Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-11-24

| president. And it seemed to hin
that his party was going to be abl'
to do as they might please. st
Clair was there and made his usua
address to the convention. It wal
a long and carefully prepared ad
dress. In it he covered everything
that might come up that was basic
as he thought, and all through i
shows that he was aware of tho
strength of the opposition and was
trying to make things so clear te
those who might not be pledged to
the Tiffin crowd, that when the
time for voting came they would be
open to argument
| will quote but few extracts
from his address:
After the usual opening he said,
MY thoughts carry back for IA
years.. when the affairs Of this
territory were committed to me-.
our number were few....a wilderness
to subdue.. surrounded by savages.
far from friendly. and later at open
war with U.s. 1.-THE Almighty
Ruler has made of that handful. :. "a
great people,, (and) has brought
them to that point (where) they are
to take their place in the nation
My endeavors have been to lay a
foundation for the great work..
(that) is before YOU. lin MORALS.
(and) the institution of religion; -.
it is an eternal truth that without
morality there can be no religion,
and without religion there can be
no happiness" U want to digress
here to say that ST. Clair was truly
what he seems to appear to be. He
was an officer of the British army
army. Was a close friend of Wash
ington and with true British OBJ
stancy drove ahead as he saw the
right without thought of himself
"....The cares and anxieties (of
administrator have cost me many
a toilsome day and sleepless night.
(and) have occupied considerable
portion of my life...." "...It is the
fashion of the times to complain of
oppression when none is felt. II
can with honest pride assert.
(that) 1 have administered (the
laws) with one simple view, the
good of the whole..'' g.. Errors
were of the head, not of the heart. !"
"....Party rage is stalking with de-
structive strides. ..our whole coun-
try. that baneful spirit destroyed
all the ancient republics may you
be inspired with. that wisdom. :. .of |
conducting your business to a happy
end...."
st. Clair never forgets to advance |
the interests of the schools and so |
says, "....A section in every town
ship should be given for the use of |
the Schools"
Salt was a rare and expensive ar
ticle in those days and as l shall /
show in another article became one
IF the great industries of Ohio. st.
Claid wanted it made a state mo-.
lopoly and said "...the salt springs.
llong the Scioto and Muskingum
'ivers... should be granted to the
'tate....for the use of the people,.
Ind no lease should be for a pc
'iod longer than ten years.
We may think that the building
If good roads is something new
about by the advent of the
automobile, but listen to this:
1.-THE goth part of the... proceeds
# land sold. shall be applied to the
aging out and making of roads,"
A full account of sessions of this
may be read in a num-
er of books and I shall not take
ime to go over it again The con-
titution was adopted and the next
hing was to hold an election ST.
lair had been asked to run for
governor and this was his reply,
made in statement addressed to
The People of the Northwestern
He said he had been
ffered the support of ".... that part
f you who reside eastward of the
reat Miami" But he took this
lethod of presenting to them ''my
est thanks for their kind invita-
ion," and informed them 81 entire
Y decline"
The care of this colony of the