Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-02-02

iZens. This will in due time be found a
serious obstruction to the advancement
of civilization and political influence,
and for this reason Kansas may be term
ed temporarily the western limit Of the
peculiar growth of which we have been
speaking and Missouri must also be
counted out for reasons potent to all, to
even native Missourians. We can not
count any of the States in which the in
cubus of slavery rested for so many
years, as having any part or parcel in
this grand onward march. After the
war the sentiment of communities that
had been under the curse, as manifested
in their acts and statutes, were not of
such character as to invite migration
of puritanic blood or immigration from
the old world, and Missouri is one Of
them. They, therefore, lack that infu-
sion Of aggressive, independent and
manly blood found so literally distrib-
uted in the great states of the Northwest
and in Kansas. But even Missouri is
advancing slowly but surely, and in due
time by her vast industries, wealth and
intelligence will make herself felt in
National politics. The ablest Democrats
in Indiana are the ablest Democrats of
the West, but they are all more or less
identified with that school of politics of
the past that is odious. so offensive
to the nostrils of the patriotic element
of to-day, and this makes them imprac-
tical candidates. 1t is pity David Da-
Wis, of Illinois, can't be identified with
some party as the advocate and repre-
sentative of grand, progressive, living
ideas and the coming representative of
the West, because the conditions of the
present demand just that kind Of a man,
and if he can I've found, he will be the
President of the future.
Republican Iowa, the Gibralter of this
section, must give up even her little cab
met position to satisfy the insatiate
demands of the East Her leading men
are not masters of the situation. 1t seems
then the proper thing to do is to rally
around the Buckeye State and make
common cause with her for the political
supremacy of the West.
After leaving the Hannibal & st. Jo
railway at Laclede on a trip south, we
have the evidences, ocular and tangible,
of what good determined spirit. man
of brains can do, how much he can ac-
complish for a neighborhood. Soon after
the war while the hatred, malice and
prejudices growing out of that bloody
internecine strife were still rampant,
and reasonable utterances in behalf of
the lost cause were popular, and traitors
in the South were on deck, one of the
most Intelligent citizens of Belmont
county dared to migrate here with his
family OF brave sons and fair daughters,
locate and grow up with the country"
h1%0 -
they have quietly dared all things, all
the inconvenlehces of a new country, set
their stakes, started and have continued
on their onward march, until to-day we
see them crowned with grand success.
The most of these men are rich and in a
few years they all will be, and their pi-
oneer is Hon. John Welsh. He has
planted community extending from
the railroad southwark across Linn coun-
ty and prominent in the northern part Of
Charlton cOunty-all prospering, respect
ed and happy. This is grand achieve
ment and one of which any man may he
proud. The great men of country are
not the busy politicians perambulating
the country, kissing the babies and beg
ging for votes, consuming the products
of the mems labor, but the men that pro-
duce and develop the resources, and
build up society in State. Men who do
sometlIing-these are the great men of
a country and Judge Welsh is one of
them.
Please excuse this long drawn-out let
ter. As there are other thoughts l de-
sire to submit, it can only be hoped they
may prove as interesting to your read
ers as to
Very truly yours, S. FL. LEE.
LACLEDE, Mo-, JAM, 1882.