The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-14
srrRrr or TIE rRuss.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
THE CAPITAL OF OUR UNION.


raj metropols-Si 900, 900 to build q new State
Department, and a like sum to buy two addi-
tionl squares Of ground eastward the Oapi-
tol. OF course, these sums will not build the
edifice and buy the grounds-they will simply
begin to do SO. But, even if they were not
mere entering wedges, we should strenuousy
object to them, because
l. As the deferential boarder said to his
landlady of her bed-bugs, we ''really haven't
the blood to spare The arduous and neees-
sary task of funding our national debt at a
lower rate of interest, so as to diminish by
twenty thirty millions its annual burden,
is still before us. 1t can only be achieved by
keeping the revenue largely in excess of the
expenditures, so as to appreciate our bonds
by weekly purchases and yet, almost every
one seems intent on rendering this impos-
sible by reducing income on the one hand
and increasing expenditure on the other.
The ninety-seven millions of national debt
which was paid during the last year did not
merely reduce our total Indebtedness by that
amount. 1t virtually reduced that indebted
edness another hundred millions by so ap-
preciating our credit that we could now
borrow at five per cent. as easily as we could
at six year ago. We ought not to reduce
our excess of income over current expend-
ture fraction till our whole redeemable,
interest-bearing debt shall have been funded
at q rate not exceeding FIVE per cent. How
can it be that Congress should act as if insen-
sible to this consideration?
III. The location of the capital of our coun-
try is forced upon our consideration by a
serious and formidable agitation in the Great
West. The question must evidently be met;
and it should be considered and settled be-
fore new expenditures are authorized looking
to the aggrandizement of Washington city.
For should the capital be removed, all that
the million just voted by the Senate will buy
or produce could not be sold for 300, 900
1t were improvidence and prodigality to dis
burse million for such objects and not kRoO
that we are to get our money S worth. ''First
be sure you're right, then go ahead." is the
true rule.
III. We all know that the United States of
1870 is a very different country than the
United States of 1870. The latter had less
than four millions of people, the former has
forty millions. The latter was bounded west
ward by the Mississippi and southward by the
Altamaha, covering an area of less than one
million square miles. The former extends
to the Gulf of Mexico and the mouth of the
Rio Grande del Norte, to the Pacific, to
Pugets Sound, and to Behring's Straits, and
is obviously destined to still further enlarge
ment at an early day. If, therefore, it were
unquestioned that Washington City were
the best possible location for our capital
seventy or eighty years ago, it by no means
follows that it remains so. On the contrary,
the presumption is irresistible that accessions
of territory which have at least trebled the
area of our Union demand reconsider tion
of that point.
Nv. We do not consider the geographical
centre of this or any other country neces-
sarily the fittest location for its capital If
it were, London, Paris, st. Petersburg, Rio
Janeiro, and most other great capitals are
deplorably misplaced. Other things being
aanQl hoe oh Nj,
advantages; but other things are never, or
very rarely, equal. The capital of a great
nation should be great, intelligent, wealthy
city. 1t should have such resources inde-
pendent of Government as to support an
able, independent, powerful press. 1t
should proffer ample and attractive accom-
modations to visitors and sojourners aud
not require them to pay for three months
use the cost of nine months waiting. 1t
should have ready and cheap access to mex
haustible supplies of food, building mate
rials, etc., etc. 1t should proffer cheap and
swift transportation to every part of the
country. Above all, it should have busi-
ness and industry so vast that the patronage
of the Government should be a hea-blte in
comparison, so as not to train up its popula-
tion to the one pursuit of boring gimlet-holes
into the Treasury for the supply of their per-
sonal wants, and then seeking to enlarge
them to auger-holes as rapidly as possible.
V. Capitals arbitrarily located, and thence
often named after their founder, have ALWAYS
proved mistakes. Witness Constantnopie
st. Petersburg, Washington. Government
should accept the national metropolis, ana
never attempt to create one.
vi. Our judgment that New York is the
natural and proper capital of the Union is
based on general and permanent considera-
tions. This city is more readily and cheaply
reached from all parts of our country than
any other point on that country's surface. If
all the men likely ever to be sent to Con-
gress were separately asked, SIN case you
should be required to spend winter away
from home, where would you prefer that It
should be?' three-fourths of them would
answer, SIN New York" So would nine
tenths of the ambassadors sent hither from
Europe. Every variety of entertainment is
to be had here in greater abundance and of
better average quality than elsewhere on this
continent. Our theatres, music-halls parks,
drives, clubs, ETC., are better and ampler than
any other. Almost every element of refined,
elegant, luxurious living is to be had here in
greater abundance than elsewhere, and at
prices generally cheaper.
VII. New York does not aspire to be the
capital. She never put forth exertions to that
end. We believe no Congress has met in
this city since 1887. But since the West has
initiated an agitation for removal we suggest
that the whole question is opened, and that it
is very broad one. Let it be thoroughly
considered and definitivey settled And now
is the accepted time.
VIII. A grand committee of Congress
should be constituted by joint action of the
two houses, to which this subject should be
referred, and ample time given for its careful
consideration. Let every locality have