The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-02-03
The Capital Question.

The Capital OF West Virginia has been
twice Temoved-once from Wheeling to
Charleston and once from Charleston to
Wheeling. The Legislature having tried
Wheeling and then tried Charleston
came to the conclusion that the former
was the preferable place Of the two. They
acted by the light Of experience. They
sat at Wheeling several years and at
Charleston several years, and tested both
places etlectually, and came back TO the
point OF beginning satisfied that it had
advantages for the seat Of government
that Charleston did not possess.
They found that Charleston was a
point difficult Of access to large major,
ity OF the people Of tho State. They
found that the navigation of the Ka'
nawha and Ohio could not be relied on,
and that journeys overland, or by rail
around by Washington City, were at
tended with delay, privation and expense,
They found that it cost the State more
money for mileage than il cost her al
Wheeling, for the reason that the large
majority Of the members OF the West Vir.
ginia Legislature are from the lat and ID
districts. They found that it was i'm.
possible for Charleston to afford them
the SANG general cunveniences, comforts
and facilities for Legislation that Wheel
ing could afford them. And 20 they
came back to Wheeling. aaa ~
We have before us an article that was
written on the question Of capital re-
movaI in 1875, at the time the Legisla'
ture was in session at Charleston. II
ia M article that had weight with the
Legislature OF that year, and we think il
should have like weight with the present
Legislature. We quote from it rs fol
lows:
"The advocates Of tile retention Of tht
capital at Charleston usually reply tC
ali complaint as to Its inaccPssibility by
saying that any location in the northern
mart OF tho State will prove as inconve
nient for the people Of the Kunawhu
valley and the counties lying south o
that region IN Charleston now is 10 The
people residing farther north. II the
neople OF the Kanawha valley, or, tC
sneak generally, Of the counties compos
ing the Third Congressional district
we're euual in number and in malcria
interests to the people who are iucom
molcd by the present location, this wonl(
afford some reason why no change in tn,
seat OF government should be at prescn
effected. But what are the facts ?
There are in the State OF West Virglni;
iiity.four counties, having an aggregate
population, according 10 the latest ma
iional census, Of, ii2,0l4. Thirty.on
Of these counties lie either upon the lin
Of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, o
make that road their outlet for trade nm,
their means OF communication with tn
outside world, and, to great extent witt
one another. These thirty.one counties
to-wit: Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall
Wetzel, Monongalia, Preston, Marion
luylOT, l. gieEl ileHhnHt MOuNt VIII
Richie, Lewis, DOddridge, Mineral
Hampshire, Hardy, Morgan, Berkeley
jefferson, Harrison, Upsllur, Randolph
Barbour, Tucker, Pendleton, Grant, Cal
houn and Gilmer, have an aggrcgat
population Of 2s5,3GO, or l2S,7OG NOR
Than the remaining twenty.three ooun
ties OF the State. The people Of all tn
counties enumerated would be much bet
ter accommodated by n location OF tn
Capital at somc point farther north thai
Charleston than they are by the presen
location, whileya very considerable por
ton Of the people of the remaining
twenty.three counties would find i
quite us convenient TO reach III
Capital al almost any point ol
the line Of the Baltimore and ohiC
Railroad as they now find II at Charles
ton. There eau be no doubt .whateYel
in the mind OF any pesonWho, withon