The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-03-29
The state Capitnl.

To utterly satisfy the city of Philadel-
phia it will be necessary to change the
name of this Commonwealth TO that of
1.-THE State of Philadelphia" with head
quarters at that metropolis. The pa
pers of that city are vigorously urging
the removal of the State Capital from
Harrisburg the Mayor and Councils
are pushing the matter a meeting Of
citizens has been held and committee
Of thirty appointed to proceed to the
Legislature for furtherance of th1pb-
ject. The benefits of the change are set
forth as follows: "The whole State
would be benefited II Its law makers
were brought into intimate contact
with the social refinement of a great
metropolis !" "in great city like Phil
adelphia the rascalities which have
characterized the Legislature at Har.
risburg will no longer be possible -
"Harrisburg is out OF the geographical
center of travel;" and "the force Of
habit and the inconvenience of remov-
al have alone prevented change from
DelHB Hldue long ago.
When we consider the manner in
which municipaf matters have been
managed of late in the City of Brother.
ly Love, prominent official being now
in Jail for his share of the business, and
the fraud and corruption brought tt
light at the recent election, aided anC
abetted by the police, we are not in
cIned to believe that the morals of oui
State legislators will be benefited by 6
more close contact with people whose
city government is more corrupt ever
than that of New York. If member!
of the Legislature can be bought ant
sold at Harrisburg how much NOR
will they not be bought and sold In
city where money is vastly more plen
tiful and where scoundrels to use 1t dt
greatly abound. 1t is absolute folly tt
talk of a change being wrought in tn,
characters of venal men by change o
the location where they sell themselves
1t is urged further that the air of Har
risburg "is loaded with miasmatic va
por" and sits water is poisonous" bu
how much betteris Philadelphia Dur
ing the prevalence of the epidemic a
Harrisburg, Philadelphia was sufferin,
terribly from small pox and it is diff
cult to convince sensible people tina
this dread disease is preferable to diar
rh9a. AS to the water, an investiga
tion of that used by Philadelphia ha
proved it to be filed with noxious an,
foul matter contributed by the variou
mills and manufactures along tn
Schuylkill and the drainage from Gem
eteries. There is not much to be sal,
favorably of that argument. AS t
Harrisburg being out of "the geograph
ical center Of travel" !" be that as it may
a city situated on the extreme edge 9
the State can offer no Improvement i
that respect. Mr.. Samuel Josephs, on
Of Philadelphia moral legislator
states that the feeling in the House
almost unanim GUS in favor of a change
We have no doubt that there are man.
members who would gladly welcom
the removal as offering larger opportu
mites for money making. But the pee
pie of the State are not altogether guild
ed by the opinions of Mr.. Josephs an
his kind or inclined to accept thei
judgments as in any manner convin6
ing. Ifa change should be made, grea
benefits must be proved to be resultant
AS the matter now stands the remova
would be attended by an expense G
millions of dollars and would be pre-
ductive of not one good result in an,
direction whatever.