Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-10-08
Established in 1 1913.
A DISAPPOINTMENT,
Governor Campbelrs Speech was
Dismal Failure.
He Attempts to Persuade Prosperous Bel
mont County Farmers that They
Are Fast Becoming
Paupers

Gov CampDellS meeting d1 IHO OIL
cannot by any stretch of Inauguration De
construed into an ovation. There was IN
deed a large number of tickets sold, but
the Governor was only one of the many
attractions. He was driven to town IN the
morning in a carriage to which b. Il.
Johnston's four black horses were attach
ed. After noon he went the grounds, es-
corted by a small guard of men with fan
CIV calico umbrellas, and by the band
which was not properly part of the
demonstration. When he began his re-
marks there were perhaps a thousand
people about the stand, but when he
closed there were not two hundred. Po-
litically there was absolutely nothing in
the remarks, but as jovial, little address
they might go. The Governor OF the
great State OF Ohio is pleasant-faced and
gentlemanly man, but he can't talk. He
doesn't know how to put things. His au-
dience seemed uncertain just where to
applaud and laugh. The larger part OF
that audience, however, came there to
hear something solid, and not to be Joked.
They were disappointed, and they showed
it. They expected some political food,
and they were given statements prtnG
facie false and absurd, and tickled with
buffoonery.
President Hoge called out to Governor
Campbell as he began, to give the crowd
little Cincinnati, and he said: "Well, l
don't know whether | want too much
Cincinnati or not. l always make 1t a
rule not to brag on myself, because new
er knew fellow to brag up himself when
he could get anybody else to do it, SO for
fear might violate that rule l Will not
say anything about Cincinnati except
that | planted myself on solid ground
and am standing there yet. But L am
ready now to day or at any time while L
am Governor of Ohio-and it doesn' t
make any difference whether l am on my
first or on my second term-l am ready
to remove any official of my appoint
ment if l think he is incompetent or
dishonest" The Governor said that IN
'SS Republicans had promised 40 cents
for wool if they succeeded, and now wool
is only 3O No person present manifest
ing any surprise at this statement he
told again the ancient story OF su-
gar, saying that the sugar makers OF
Louisiana, Kansas and Vermont receiv-
ed a bounty of $12,OOOOOO per year, while
$50, 100000 per year were taken from the |
price of sugar, and fallaciously contend
ing that the taking of $55,0OO,OOO from
the treasury's income left hole which |
must be filled, and which is filled by du- |
ties on other articles. He did not seem
to recognize that even were it necessary
to make up those millions-which it is
not-the farmers of Belmont county |
with their market at manufacturing |
centers would fare better if this sum was
made up on articles manufactured i'll |
those centers, than on sugar made in
Louisiana, Kansas or Vermont.
The Governor made great sport of
tin plate, saying that his efforts to
find tin-plate manufacturing estab-
lishment had made an old man of him.
His efforts to persuade his hearers that
no tin-plate is being produced in this
country were painfully inadequate. He
has closed his eyes to indisputable evi-
dence, and has the effrontery to treat a
great industrial fact-a fact which points
to almost unlimited expansion in the
opening of tin mines and in the manu-
tacture of sheet iron and tin-plate-as
hoax put upon gullible public for cam
paign purposes. But adroit denials and
silly Jokes will not obscure the fact. The
Governors pretended zeal in looking up
tin-plate factories was shown to be a
hollow hoax by his refusal on Friday
evening to visit the Bellaire stamping
works.
Looking into the faces of as intelligent
and prosperous looking men as can any
where be found, men who give every
outward evidence of abundant pros
perity, financial solidity, and in many
cases of wealth, Governor Campbell had
the heroic nerve to say, "You know the
farmers of this county have gotten poor
er in every way in the last ten years.
There is not one of you, there is not sol
itary one of you, that is any better off than
you were in 1880, and there are thous-
ands of you that are a great deal worse
off. Is there a farmer in this adudience,
who By legitimate farming, made any
money between 1880 and 1890? should
like to look at him, for l have not found
one in the State" He then said that in
80 the farm lands and buildings of Bel
mont county were appraised at about
S11, 100000, and in 80 at about $1,000 GOO.
Since the appraisement is about half the
value, he concluded this property had de-
preciated six millions, and further, since
the State had increased $243, 100000, he
informed US that the county farms
should have increased two millions, thus
making a loss of S8,O00,0O0 to farmers in
ten years. To all which transparent
the countenances of the Gov
ernor's hearers plainly said "rats," for
the citizens of this county know well
that appraisements do not fix values, and
farmers know that the low appraisement
in 80 was made at their demand, and
that it has saved them thousands of dol
lars in taxes; while all classes know that |
the appraisement of the entire county is
l6 per cent. lower than it was in 1880.
The Governors speech was disapoint-
ment. His reference to the self-respct.
ing farmers of Belmont as "poor devils"
and his reading of vulgar doggerel vers
es made votes for Mckinley. He advised
our farmers to raise h, and they prOba
bly, will, and James E. Campbell will be
the man who will suffer.