Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-02-25
Martinsburg nnd'thc Capitol

MSiinsburg is certainly rs correct
loeaesen as Wheeling One is situa'
ted within IS miles Of the extreme
eastern end of the eastern Pan>han~
die. and the other Within about 80
miles of the extreme northern endOf
the northwestern Panhandle, and
ne:Sher Of them should properly he
cons dered in the question.
Tie extreme length OF the State
frnss north to south is about 200
mass; the extreme breadth from
ear to west, about 500; no place
wAhin a few miles of the boundaries
c'sn be the permanent seat, and as
hay as such locations are fixed uPon,
50 long the Capitol question will De a
disturbing element inthe councils of
the State.
Toreach MartinSburg the people
of the southwestern portion of the
State woah be compelled TO travel
over 49Omiles, and about 500 to reach
Wheeling, if the river is INSTRUCTED.
Thirty-fOur, OF the ftF four coun-
ties Of the State are en- or south OF
the S9sh parallel Of latitude, but by
population and geographically that Is
near the ceRter Of the State, from
north to south according to the
Wheeling people, the 81 counties
ought to be compelled to travelup to
north of the 10th parallel to get to
their city because they want to uhh
ire the old soup house.
Forty four of the ffy~four cOun>
ties in the State lie on or west of the
10Th parallel OF Longitude. but the
Martinsburg Statesmen thinks that
these forty-four counties shoRld come
nearly to the 10th parallel To reach
their delightful burg, and ENJOY the
aroma Of craftsmanship, with which
it is invested by the residence of its
eminent citizens.
The editor of the &IteSnIan says
personal observation" has convinced
him that the natural incOnvenien>
Ges surrounding Charleston can new
er be remedied by the hand of man.
As q railroad, connecting with the
other railroad which owns Martins
burg, or at least a great portion there
Of, runs to Charleston, and rs the
mails from New York may reach
Charleston, within "A hours of the
time they are dispatched, We cannot
help feeling tina: the editor of the
Statesman draws somewhat on his inn
agination when he sees these difficult
ties. For instance, the editor Of the
Statesman goes to Harper's Ferry /;
there he takes the Valley Railroad
and goes to Staunton, which he ought
to reach in Z or s hours at most; at
Staunton he takes the c. & o. Rail-
road, by which lie may reach Char
lesion in about II hours, as the trains
do not iun rapidly. He then pays
5 cents to cross the river by steam
Ferry. and "there YOU are" But if
it Is incolvcnient for those upper
counties to reach Charleston, is it not
lust rs inconvenient for the people OF
all those 81 counties to reach Wheel
ing or Martinsburg? The most prac-
teal solution we can see of the Capt.
tol question Is that there shall be four
Capitols; our legislators seem to be
fond OF variety; this Is an age of
progress; Connecticut has had two
Capitols; true she abolished the one
at the southern extremity Of the State
and adopted one near the center,
but we are not bound by presidents,
let US have one Capitol at Hunting
ton, one at White Sulphur, one at
Martinsburg and one at Wheeling,
then all sections would be satisfied
To be sure it might cost the small
sum OF 100000 or so, but that is a
mere bagaJelle.
The first consequence of the Capitol
removal is the passage ola bill to pay
$4,000 for use Of the buildings now
occupied; as the State now has more
buildings than it knows what to DO
with. aud this SO, 900 will be as good
as thrown away, why cannot three
or four hundred thousand more be
thrown after it. The people viii have
to pay it.
Seriously speaking this renewal Is
ablunder and a crime acrime agaias'
the taxpayers Of The State an out
rage on the rights of citizens The
whole matter at stake Is the convent,
ence of less than one half of the mem
bers of the Legislature say fifty per.
sons. To secure that convenience,
the State is dishonored, the people
are taxed more than 100000 now,
and God ouly knows what amount