The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-06-01
GhtgmtelIiae1ter
The Three Congressional Dis
tFictS Ol the state.

The Three Congressional Dis
tFictS Of the state.
The people OF the First and Second
Districts OF this State have no enmity
against those Of the Third District. And
yet it will not be Mr.. Walkers fault the
Third District is not persuaded that the
upper portion OF the State is her natural
enemy. He is at work trying to show
that she has been Disseminated against
By the other two districts in the expendi-
turc Of the public money, Among other
things, he speaks OF the existence Of two
Custom Houses in the First District, one
at Wheeling and the other at Parkers-
burg, as il these had been built by the
State. lie might with the same prOprie-
ly have alluded to the expenditures by
the United States Government in the
way Of improvements in the Ohio
river, between the Hancock county line
and the Little Kanawha. Perhaps he
would have done no save for the fact that
the mention oft might have started the
question whether a good deal Of money
had not been appropriated for like im-
provemGnts on the Kanawha,
No one denies that more money has
been spent for the erection Of public
buildings in the First and Second Dis
tricts than In the Third. This Is very
natural circumstance, and grows out OF
the fact that the large preponderancC OF
population in the State is In these two
districts. And yet any one eau see that
the public buildings are widely distribute
ed in West Virginia as compared with
some Of the States, for instance Ohio and
Indiana, where most Of the institutions
are located at the State capitals. The
theory Of such locations Is that they
should be so placed rs to best subScrve the
interests Of the State. Is this correct
theory or not, Mr.. Walker himself being
the Judge?
II Is well to bear in mind that this mat
ter OF the expenditure Of the public
money is not an exclusively one sided af-
fair. The side that Mr.. Walker is
careful not to give his readers is
the fact that the vast proportion
Of taxation is laid upon the First and Sec
Ond districts. For instance, since the nd
mission Of the State in 1868 up to the
year 1874, the First district paid into
the State Treasury, s., 9,4O5GsO OF, and the
Second district paid in $9,2G2yOGG l3,
while the Third paid in 81 ,SO2793,2l. OF
this whole amount thus paid in by the
three districts, the city Of Wheeling and
county Of Ohio paid in almost One.tenh,
viz: $GO7354 40.
Notwithstanding the large amount Of
public revenue paid by this city into the
State Treasury, moi one Of the State III
slitutiOns has ever been located here.
True, We had the Capital among us for
awhile, and 80 also has Charleston had
il for five years. And, by the way, dur
ing four ofthosc years the Auditors books
show that $5OO,0l4 Al Of public money
was spent for Executive and Legislative
purposes at that place, including Sll3,-
$40 Soto the Public Printer.
But, says Mr.. Walker, "thcre Is not
now public institution in the State
which one way or another does moi
nay tribute to Wheeling" This state
ment shows how nimsy and reck'
less is his whole argument in this
subject. We presume that with the posi-
Bile exception Of Moundsville, the
trade Of Wheeling Is almost inappreciH'
bly, affected by the location OF single
public institution in the State. Morgan
town, for instance, has more intimate re-
lations with Pittsburgh than with this
city, and we presume that the asyIum'
at Weston and ROmney buy portion, II
not the greater part, Of their supplies
from Baltimore.
We may say againin this connection
what is we'll known here, that Wheeling
does not depend for her prosperity or
noliticnl fayors, While everybody IL
gratired to have the Capital here, there is
no furor among the people onthc subject
Most assuredly our people would never
think Of trying 10 dctnin the Capital
here by force. Wheeling is u city oI
working people--a manufacturing com
munity-wherc wares Of such excellent
quality are made that they command .
market all over the country. She would
not give up her Nail mills for all the
public institutions Of the State, three
times told. She would hardly exchange
her cigar trade for them, saying nothing
Of her other lines Of manufacture. While
as we have said, there Is general leellhE
Disqualification over the return Of the Cap
ital to our midst, yet the people do mol
propose to ubase themselves in the
dust to keep II here. They pro
pose to do the generous thing by the
State, by building a magnificent State
House for the free Use Of the government
as long ms the peoples representatives
may see 1T to occupy 1t. Whenever II
shall be their good pleasure to locate The
Capital elsewhere, no pitiful whine will
betaised here about a contract, aud about
vested rights, by a lot Of disappointed
COrner-lot spcculators.
General Grant,s letter.
iFka AmaricOu FpntIn Lovr hnt hnefl