The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-08-04
THE CAPIrAL QUESTION.

uAi1Iee Het AZ W neellog one DAY last week
but what. particular action, II any, wal
taken, we have not been informed. We
have not heretofore taken much stockrin
this business, not that our citizens have
no interest in II, but rather because in our
judgment the proper time for agitatlng
the question had not arrived as We be.
lieve 1t now has. Our positions on this
question, from the beginning, have been
Sbout as follows When the Legislature,
five years ago, located the Capital at
Charleston they done 80 in direct oppo-
sition TO the will Of very large msiofity
OF the people Of the State, and We believe
the sequel has proven that the State has
suffered severely in consequence OF that
removal. Nevertheless the people were
committed, through the action Of their
representatives al that time, under the
Constitutional provision in relation TO the
Capital question, then In operation, to
faithful recognition OF Charleston as
the permanent seat Of government
OF our State, and the corresponding obli.
CATION TO observe their pledged faith by
refusing in the Legislature 10 NEEDLE
with question which the then existing
Constitution had settled, and which the
people had, BY their sovereign act declar.
ed belonging to them when assembled in
Constitutional Convention. We do not
wish to be misunderstood here, and de-
fine what we mean by the laith OF the
people being pledged to scquiescence in
the Legislative act removing the capital,
to be Just this, that the then existing
Constitution, 10 our judgment, had as.
sumed to regulate this question, and had
done 30 by declaring Wheeling as the
temporary Capital until the Legislature
should fix It permanently, delegated au.
thority to be exercised but once, and not
from time TO time as they might deem
convenient, and this delegated authority
having been exercised by the Legislature
In their Charleston removal act, here end.
ed their authority. But 1t must not be
understood that all authority or power
over the question was 10 end here, and like
the laws Of the Medes and Persians, "the
permanent seat OF government act, shall
be and remain Interchangeable until the end
OF time. The people very clearly reserved
the right to still exercise this power, If
their interests required 1t, and lust as
clearly indicated the fundamentally
through which they intended to exercise
1t, and that was Constitutional Conven-
ton. The people called a Constitutional
Convention in 1871, which deemed it pro.
per to incorporate In the fundamental
law, (submitted 10 the people and by them
adopted 10 1872 q clause redelegalipg 10
the Legislature this reserved authority to
locate tho Capital, which clause, as we'll
as committing the question to the Legis-
lature, indicated, to say the least, doubt
as to the propriety Of retaining tho Capt..
tai in Charleston. This Constitutional
provision then, having fully opened the
question, We, and We mean every citi-
zen in every county In the State, are
called on to determine 1t, and that We
submit It at the earliest possible time as
well as in the manner pointed out by the
Constitution, by and through the Legis-
lature. Entertaining the opinion that q
State Capital should be always at the
point easiest oil access 10 the greatest mum.
Der OF citizens, having proper regard also
for the amount Of taxes paid by these citi.
zens, In order " bring their representa-
tives, and public officers connected with
the administration Of their affairs in and
about their Capital, as nearly under their
eyes as possible, we conclude that no other
town In the whole State Is 80 unfavorably
situated as Charleston 10 meet the neces-
sites olthe case. Ills foolish aud grossly
regardless Of the rights Of the people tc
allow any individual or local advantage:
about Charleston or any other candidate
for Capitolic honors, 10 influence the ques
ton. They should never be mentioned
We are for removal, and we believe 6
very large majority Of the people of thu
State will be oil tho same opinion wher
they shall have ceased listening to thC
professional ring politicians iavorite cry
"let it alone, don't disturb it yet awhile
we have axes to grind and we must have
the Third DiStrlcters TO turn the grind
stone; hands oil until we are through, anC
then you and the people generally may
go to the dickens, or any other place.
We do hope the question will be now set
tied, If even Bullt0Wn shall be the point
which can DO no more announcement thar
where it now Is. Il we felt that our Stat
was in condition financially TO build thl
necessary buildings, then we would ex
press our preference for location. Be,
lieyiug that we are not prepared for this
we feel like accepting the generous propo
sitions oil some OF tho accessible points
known to the people. Let our friends
Democrats and Republicans, consider TIL
question and select candidates for Legs
lative honors who will act, If elected
without lear Of ringmasters, and with tina
regard to the interests OF the State whicl
We believe attaches to this Capita
question.