The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-31
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

We puUllsn tlllS iIoiHiHS iN''~i
from WILLIAM Z. ARNOLD, Esq, Of
Weston, in relation to. the policy OF
extending State aid to works Of internal
improvement He announces that the
friends Of that measure would be will
ling to limit the Constitutional power
of the Legislature in that respect to
the building OF turnpikes and Macad-
amized roads. This destroys the OBJ
iectionable character of the scheme IN
degree only and not in principle; the
best founded objection lies at the root
OF the whole system. The injustice OF
taxation for schemes of local and pri-
vate advantage has come to be generally
recognized, and we believe there has
been no Constitution framed in any of
the States during the past twenty years
that gives TO the Legislature power 10
lend the credit OF the State TO enter
prises Of this nature. We know and
give full force to the argument upon
the other side that, by improving the
taxable value Of private property in the
State, the Treasury may be reimbursed;
that the money expended for improve
ments will be returned in taxes. But it
may be said in answer to this that if
the increase OF value in the property
thus improved is sufficient at a low rate
of taxation to pay the interest and in a
lew years discharge the princinNl 81
til. debt contracted to make the i'm
provement Gas is generally represented
by those asking appropriations of thi;
character,) the scheme will afford re
munerative employment for private
capital and should be consummated b!
private enterprise. II it will not dc
this, where is the justice Of asking thu
State in its corporate capacity to make
losing and Improbable investment O
it's funds? II these internal improve.
ments can be made to pqy they will be
huilt and their profits reaped by COM
panies or by individuals; If not, GER
,sinly the State should have nothing to
10 with them.
The whole system is Objectionable,
and has now been almost universally
discarded and, with all due Difference
10 our friend Mr.. ARNOLD, we beg to
remind him that he must have seen
from the general opposition to the
scheme, which has been expressed by
men of all parties in many sections OF
the State, that there is absolutely no
probability That the Convention will
change the existing Constitution in that
regard.
We may say also to the opponents OF
the scheme that their hostility to the
extension OF State aid to works OF in
ternal improvement furnishes no reason
whatever for opposing the call OF a
Convention. II it were possible for the
Convention to change the Constitution
in this respect, the same change might
be made by joint resolution of the Leg
stature If there is any power to effect
the change in one way, the same power
may effect it in another; so that the
holding Of the Convention will not
necessarily alter the case If we were
sure that the Convention would ordain
and the people would ratiiy the pro-
posed extension Of State aid to any
system OF internal improvements, we
would still favor the call Of q Conven-
ton, in order that the many other
needed amendments of the Constitution
may be made This particular scheme
may succeed or fail, just as the people
will; but there are many changes that
are desired by all the people, and these
alone constitute abundant reason why
Convention should be held,