The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-02-08
GOOD THING
For Alliance Would Be
New County.
Salem News, However, Doesn't
Want to Cut Loose From
Old Lines.

A short time ago Judge Hole of the
common pleas court decided upon re-
ceiving opinions from the other judges
in the subdivision that he could not
legally hold sessions of the court away
from the court house at the county
seat, as had been done at Wellsville
and East Liverpool upon several occa
sions to accommodate litigants and
attorneys, says the Salem News.
Immediately upon this announce
ment there went up from Wellsville
loud demand for a division of the
county with new court house at what
is now the south end of Columbiana
county. The matter was reviewed in
these columns and the impossibility
of such action was shown. The talk
of division subsidized, but now comes
word from Alliance of scheme on foot
to erect new county out of the east
ern portion of Stark, the western part
of Columbiana with slices of Mahon-
ing and Portage counties, Alliance to
be the county seat of the new for.
nation.
The advantages Of such new coun-
ty with all the honors going to Alliance
are enlarged upon, and judging from
the talk 1t would appear that any who
would oppose the proposed slicing up
of old lines and the erection of a new
county is not alive to his best interests
as citizen, taxpayer or aspirant for
political office.
It is declared that the city solicitor
of Alliance has looked up the law
upon the subject and everything is
| 30 l. 60 iri IN 4 hof
the new county must have not less
than 100 square miles of territory and
that no county now existing can be re-
duced below that amount of territory.
1t seems rather strange that such con-
clusion should be arrived at. There
must be an error in the information
given out, for the state constitution
provides explicitly that no county can
be reduced below 400 square miles of
territory, nor can any new county con-
tain any less than that area.
It Is possible that this one condition
can be complied with in carving out
a new county from the counties named,
but there is ratification of law max
ing provision therefor which must be
made by the people affected by it. and
we doubt If Alliance can ever marshall
strength sufficient to carry her pur-
pose. However desirable 1t may be for
Alliance to cut loose from Stark coun-
ty, or ather the city of Canton, it is
not to be presumed that Salem and
other towns in Columbiana county will
rush to her assistance. We have been
too long identified with Columbiana
county to be easily persuaded to cut
loose and become the tail feathers in
some other kite ambitious to soar high.
Besides, we are soon to have electric
railway connection with our own coun.
ty seat and the southern portion of
Columbiana county which will bind
the bond of union still stronger.
Were several townships of this coun'
ty Mahoning and Portage counties to
think seriously of cutting loose and
helping to form a new county there
would arise the matter of taxes to erect
court house, Jail al infirmary. and
the inevitable conclusion with them
would be that as they had already help
ed to bear such burdens in their re-
spective counties they could i'll afford
to break away and help bear other and
new burdens for years to come.