Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-01-14


amendments which experience has al
ready suggested. At the recent state
election thousands uf electors voted for
the candidates for governor of their re-
spective parties who were at the head
of the tickets, believing that they were
voting the entire party ticket. This oc-
CURED as Ia all the party tickets. The
true intent of the electOr was therefore
not registered by the judges. for they
Were required to count such ballots only
for the candidate before whose name
cross was placed.
Would it not be advisable To provide
that there should be but enc method of
marking the ballot-namely. by requir
ing the elector to place cross mark in
front of the name OF every candidate for
whom he desires to vote?
The duties of county and city boards
of elections should be more clearly de-
fined.
Congressional Redistrictin
You will be required under the new
census to redistrict the state for repre-
sentatives in congress. This will afford
you an opportunity to arrange the dis
tricts with fairness TO all. Make the
districts so fair in their relation to the
political divisions of our people that they
will stand until a new census shall be
taken. Make them so impartial that no
future legislature will dare disturb them
until a new census and a new congress
sional apportionment will make change
imperative Extreme partisanshlp in
their arrangement should be avoided.
There is a sense of fair play among the
people which is prompt to condemn
fragrant misuse of party advantage at
the expense of popular suffrage. Par
tisanship is not to be discouraged, but
encouraged in all things where principle
is at stake; but partisanship which
would take from the people their Just
representation, as in the case of the
congressional redistricting by the last
legislature, is an abuse of power which
the people are swift to rebuke. You
must have observed from the returns of
the late election that the party which
carried the state by plurality of more
than 81 600 and which received plu
rality in 81 counties of the IS in Ohio.
carried but congressional districts OF
the 2l-the minority party thus controli-
ing two thirds of the congressional dis
tricts. and the majority party only one
third 1t will be your duty TO re-en
franchise the citizens of Ohio who were
disfranchised by the last legislative
"gerrymander, and TO restore to the
people their rightful voice in the national
house of representatives. Free suffrage
is of little service to the citizen If its
force can be defeated by legislative
Vaccinations in the form of n gerry
mander." The districts should be made
so as to give the party majority in the
state majority of representatives. and
so arranged that if the party majority
shall change the representative majority
shall also change.
Agricultural Interests.
A law was passed by the last legis-
lature providing for the selection of
permanent location for an agricultural
experiment station. Such location.
am advised, has been secured in Wayne
county. where a valuable tract of land
and a donation of money have been
made by the county.
Permanent buildings will be needed
for the successful operation of the inn
portant work TO be carried on st the
station, and in order that there may be
no unnecessary delay in the prosecution
of experiments of so much consequence
to both producers and consumers,
recommend that reasonable appropria-
ton be made promptly to this end
You need not be reminded that agri-
culture is one of the most important of
our industries, and that it should receive
at your hands the most intelligent and
considerate attention. The farmers
always conservative, and always loyal
to home and country will not. it is
believed, seek any legislation which
they do not consider for the general
good.
Big Demonst ration.
A gun fired at the conclusion of the
inaugural address was the signal for the
parade of military and civil organiza-
tions, which had been forming mean
while, to move. The entire inaugural
party then went to the reviewing stand.
in the state house yard, north of the
capitol, and facing Broad street.
The parade was probably the most i'm
posing ever seen here on such an occas-
ion. The first division was composed
entirely of political clubs, less than 80
different organizations being represented,
most of them comprising from rs to 200
men. The second division was made up
of secret society organizations and un,
attached military. Most OF these were
from this city, though number of
other cities were represented The third
division was composed of the state
military, infantry and light artillery.
The parade moved south 1 Third street
to Fulton. on Fulton to High, on High
north to Naghten, countermarching
back to Broad, passing the reviewing
stand and breaking line Immediately
thereafter.
After the parade had passed the sena-
tors and Lieutenant Governor Harris
to the senate chamber, where
the lieutenant governor took the oath of
Office, and the other state officers went
to their respective offices in the state
capitol, where they were sworn in by
different members Of the supreme court.
WIRE WAITS.