Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1877-08-04

hundred RtteS, to tie average citizen IN. going
to, aud returning from the Capital.
Now, my friends, have you ever been to
Clarksburg? II so, you can Judge whether the
luxury of having Winter Capital in that Al
pine village, is worth this sacrifice to the gene
raj convenience Of the State-that the mean
distance Of travel should be increased Three
hundred rules Her mountain heights are
very breezy and beneficial to health, in the
summer season, especially to those troubled
with hay-levcr But why any human being,
during the Legislative session, in mid Winter,
who can get as far as Mlrtinsburg, should be
compelled, 10 going and returning, to travel
three hundred miles farther, is more than
either my reason can answer, or my magma
tion can suggest.
If then, my Fellow Citizens, you have made
up your minds to vote for that location which,
if adopted, will best subserve the general in
terestS Of the State and If such selection de-
ponds upon the questions Of economy, cORce-
nieRce and accessibility by raii1cays, as at
present actually constructed: do not think
that rs intelligent sutfragans, you can hesitate
in Your choice An intelligent commission,
uniunuenced by the improper, irrelevant and
extraneous considerations which the politicians
nave dragged into this controversy, would not
hesitate Eve minutes.
But, my friends, certain objections have been
urged against Martinsburg, which will now
proceed to consider.
First, her location upon the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad.
Those who urge this objection, will not de-
ny that the same objection applies, with equal
force, to Clarksburg.
And how about Charleston?
She is situated upon the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad, to which we are already in
debted for more riciOuS railroad legislation than
to any other corporation in the State. For
instance, the power 10 found cities, and to sell
lots for that purpose; Also, the mysterious
and most unaccountable disappearance Of the
General RQilr0qd La,cS from ourCOde, with all
ITS Statutory, and conservative provisions. In
point OF fact, it is precisely at MartinSburg
that the Baltimore and Ohio ceases TO be a mo-
nop0ly 1t is at that point, that a branch OF
the great competing Pennsylvania Railway
makes its appearance. Mariinsburg can thus
fight one Railway with another; while Charles
ton will soon fluid herself in the hands, and at
the mercy of one great transcontinental mo-
nopoly. So that if there be anything in this
railroad argument, it is in favor Of Martins
burg, as against the other competing points.
But the truth is, railroads have TO be cOutroll-
ed by legislation, and that has got to be done
whether the capital is located on railway, o
OFF Of a railway. The sooner we wake up to
the importance Of this truth, the better; and
when it is once recognized, then it will be
rather immaternl whether the seat OF govern
ment be on the Baltimore aud Ohio, or Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railroad. Railroads will then
subServe the public interest, aud be subordi-
mated to the general welfare.
Another ground of objection to Martinsburg
urged by Judge Ferguson, is her proximity To
Maryland and Virginia. 1t is true that he is
only twelve miles from Maryland and but
twenty from Virginia.
But we have nothing to fear, that know
of, from the influence of those two States. My
source of apprehension, if any, would be from
a different quarter. may be wrong. But,
for my own part would rather lesislate at
MartinS6urg, within twelve miles Of Maryland
and twenty miles of Virginia, than at Clarks-
burg, which is forty-fve miles from the Penn
sylyania liuc, or at Charleston, which is only
forty miles from the Ohio border. This is a
matter Of opinion. Mr.. Carlisle and Judge
Ferguson may think one way, while the peo-
pie of this, and many other sections, may think
differently. Upon the whole, perhaps the
friends of Charleston and Clarksburg had bet
ter let the question of proximity to other
States alone.
But It seems, my fellow-citzons, that these
practical considerations Of convenience, ccouo-
my aud accessibility, arc not to have con-
trolling influence in the decision of this ques-
ton 10 other words, though convinced OF
Martinsburg's superiority in these particulars
you are to suffer these great interests to he
sacrificed to some most extraordinary ideas 0;
tie nature Of The Capital Of a State. 1t is to
he treated rs an eleemosynary or charitable in-
stitutiou, and balanced against insane
asylums, deaf aud dumb asylumS, and pub
lie schools, and colleges? And be-
cause certain towns have never had any insane
asylum or pententiary situated therein, they
are now entitled to have the capital permanent
~ located there And this assumption is
based upon what is called "tie policy Of dis
tTJu'i0a of thu institutions Of the State
which, it is gravely argued, has been deliber-
atcly adopted, and cannot now be abandoned
To all this StuF, which is totally unworthy
of the source from which it emanates, it is suf-
fcient answer to say that the people of West
Virginia have never been such fools as delib-
erately to adopt any such system of distri6u-
ton, as policy" irrevocably fastened upon
the legislation Of the State. On the contrary,
these locations have been the result of accidcn
tai circumstances, OF inducements, which,
without the slightest reference 10 sectional
distribution, have, At the particular times, de-
termined the location f this asylum, or the
establishment Of that institution of learning
The object has been to promote the general
convenience, or 10 convert some local enter
prise into public benehction. And now,
fJrSooth, the permanent location Of the Capital
is to be used as balance wheel, to Offset the
luuatjc asylum, the peuitentary, and the rni-
verSity And this is called craftsmanship =
can only say, that if 50, it is craftsmanship
in the last stage Of consumption, or III the first
stage Of commissions.
Nor my feil1w-citizenS is this the only ex-
traorlinary argument which has driitel into
this discussion, 10 the almost total exclusion Of
the true issues involved
The Capital it is contended, should be located
in the town whose rich men under sec. 4 Of the
Bill, may make the largest offer. And that
Charleston, for example, having offered a con-
yenieut building, should be preferred This
argument is Of little consequence, unless other
things were equal. The Capital cannot be put
out to the highest bid. II so, a Bank, or a
Railroad Company might bid more than the
Capitol Company Of Charleston"
Neither can the fact that Charleston has been