Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1877-07-31

July lTh, 1877. 10.
Mr.. Lucas commenced his re marks by call
ing attention to the fact that throughout the
whole State there was an universal admission
that Martnsburg was the best location tor
the Capital but accompanying this admis>
sion was the inyariable dddendun, that Mar
tinsburg stood no chance in the contest, and
was not in the race Z! In other words, II is
quite apparent that hundreds of voters in the
State have deliberately abandoned Martins
burg as their first choice, in order to secure
their second; and have done this upon the
assumption that there is not sufficient intel-
ligence or patriotism in their fellow-citizens
to insure even the ghost Of q chance in favor
of that point toward which every honest and
Intelligent conviction unmistakably pointed
as the best location If the public mind
could once be brought to believe that the
pros pcct of elecsing Msrtinsburg. on tho 9TH
of August. as one. of the two competing
points, was fattering. her ultimate. selection
as the Capital would be placed beyond
doubt. 7a -. -....-Tt' .-
Now. my Fellow citizens. submit it to
you whether this reasoning is quite just to
Martinsburg? Above all. is il just Ito the
State. and to her interests. or to yourselves!
Are you prepared to sacrifice these consider
atoms, for no better reason than that, by 4
long and persistent course Of importantly.
agitation. bargsining. canvassiue, and in
tricue. Charleston and Clsrkshurg have rem
dered themselves 80 conspiouously prominent
for the location of the Capital, as TO exclude
from all consideration, not only many other
points, equally eligible, which are not named
in this bill at all, but also the third. and
mast suitable place among those from which
our Legislators have permitted us TO select !
What sort of answer will this be TO posterity,
or history, for most uuaccountable, and un>
suitable location of the Seat OF Government
No the only proper course TO pursue Is to
vote for your FIRST choice first; should that
vote not avail, the Bill itself provides for
opportunity, on the second vote, to give your
second, aud decisive vote for your second
choice. Sufficient for the day is the evil.
I make these preliminary observations. not
for the purpose of finding fault with Charles
ton or Clarksburg. but for the purpose OF
elcitiug from you frank and favorable an
swer to the following question Should L
succeed in convincing you that Mart'nshurg
is the point, among those named in the Bill,
which the best general interest of the State
demands as her Capital arW you Uofe fnr her
I hope, at least, that | may credit you
with sufficient frank and fearless patrioti-m,
thus assured, proceed to the demonstration.
First then. what are the characteristics es.
sentisl to recommend location for the Capi>
tai of the State?
They are. accessibility, cnnre"ie"ce and
economy. Let US then compare Charleston
aud CIarksburg, with Martiusburs, in point
Of general accessibility to the citizens OF this
State. This question must be tested By rail
tcny facilities 1t can not be tested by dirt
roads O, turupikes, because the stage coach
aud the OK cart. means of rapid transit,
have gone out Of fashion. II can not be de-
termiued by airline distances. because the
balloon, and other aerial nsvigations have
not yet been sufficiently introduced. 1t can
not be solved by water lines, because these
are frozen up, when there is chief demand
for mail aud travelling facilities to the le>
gisative centre of the State. It must be
tried aud determined by q comparison of
railway distances. and in no other way. And
these distances must be computed upon rail-
ways as they al, ea1y srist, and not upon those
which may be dreamed of. or projected.
Projected railways are. for the most part air
lines to the moon. A celebrated writer on
the "Science of Transportation" pays, that if
all the railroads which have been projected
in the United States had been built, there
would hardly have been ten miles square on
this side of the Rocky Mountains untra>
versed by railway!
Let US try this question then by the only
rational method-fhHt cf rd7'cGy distances
as they no1 actually exist, there is chief de-
mand tor mail and travelling facilities to the
legislative center of the State. BY rail, there
FORE and railway distances. we mnst try this
question. Supposing the FIRST aud third Dis
tricts Of the State to represent two thirds OF its
population We remark at once, that to get 20
Charleston, by rail, the citizens Of the first
snd third Districts haze to pass through Nnr-
Hnsburg and when they reach that point,
they fad themselves still hrre hu"6red o7d
ejyhty mills from Charleston! Now, can
any rational mind give any sound. or even
sane, reason why two thirds of the State.
upon reaching Martinshurg, should be COM
pellcd to traverse the State of Virginia. and
90 three hundred and eighty miles farther to
reach the seat of government?
This distance doubled makes SEVEN
HUNDRED AND SIXTY MILES, which, in go>
ing and returning. two-,hirds of the State
are modestIy asked to travel before reaching
the permanent seat At four cents. per
mile, this is in round numbers an extra tax
of thirty dollars per head on two-thirds of
the State for every citizen whose business or
inclination takes him to the Capital
For our legislators themselves. with mileage
at ten cents. per mile. the difference is seven
~ six dollars per member for the t~o,thifds
of the legislature representing the fret and
second Districts. For say fifty-six members,
the difference in milesge between Martins
burg and Charleston is over four thousand
dollars per session in favor of Martinsburg.
My countrymen, in this age. and in
small State like ours. seven hundred and
sixty miles is long distance Should any