The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-09-22
Proposed Reunion Of the TWO
ViTginIas'

DR.. Letter, Of NHBIH'"i 49, 80
v;sI, IN the Greenbrier Springs, wrote An
article in favor of reunion OF the wv
Virpipiss The Doctors arguments are
chiefly the arguments of a mere sen'''
mept, State pride. The portion OF tue
article which Is OF practical character
we subjoin a.,
Harmonious interests should link 70.
,,a,hsr indissolubly the people OF Eastern
md Western Virginia, The early com
nlelion Of the Chesapeake and ONO rail,
Enad will open a large and profitable
,oa hetwcen the two Nirginias Ihe
Ss " Of commerce will, at no distant
law nrrrssitate the opening OF the James
River md Kanawha Canal, These Iacli,
lies far The transportation Of produce ana
merchandise must concentrate luV.as,,V
trade in the city of Richmond, anu g tgGn.
" augment its population anu %cI E.a
strengthen the bonds between the EGs.
md re West. and make II Increasingly
desirable that they should be goyerneP
%v Nc common , laws and common pohcy.
y Thr reconstruction Of the State Of VIZ
,,in," wonld he the simplest, most equit'
s iii, nnsI honorable and most salisiae'
" 'nrD ."Im,ion Of the veXed question re-
mting to the division OF the SI9Ie ueOI
VIRGINIA, undivided, maintained her cred
il md her honor untarnished ana unsus,
"oc,rI In her acknowledgment and
royeriy. she Is earnestly cndcayOring' 70
Ims,oin her reputation for honesty, Wei
Jonot for n moment, doubt the willing.
ness Of West Virginia to bear her Iair
nroporlion OF the public burden. But
who can Justly divide II between the Two
States II the State were reconstructed,
then the debt would fall equally on those
who contracted i; and by judicious and
equitable taxation, with the increased
prosperity almost certain to accrue from
nublic improvements now In progress or
projected, and the debt might BIZ paid or
made permanent obligation easy TO be
endured. ,t
A sound economy demands the reunion
of the twu States. II needs no argument
10 show that the expense Of supporting
Two State governments must be greater
than that Of maintaining one, The taxes
in both States have been augmented by
tile division; and the heavy load cannot
be diminished while the States are disu.
niled. The resources Of the people neith'
or Of the East nor the West, are so Abund'
ant as to invite, or even to admit, without
stern necessity, an increase OF taxes.
We find the article with a lengthy edl-
torial reply in the Charleston wv. Va)
Baptist Rtcom The Record answers the
Doctor very ably. We extract a few
points
Were the interests Of the two sections
harmonious before the division took
place. Why 50 much conflict concern
Ing the basis Of representation ? why that
system Of "lOg.rOlling," or legislation
why tho claim about eastern eXpendi'
tures and the neglect Of west The war
was the mere occasion for the uncovering
Of the fires Of discomfort that burned In
the breasts Oi thousands The interests
of the two sections arC not harmonious,
they never were West Virginia has either
traded in Baltimore or Cincinnati; her
sons and daughters marry and 50 West;
she is Western in feeling and interest.
The completion Of the Chesapeake Il Ohio
Railroad will not neCessitate the union Of
the States; for ii will only pass through
the southern section Of West Virginia and
will have no influence upon the masses Of
the people. Richmond would be as much
isolated from Buckhannon, Weston,
Clarksburg, Parkersburg and Wheeling,
when this road Is finished as at present.
We can sec nothing in commerce be.
tween the two States to demand their re.
union, The States do not lay tariff on
impOrtatlons, nor will the States control
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. This
Is being built, and will be managed by
capitalists for their own benefit, and not
Tor the benefit or interest Of either State.
We can and will buy as many goods in
Richmond, and have Us many shipped as
II the railroad track was laid on the soil
Of Virginia. n
D. j, claims that economy demands the
reunion Of the two States We are not
prepared to 20 into IN estimate of the
cost Of conducting the Government OF the
two States. We have been freely taxed
for building sChoOl.houses, &C., but this
Is now done with we have plain gov
eminent, conducted upon most econOm.
lCal plan. .....E. ....
Its possible the reunion might save us
few Thousand dollars in the salaries of
officers, but how much will we save In
dollars and cents by the changer While
we are willing, and intend to pay every
dollar Of our proportion Of the debt of the
old State, we are not anxious to pay any
part Of the debt that has been saddled on
Virginia since the war by IN ignorant
and reckless Legislature, and we express
the sentiments Of three.fourths OF the
members Of all parties, when we say that
they are unwilling to place Il within the
power o. any Legislature composed chiefly
OF members totally tinacquainted with
their wants, and to tax them for internal
Improvement, a system usually managed
by rings and monopolies.
For thirty years there has been a party
IN West Virginia who favored new State,
The war increased that party, and when
the State was born in night of storm
and tempest, some had followed Lee and
Stonewall jackson away, but returned. 10 |
nnu State claiming their allegiance; and |
now as one man they say. 1Ltt NJ re.
gard the .perpetuaiion Of the State "a n
duty, and labor for the same" There ia
no bitterness in the West Virginia heart
toward Virginians; we know Tue impress.
sion prevails-toe once thought 40 too. Int
association with West Virginians has
cured US Of our mistake. We ara kind.
ly disposed and cherish most Friendlv
regard for the past and present raco n
Yirginians. ..
We regret that DR.. j. has ngitSled tbis
question, since 1t does not appear that he
has discovered plan by which the re-.
union can be effected. We tell him that
thepeople Of West Virginia will not vote
herself into non.exislencC and II they
. =