Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-03-28
4 sORR0WFUL SPECTACLE.

The act under authority of which the
school building was erected, passed IL
1861, recites that the district was organ
lied under authority of the act OF 1858
which provided for the erection of Sepd
rate school districts. Swans Stat, page
S45. sec. 32.) That section remained in
force until the enactment of the School
Code (Revised stat, page 979). when sep.
Grate school districts were dropped.
The law now in force provides
/ l. The State is hereby divided into
school districts, to be styled respectively
city districts of the first class, city dis.
tricts of the second class, village districts
special districts, and township districts
I (Rev. Stat, sec. 1851
( IL That each city of 10000 or more
inhabitants shall be city district of the
first class. (Rev. Stat, sec. 1885,
III. That each city having population
of less than 10000 shall be city district
of the second class. (Rey. Stat, sec. 1881.
! ". That each rillage, including the
territory attached to it for school pur-
poses, and excluding the territory within
its corporate limits detached for school
purposes, shall constitute school district
to be styled cildge district. REV. Stat,
sec. 3SSS.)
V. That municipal corporations here
after created or advanced to higher
grade, except villages created by advance
ment, or otherwise, shall from and after
their creation or advancement, be school
districts corresponding to their grade as
herein provided. (Rev. Stat, sec. 3SS9)
VI. That each organized township, ex-
elusive of any of its territory included in
a city, village, or special district, shall con-
Stitute a school district, to be styled a
| township district. (Rev. Stat, sec. 3S90.)
VII That any school district now ex-
/ isting, other than those mentioned in sec
/ tions 1885, 1887, 1888, and 1890, which has
been established by vote of the people
in accordance with any act of the General
Assembly, or which has been established
! by general or local act of the General
Assembly, shall be constituted district,
to be STYLED a special district; and such
district may be established as provided in
chapter five of this title (Rev. Stat, Sec
3S91) Chapter five relates wholly to joint
subdistricts, and applies only to town
ship districts.
The meaning of all this is plain. AP-
piled to the st. Clairsville school district
it amounts to just this: 1t is village
district, as provided for in section 1888 of
the School Code, unless it was created
separate district, "by vote of the peo-
pie" under the general law in force at the
time it was erected into separate dis
trict Gf it ever was, or by special act of
the Legislature. There is no pretense
that it was created in the latter way
There is no record of such election, and
no one seems to have any knowledge or
recollection of such an election.
For years there has been doubt and un-
certainty as to whether we have lawful
ly organized school district. But even
though it is, thinking men believe its or
ganizatiOn is undemocratic, and that it is
calculated to promote Ring rule. Believ-
ing that if organized under section 1888
the Board of Education would be more
representative and deliberative body, and
that the enlargement of the board would
increase interest in the schools and add
to their usefulness, a proclamation for an
election was issued For few days af-
terward not diSinterested and sensible
man but unreservedly endorsed the pro-
posed enlargement of the board. There
was but one sentiment abroad among the
people. But a few busy bodies and few
persons whose interest in the schools is
mainly one of revenue at once concluded
that if the board should be enlarged to
six it might not be such an easy matter
for them to cOntrolit, quickly began beat
ing the party drums, and in every way
possible appealing to the people to defeat
the measure. All manner of absurd OBJ
jections were set afiOat, and the gullibil-
ity of the people was amazing. When the
hour for the election arrived these inter
eSted men were on the ground, election
eering as earnestly as ever men did at
national election. They even made re-
QUESTION upon john barleycorn, and that
influential agency determined the ques
ton with more than one voter. Every
man that could in any way be prevailed
upon to vote no was dragged to the polls.
The friends of enlargement of the board
contented themselves with going to the
polls and voting very many of them did
not even do that The result was So for
enlargement and los against. At the con-
clusion of the count one of the opponents
of the measure very appropriately called
out The jug S ours"
We said last week the proposed enlarge
ment of the board appealed to the sound
judgment of every right thinking man.
That is still our opinion. We regret its
defeat, because we believe it bodies no
good to the schools, and we regret it more
especially because it is proclamation to
all the world that the people of st. Clairs-
vile can be carried off their feet by selfish
and designing men, and voted against the
best interests of all the people. Such a
result-upon question that so fairly ap
pealed to the good sense of the people
is not calculated to inspire confidence
If the majority of people attending an
election can be driven into opposition to
a measure calculated to give the People
greater control over their own affairs-if
they can be driven into the support of
Ring Rule and favoritism and partisan
politics in the public schools what may
people not look for next?
The fault is not with the men who fear