Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-08-12
POOrman's Wall.

The day before the Congressional con-
ventiou at Steubenville, and after it was
ascertained that 30 of the So delegates
elected in Belmont county, we're favOra+
BILE to the nomination of Col. J. D. Taylor
for Congress, there appeared in the per-
sonal organ of its editor, the following,
which speaks for itself:
In Withdrawing from the contest for
the Congressional nomination desire to
make to my friends the following expla-
nation and statement:
Before announced my intention to be
a candidate l consulted a number of
prominent Republicans of Belmont coun-
ty, who were of the opinion that such
candidacy would be entirely proper and
ought to have the united support of the
party of the county.
Many earnest Republicans from other
counties held, as Mr.. Bingham, of Harri-
son county. did, that there was no great
overwhelming claim held by any indi>
vidual that should exclude the fair con-
sideration of the claims of others.
Swift upon the announcement of my
purpose, Belmont county was oVerruD
with the agents of Mr.. Taylor and her
culean efforts made to distract and di>
vide the Republicans of the county.
Money was sent to various points to be
used in secret methods to obtain voters
to capture" townships, and aHidsvits
are not wanting that men were "hired"
to vote against me.
Letters were written by Mr.. Taylor
over his own signature, and circulated
in the county charging me with "carry+
i'm on q nf
and intrigue" and of forming "secret or
CARNATIONS to capture the delegates" !"
when in fact. / did not visit single
point in Belmont county except St.Clairs-
vile and Bridgeport, and refused to go
elsewhere when requested.
All the disappointed aspirants for of
fee who failed to secure nominations
combined against me.
The publisher of the county organ at
the county seat that draws its support
from officials elected by my friends used
money and other disreputable methods
in the interest of the claimant.
Prominent citizens of Barnesville
falsely charged that 1 antagonized their
local pike bill as member of the Legis-
lature, and others denounced me as OPP
posed to the interest of the farmers, and
at the same time letters from the candi-
date they worked for we're in possession
of citizens there making infamous pro-
posals for help to carry the delegates.
Over in Noble county, so-called Re
publican paper denounced me as in
league with secret labor organizations
and called upon the farmers to oppose
me, while in Jefferson county guard
from the Ohio penitentiary circulated
boycott circulars asking all workingmen
to oppose me because l was against Ia
Dor organization, and he had tools at the
polls who denounced my ticket as a
blacksheep ticket.
These are few of the instrumentalir
ties by which have been cut down, and
l have right to give them to the pub
lie, for in nearly forty years of active
political life l have never seen nor pass
ed through such contest, and hope,
for the honor of the Republican party,
never to see another like it.
To those who have felt constrained to
support another through no personal un-
kindness, but because of what they re
garded as special claims, and were manly
in their methods, l have no complaints
to make; they did but exercise their
right of choice.
For the mercenary and unscrupuloss
L have nothing but contempt.
To the large number of faithful friends
who stood by me am very grateful and
assure them that will ever be ready to
my indebtedness and return
in kind the service rendered.
Having made an earnest fight last win
ter against fraud and Doodle in politics,
l cannot submit without complaint to
the use of dishonest methods in my own
party. And with my own county divided
by these methods, my sense of self-re>
spect makes my withdrawal from the
contest necessity. G. l.. PooRMAN.