The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-20

the state Capitol. lz sis .yls
7''' tEAEbliShetf By ReQueSt.) siot.4
Mr.. PRESIDENT: Iwould be recreant
If did not claim the attention of the
Senate for few moments, to the con-
stituents thatI have in part the honor
to represent, whose claims to the site for
the location of the capital of West Viz
ginia, at GRAFTON, are equal, if not supe-
rior, to any other. / do not propose to
disparage the claims of Buckhannon.
They have, as represented, beautiful
country. But i ask that you locate the
capital at Grafton, the hub of rail-
roads, s,--the confluence of the beautiful
waters of Three Forks and the Tygarts
Valley riverAthe Chicago of West Yir-
ginia. adopt the language of the
Senators from Boone and Wheeling,
and say let good common sense enter
into the settlement of this question,
and avail ourselves of the forty mil
lions of expenditures iin construct
ing railroads to the common centre
at Grafton q ~. y Here is the centre centre
inas bx 9I has f;nsd S and % ~ This point
all must come, and when you put your
foot on the central platform you are at
the .Capital,-no delay on account OF
broken connections, you reach II with
200 miles from Harper's FerrY-l5O
from the extreme of the Pan Handle
100 miles from Parkersburg, with the
West Virginia Central, an ulterior and
certain road running out from Grafton
South, dtraversing your State in its
route to a,connection with the iCoYing-
ton g Ohio Railroad. Thus a way
would DO opened mp from all quarters
oflyour State. Then place yonn Capt.
tai at tGIafton-let it stand aniongqthose
bills, Us an enduring monument s; em5
blematical Of the patriotism that hred
81, 900 of the noble Sons o tile hills OF
West Virginia; to crush the Confeder-
acy and erect a New, State. y Senators
will remember that it,was Grafton that
polled 425 votes against the ordinance
of secession and only one for it, and we
used him as q spy Z and afnrtd scout g, go 90
tain. eItwas from the hills of Grafton
that were sent the first boys around the
hostile army of Col. Pprterheld at Fet-
terman, who found their way to this
city and were sworn into the, service of
the United States. Then set your capi-
tai among the hills of Grafton. 1t has
been facetiously said, by some editor,
ton. aThere'is beautiful ground there
for a capital, or a city to nestle among
the hills; where isgthere a more lovely
town than Harper's Ferry was before
its destruction by the wary Hills, good
water, and good health is preferable to
low lands and disease. We have wa
ter, timberand all the building mate
rial in abundance; and tiAfr. President
let me here say to the Senator from
Harrison that all that he said, and so
well said in behalf,of Clarksburg, ap-
plies with double force in favor of Graf
ton as to facilities for traden travel and
transportation, inasmuch as we need
no transfers of cars, or delay in trans
shipping, The lawyer in attending
your Supreme Court, could bring with
him his trunk of books, and in few
hours, from east, west or north, he finds
himselfatyour capital, and relieved of
the annoyance of re-shipping.
The Senator from Boone has holy
horror of railroads and corporations;
wants to get off into the interior with
the Capital. What would West 'Vir-
ginia be without the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad? We have to thank the en-
terprise of that Company for doing
what we wouldInot and could not do
for ourselves. wouldghavethem,h how
ever, approach, in their charges for
freight and passengers, as nearly as
practicable to pro rata rates. But let
us avail ourselves of the benefits of the
immense expenditure in building the
centre of railroads Mt Grafton, by plac-
ing the Capital there. You may take
the mouse TO the mountain; but you
cannot shove this hub of railroads into
the interior of the State, but you can
bring the Capital to the centre. i do
trust and hope that the good sense, JUS
tice and wisdom OF the Senate will SO
combine, in, the disp osition of this sub
.ject, as that their, action will enure to
the greatest good to. the greatest num-
hnr ItzaI-ib 5Iasy 4i8Cf 10 a1pis 91iIf'4 Ust1
Mr.. President, the outside world
would be astounded did we put the cap
ital at any other point than Grafton,
where all, would see. your capital in
their transit East, West, lNOrthlor South,
viewing it as symbolical of the reyolu-
tionary incidents and glories ofrsWest
Virginia!I Ihave entered into no COM
bfnation, and, without indicating any
purpose or preference as to how 4 shall
vote Except for Grafton), should it be
the pleasure of the Senate to strike out
BuckhannonJc II simply desire an open
field, anda fair fight; and content my
self with the result of the fight on this
Alno's tIt5A aeIEss1l jbt215 rtanss -lalat