The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-11-24
THE CAPITAL AND TKEU. ). SEN
ATORSHIP

gives notice to Senatorial aspirants re-
siding outside of the Third District, that
"they 1.-THE 3rd District people, don't in
tend to buy the Capital with their votes
on the Senatorial question. All the high
wrought strategy brought to bear on the
3rd District" says the Courier, ''to i'm
press her with the necessity of giving
strong votes to weak men simply to keep
IN Il scandalous log rolling system in
connection with the Capital, is entirely
wasted.
How about that little ar
rangement with few gentlemen in the
Eastern Panhandle, Mr.. Courier; you
are notignorant of that, are yon? Come,
now, let the professions of Charleston
correspond with her acts.
The Courier adds:
So far ss the members from this part
of the State are concerned each OF these
Questions will be decided on its own
merits.
OF course, that is the only honest way
to do it. The Capital question is solely
business proposition, and can legiti-
matcly have no effect whatever upon poll
tics and political parties; and the Sena-
torial is a purely political question, and
the man selected to represent this State
in the United States Senate should be
selected for his Craftsmanship, faithful
ness and integrity alone. What
connection. in the name of common
sense, the location Of the State capital
can have with tho qualifications and
merits of United States Senator, is be-
vond our vision; and yet we find few
gentlemen hugging and kissing each
other in the delusive belief that the con-
ncction is the most proper and natural Of
all things.
The people, or their representatives,
who are most accommodated by the loca-
ton of the Capital at Charleston will
vote in favor of its retention there; while
the people, or their representatives,, who
will be best accommodated by a diff
fcrent location, are in duty bound
to vote for the change pro-
posed. And the representative who
shall neglect this plain duty, or corrupt
~ bargain away his vote to aid in the
elevation of any favorite TO position, will
he held responsible by an outraged peo-
pie for the delinquency.
The present location at Charleston,
Kanawha county, is the result of leg
islativc blundcr, and has proven to be
an exceedingly unfortunate one to a
large majority of the people Of the State.
Access to Charleston from larger por-
ton of the State il ut all times difficult
and expensive, and this is especially the
case in the months appointed for the
session of the Legislature. At that sea-
son the navigation Of tho Ohio and
Kanawha rivers is prccarous, while an
overland Journey from any point in the
northern portion Of the State to Charles
ton is attended with much privatlon, de-
Law and expense. In consequence of
these difficulties of communication, the
members of the Legislature are cut off
from intercourse with their constituents,
and cannot correctly interpret their will,
while citizens at home have but made
quate means Of knowing what public
measures are being discussed by the law
making body, and are prevented from
instructing their representatives con-
corning the legislation most needed or
most to be summed. At the same time
the opportunities for abuse of the legis
lative power are largely increased by
the comparative ease with which an OBJ
icctionablc bill may be passed and be-
come law long before the people most
affected by it can know of its existence
or make their protest heard.
THE advocates of the retention of the
capital ut Charleston usually reply to all
complaint as to It's inaccessibility by say
inc that any location in the northern
part ofthc State will prove as inconvcn-
lent for the people ofthe Kanawha Val
ley and the counties lying south of that
region rs Charleston now is to the pco-
pie residing farther north. lfthc people
Of the Kanawha Valley, or, to speak gem
crallv, of the counties composing the
Third Congressional District were equal
in number and in material interests to
the people who are incommodcd by
the present location, this would afford
some reason why no change in the seat
of government should be at present eff
tcclcd. But what are the facts?
There are in the State of West Nir-
Cinia tifty.four counties having an aggre-
gate population, according to the latest |
national census, of 4420l4. Thirty-one
of these counties lie either upon the line
of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, or
make that road their outlet for trade and |
their means of communication with the !
outside world. and, to great extent,
with one another. These thirty-onc !
counties, to-wit: Hancock, Brooke Ohio |
Marshall, Wctzel, Monongalia, Preston,
Marion, Taylor, Tyler, Peasants, Wood !
Writ, Richie, Lewis, Doddridge, Miner |
al, Hampshire Hardy, Morgan, |
Berkeley, JeHcrSOh, harTlsoN, Up |
shur, Randolph, Barbour, Tuck |
or, Pendleton, Grant Calhoun and |
Gilmer, have an aggregate popuiatioR of !
2S5, 369, or l2S,7o5 more than the re-
naming twenty-three counties of the
State. The people of all the counties !
enumerated would be much better accom- |
modated by a location of the capital ut !
some point farther north than Charles
ton than they are by the present location, |
while a very considerable proportion Of (
the people of the remaining twenty-three |
counties would find it quite as convenient
to reach the capital at almost any point
on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio |
Railroad as they now find it at Charles
ton. There can be no doubt whatever in !
- - - L C .,n, ,anrs.,, ,.kn ,.:.L 49,. |