The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-11-24
of the Capital at Charleston incommodes

of the Capital at Charleston incommodes
the greater portion of the people OF the
State for the satisfaction Of the less. But
when we consider the relative wealth OF
the counties incommoded and the share
of State burdens they bear, the disadyant-i
age and injustice of the present location
will be even more apparent. According
to the Auditors report for the year end
ing September 80, 1872, the total tax on
real and personal property m each eoun-
ty in the State amounted to S6l5,656.ll,
Of this, the counties enumerated above
(omitting Calhoun) paid into the State
treasury S429, 53l 20 which is more than
two-thirds of the whole revenue OF the
State, S243, 40629 more than is paid by
the entire section in whose bosom the
State Capital is placed. -Can this dIsad-
vantage of the present location BE- eXhlb-
tied in any stronger light? Certainly
no citizen who loves justice and desires
the promotion of the interests OF the
State can reasonably contend for the re-
tention of the seat of government at u
point remote from by far the greater
portion OF the wealth. Certainly those
who not only outnumber the opponents
of removal but also pay two-thirds OF
the taxes which support the State govern
ment, may Justly regard their own con-
venience as paramount TO that OF less
number of people paying only one'haii
rs much. ...
For the people Of Charleston and OF
the portion of the State in which 1t Is
situated we entertain none but kindly
feelings. The disadvantages under which
the people of the State labor by reason
of the location of the Capital at Charles
ton have not been created by the citizens
of that place. but continue TO exist IN
spite of all efforts to overcome them. Ii
the Capital had been, by some Leglsla-
tive freak or blunder located among the
mountains of Mcdowell county, surely
the hardy jewellers in that region would
have no cause for complaint if, when
reason returned, the seat of government
were transferred to some more accessible
place; and how absurd it would be for a
dweller in Mcdowell county to remon-
strate by saying to the people Of the re-
mander of the State, "lt is no more dlf-
ficult for you to come TO Mcdowell than
il ls for me to go to any point you may
find convenient for YOU"
The principal reasons why the Capt.
ital should be at once removed from
Charleston may be briefly summed up as
follows;
1t is remote from the most pepulous
portion of the State; the people who are
incommoded outnumbcring by more
than 128OO0 those who are supposed to
be accommodated thereby.
II is remote from the wealth and bust
ness interests of the State; the people
who are incommoded paying more than
two-thrds of the State taxes, or more than
twice rs much as is paid by those who
are supposed to be accommodated by the
present location.
Communication between Charleston
and the most populous and wealthy por,
ton of the State is slow. difficult and
expensive, especially during the winter
season, and. as the result of this, the peo-
pie arc unable to exert upon the lcgis-
iative body that influence which Their
interests demand, and the legislators arr
unable to maintain that intercourse with
their constituents which is necessary for
the enactment Of wholesome laws.