The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-12-03
MisttllantOus.
CONCERNING THE REMOV-
AL OF TEaE CAPITOL.

from It's present location to some
portion Of tho West, a. is beng ur
god by numbers of Western Journ-
ais, tho Pittsburg Post, of Nov. 20,
contains the following sensible edi"
torial
ThcrGarO two subjects upon which,
happily, newspaper writer's can IN
varIably fall back in these la.tor
days, namely tho Byron~Stowo
scandal, and removal Of the Capt.
tOl. The latter IS becoming the pc.
riodical subject of newspaper DIS
cussion. And, en- pGSSdnt, the sub
icct may not be without grounds Of
consideration. 1t may be enquired:
Frst-Docs there exist any ne
cesslty for tho removal ?
SccOnd-Will tho people of the
United Stutcs be benefited thereby
Third-Will its removal innuro TO
the individual benefit Of any person
or persons.
Tho first question may he asked
negatively, IN our opinion We have
20 tar failed 10 see tho force Of any
Of the arguments advanced in favor
Of tho proposed removal. II is rot
an argument against Washington
City, that il is neither q commercial
emporium nor geographic center.
AS wo said in the former article, 90.
ogruphical contors, in tho light Of
travel. are mere myths in this day
of railroads. We measure distance
10y timo rather than liuoally. In.
stead OF being so many miles from
any gwen point, wo are so many
hours or minutes distant. We can,
ut present, conceive no instance in
which tho difference Of o few hours
or minutes in the arrival Of Con-
grcssmcn and government otlioials
ut tic scat OF government, or among
their constituencies, would have any
marked political significance.
That Washington is not cons
merc;al emporium, and never can
bc by virtue Of any commercial or
political mutations, wO consider an
incontrovertible argument in Its IA.
vor. The corrupt influence Of
ciqucs and rings will be limited IN
q proportion to the nature Of surroun-
ding circumstances, for money
works both for good and evil by
close contact rather than from a
distance. As far as the influence
of great monoyod or commercial
, combinations Is concerned, IL would
bc far better 10 locate the national
capitol on the apex of Pixies Peak
or in the midst Of the Great Amer.
ican Desert. With the capitol loca
tod in sOme great commercial ON
+ porium, instead OF tho government
, looking after tho interests of COM
mcrco, rs somo suggest, moneyed
combinations would control the
governmental functions, ard bend
D them to their own interests and ag
, graudizement.
This view OF the case had largely
to do with giving the Capitol III
present location, its advocates urg
D ing, not without reason, that the
D further it was removed from tn,
a corrupung influences of commercial
conters, the better it would be fol
the people.
We confess that we arc not over
much given to hero worship, but oI
0 the contrary consider lis excessiv
indulgence as species Of very de-
A generate and very efcte payanlsn
, tho divinity OF its afil ttus having
only u habitation aud n name il
1 diluted or added bralns--but q
/, long as George Washington Is re
= garded as the Citular deity Of Free
. dom-tho great Quirines, rs 1t wcrC
of tho land of tho Goddess of LIbcl
d ty and tho Star Spanglod Banner
'e etc, we see no reason why his me
= mory should not be honored b
- permitting Mt. Vernon TO loo
down upon the dome Of tho Cupitr
- and tho nations archives and Insi9
g MIA, its trophies and prestige to rC
ID main in close promIty to tho sullo
10 hand of tho Soldier, Inbcrator, Pc
~ trlot and Statesman, who affixed
them tho signot of Immortality an
lighted tho imporlshable fires
n glory that IS II beacon to all hatioI
n. and tongues and pooplo--unless v
'd We would transform our Washing
II" ton into an Alexander and mai
=; his rovorcd tomb II travelling Sc
J., ulchro, 20 bo wheeled hithor aI
there in the wake Of perOpRtet
capitol.
re But VIC would not fall into q 4
20 Of July strain, nor pluck the sacr'
T., feathers from tho lumod and pm
- Sdnt wing OF spread eagle orator
" Rather commend ur to plain, blu
en- facts, that speak tho solid logic
e. the inevitable.
W Som extromoly economical ind
o5 viduals urge its removal to tho G
:, ographical center OF tho nation, {
H. the score that it will be q saving
lis the public expenditure, IN the ito
on of mileage of Congressman S
10 lah These same logicians won
49, not irown with indiscrimina
'' wrath upon a fatcontract, nor he
hg itatc to put good job throul
th Congress- They seem to forget Z
70 fact that it docs not change I.
IS" length of n string by removing ont
Of hand from point to point upon it,,
We There is still another class
10 mcn, who, having q proper fear