Bellaire, and
that In pursuance OF such removal three
hundred Thousand dollars were now be-
ing collected OF the people and expend-
ed in the erection of new county build
ings at BeIiaire; and then suppose that
ten years hence the population of the
county shoulH SO shift as to enable
Bridgeport, fer example, to present a
majority OF petitioners, must the people
of the county again be taxed to erect
county buildings? That is precisely
where the logic of the men who are
ciamoring about the right of the people
to determine this question for them
selves will lead, and there is no avoid
ing it! And then, if the law contem-
plates that no further inquiry shall be
made than whether or not majority of
the people of the county qualified to petit
tion have petitioned for removal, why
should people be required to go away out |
TO Columbus to present their petitions to
Ihe Legislaturef Why not present Pc
titions to the commissioners of the coun-
ty. who are as well qualified to count the
names as are members of the Legisla-
ture. or to the court of common pleas,
which could refer the matter to mas
'er. TO count and report the names, and
4 1t was found that majority had sign
I'd the petition order vote? The posi-
ion the friends of the removal ticket |
nave taken in this particular is untena
Die. and perfectly absurd. The Iegisla-
lure has higher duty to perform when
petitions for removal of county seat
are presented than merely to count the
names. It must determine whether or
not the public interests and the conve-
aience OF the people of the county de-
nand such removal. If they do, then the
Legislature remOUcs the county seat 5y
Enactment, bat such enactment can have
no force until it is ratified by the people
Df the county.
We deem it necessary to make this
statement of the requirements of the
and laws of Ohio concern
ng this matter, for the reason that we'll
meaning men may be misled by the
utterances of the removalists
bout the right of the people to deter
nine this matter for themselves"