The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-12-11
REMAINING THE CAPITAL.

as operating against inc Sohoti'utio"
that is to be framed by the Convention
and as a disturbing element to the
prosperity OF the State. Neither OF
these points is well taken.
Why the mere introduction OF a
measure looking to the permanent loca-
ton of the capital should endanger the
the adoption Of an improved Constitu-
ton or provoke discussion in the body
framing it, is hard to see. The table
we presented last week clearly indicates
the large opposition to Charleston as
governmental headquarters and 1t Is not
assuming too much to say that propo-
sition leaving the sovereign people to
saw where their laws shall be made,
would at once be carried by a majority
at which none could cavil. The minor
ity would have no recourse but submits
sion.
Should the Convention, however, at
tempt to locate, wrangling and dissen-
sion would be engendered. To escape
this, the proposition to submit the
vexed question directly to the people is
suggested.
As to the last objection, the removal
Of the capital to some other and more
central point would conduce to the
welfare and growth of the common
wealth, and not as the REGISTER sug-
gests, TO its Cvarks6urg
Conservative.
The Conservative misstates our posi-
ton. We have not claimed that the
removal of the capital from Charleston
would be detrimental to the prosperity
OF the State, but only that the wrang-
ling and dissension that will probably
attend the effort to name another locali-
ty for the seat Of the State government.
may do much harm. To obviate this
1t Is proposed that the delegates to the
Convention fix upon some point in op'
position to Charleston, and submit to
the people the question as to which OF
the two places shall be chosen. But just
here is whers the trouble comes in.
What guarantee have we that the
members of the Convention will be
able to agree readily upon the point to
be thus placed in competition with
Charleston Does not an effort to fix
upon a point for the Capital necessarily
involve repetition Of the bargaining
and log-rolling and unseemly SQUAD
bling that attended the discussion Of
this question during the three or four
years it agitated the Legislature Of the
State. The Conservative admits that
should the Convention attempt to
locate, wrangling and dissension would
be engendered," but it proposes that
the Convention shall nominate a place
to be put in competition with Charles
ton for the popular vote, and does no,
tell us how wrangling or dissension as
to this nomination may be avoided
1t will be as difficult to make the selec
ton of a place to be voted for as il
will be to permanently locate the Cap
ital at once, and the same vote in the
Convention that will be necessary to
submit to the people the claims Of any
particular locality, would be sufficient
to rule Charleston out Of the question
altogether and order an immediate
change.
Aswe said before when speaking Of
this subject, it will probably be an easy
task to ,nscAle the location Of the Cap
ital, but very difficult thing to settle
itagain. 1t is easy to show that ma
jority of the people Of the State, owning
the greater portion Of the property and
paying more than halfthe taxes, are, to
a greater or less extent, disconnected
by the establishment Of the seat of the
State Government at Charleston, but
such are the diverse interests and views
of that majority that there is very little
hope of their agreeing upon any other
point. How Ihany of the counties EN-
braced in Governor JoHNsoNs table az
opposed to Charleston will vote in favor
OF Clarksburg? How many of then
prefer Parkersburg, or Grafton, OF
Buckhannon, or Wheeling, or any
other of the fifty towns whose
hopes will be reawakened and
whose claims will be urged with all Of
their former pertinacity just as soon a:
the question is re-opened for discussion
When it can be shown that the oppo
nents Of Charleston have settled theil
differences and agreed upon place
that is more accessible and acceptable
to a majority Of the people Of the State
than Charleston is OF will be, our
Clarksburg friends may count US in
favor of removal, but we don't want thu
Convention to waste its time in wrang
ling about the location Of the capital
and run the risk of having its whole
work rejected by disguised and indig
nant people. The capital question
oyershadowed everything else in thu
Stat. Legislature during three or foul
wears, and we sincerely fear that it may
have the Same effect in the Constitu
tional Convention if introduced there.