The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-02-05
A GAME OF SKINNY.

House, leaving the temporary location at
Wheeling until 1885, is substantially
what this city has all the time
been asking. The original proposition
of Wheeling was to furnish sccommo-
dation for ten years, and when the bill
passed removing the seat Of government
from Charleston it provided tor tenn
porary location at Wheeling; and as
early two years have expired since its
removal to this city, and more than
eight years are yet given for Its location
here, just about the ten years will have
expired until the permanent location Is
made. Viewing it in this light the peo-
ple of Wheeling have no special reason
to complain o. the passage OF
the House substitute if it should
psss both branches OF the Legislature
and b ,came a law. Charleston has really
more to complain of than Wheeling, for
if the vote be submitted to the people
under the provisions Of the bill as it now
stands, it emphatically means Clsrks-
burg or Martinsburg. We assume that
there will be no election made at the
first Decentralization, Clarksburg
and Martinsburg polling the strength OF
their respective districts. Ii Charleston
should hold her own and not be dropped
on the first vote, then either Clarksburg
or MartiDsburg will fall behind in that
election, most probably the latter town.
Then the contest comes up between
Chsrle:ton with the Third District vote
at her back, while the other point comes
in with the consolidated voies OF tue
First and Second districts-and these
bong the most populous districts in the
State will inevitably crush out the pre-
tensions of Charle,ton. So taking it as q
fight between W heeling and Charleston,
the former has every advantage over the
latter, accomplishing all she desired,
while the latter gains absolutely nothing
not even in her blind vindictivenes.
succeeding IN making single point
against her rival. While try
ing to capture the Clarksburg
delegates Charleston has let
the Clarksburg delegates capture her, and
thus only cut of her nose to spite her face.
But as We have previously
said this is not question to be exclusive
~ discussed and considered with regard
TO the effect it may have upon Charles.
ton, Wheeliny or any other one point,
but it is a matter of interest to the peo.
ple of the whole State. II is not the
Capital Of Ksnswha county, or OF Harrl-
fon county that is to be located. 1t is
the Capital of West Virginia, and every
citizen of the State has direct interest
in it and the Legislature must
so treat it. The substitute for
the original bill adopted BY the
House of Delegates on Saturday, pro
vides that in the present year, on the day
on which election for school officers is
held, an election shall be held at the
court house OF each county, and at every
other place of voting therein, for the
purpose of ascertsining the sense Of the
people Of the State as TO the proper locs-
ton of the permanent seat OF govern
ment. The School Law requires that
elections shall be held on that day at
every school house in each sub.
district The Removal bill further
provides for the appointment Of
three commissioners to superintend this
election on the capital location a.
every place of voting. The last report
of the Superintendent of Schools shows
that there are 1859 scheol houses in the
s,ate-there will be three commissioners
and two clerks required 10 conduct the
election a, each school house, st an average
cos, oftwo dollars per day each. And in
addition TO that, on the ffth day after
the election, the three commissioners con-
duc,ing the election will have TO meet at
the court house and canvass the vote of
their respective counties-there being 81
counties, will make l62 of these officers
one day, st 81 each. So We make the
following estimate of the cost OF ono e.ec-
.ion:
Number of school houses .....---- ...---.s :, $50
Three comm rs and two clerks TO each ,
Total number O, election officers. H.7Sj
sS.5o
To which add l62 com m rs at $40 S4
s.s,sl.
Making in round numbers $4,000 as
the expense Of one election. And wheD
we take into consideration the probsbil-
ity, ard almos, certainty of having two
elections We .. once see that the people
of the State pay the sum Of sixty thou.
sand dollars for the privilege Of voting
under the provisions Of bull only sub
hitting three points to be voted for,
and which is understood viii ulti-
mately result in the selection
of Clarksburg or Martinsburg. Now
we have nothing 70 say in dis
par.gement Of the claims Of these enter
prising cities-candidstes for capital
honors. But what We do say is, that if
the Legislature has the interest OF the