The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-24

pOfJ. In 1917 newport was bDHhuOhou 40 Tug
capital, and now the Legislature meets only
in the metropolis Of the State, Providence.
| The reasons given for this-reasons which the
| people approved almost unanimously by their
votes was that 1t was better to have the en-
tire State government concentrated at the
metropolis Of the State; that 1T was absolute
| " necessary for the Governor and State finan-
cial officers to be at Providence, and 1t was
folly, therefore, TO take the Legislature off to
Newport.
| In Connecticut there are two metropolis,
cities OF almost equal size. One is the COM
merciaI, the other the financial and indus
trial capital Of the State. What did the Legis-
lature do-run off to some retired village?
No; they made both these cities capitals,
alternate years.
None OF the Middle States have their CAPT
tails located at their chief cities. All have
selected interior and more central towns. It
is to be noted however, that none Of these
chief cities are entirely within these States,
but all on the borders. Part of New York is
really In New Jersey; so also Is part Of Phila-
delphla. The largest cities of New Jersey
Jersey City and Newark really only
territorially within the jurisdiction Of New
Jersey.
Coming to Virginia we find that the metrop-
oils (Richmond) has been selected as the capt.
tai. In Georgia, also, the metropolis (Atlanta),
which has in the past few years distanced
Savannah, has also been lately selected as the
permanent capital. 1t is only few months
since an exciting campaign was going on
in Georgia on the capital question Hedge
vile vs. Atlanta. 1t was pretty much the
same fight Us is now being made by Baton
Rouge. The old capitol at MilledgeviIle was
still standing; 1t needed only few repairs,
and these the town Of Milledgeville promised
to make ut It's own expense. The supporters
of Milledgeville made plaintive appeals to the
ancient memories Of Georgia; pointed to the
great men who had met in the old capitol; to
the fact that 1t was by the Radical party that
the capital had been changed. All these ap-
peals however, failed. The people of Georgia
declared by4O,OOO majority that MilledgevilIe,
although equally as central as Atlanta, was
not the place for the capital, because it was
small town, without newspapers, without any
of the other cOnvenience5 of civilization so
necessary for the capital of great State,
And we wish here to call attention to the fact
that the people Of Georgia and Virginia have
not suffered by having the capitals located at
their chief cities, but have prospered more
politically have hal better Legislatures and
better governments than any other Southern
States. Nor In South Carolina did the fact
that the capital was located at small and
interior town, Columbia, instead Of at the
chief city, Charleston, have any beneficial
effect upon Radical legislation in that State. |
Radical rule was just as bad in Columbia as
In New Orleans; indeed, far worse. The
reign of fraud that this State has witnessed |
was not owing to the atmosphere of our city; |
It would have been the same-far worse at |
Baton Rouge. OF the Western States, Indiana |
and Minnesota have chosen their chief cities as
their capitals In Colorado, also, this rule has |
been adopted 1t is true that Denver is not |
city Of the first magnitude; for all that, 1t is |
The METROPOLIS of the State, the centre Of intel
Iigence, wealth and news. The rural inhabit-
ants regard 1t pretty much as the country /
people of Louisiana regard New Orleans, and
owe to point to it's wickedness, immortality
md temptations
Recapitulating, we find the various State
'apitals located as follows: In Massachu-
etts, Rhode Island Connecticut, Virginia,
4eorgia, Louisiana, Indiana, Minnesota,
Vest Virginia and Colorado, ten States, the
apital and metropolis are Identical; in
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, North
carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
oregon, Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Ten
lessee and Nevada, there are no preponder-
ting Cities so that the test cannot be ap-
lied. In the other States, New York, Penn
ylvania, Delaware, Maryland, South Caro-
ina, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan Wis
onsin, Missouri and California, twelve States
n interior and more central town has been
elected as State capital instead of the chief
ity. It is to be noticed however, that the
arge cities in all these States are con the
order" in one corner of the State, and that
heir capitals are all in more central locations;
hat in many of these States the capital when
chosen was the leading town; that
n only three instances are the capitals as
mall as Baton Rouge, and in no instance are
NY Of them off the line of q railroad,
So it seems plain therefore, that in select
ny State capital, the idea of our fathers
vas to find place as nearly central to all
arts and sections Of the State as possible, as
8 shown by the fact that in many instances
ngineers were employed to find the exact
centre Of the State. We can
asily see how important this was in the days
f stage coaches, when it required some
nonths' notice to get Legislature together
n extra session; how important 1t was in the
mere question of mileage. The removal of
he capital from Springfield, ILL.,, to Chicago
sould add immensely to the cost of the
legislature of Illinois, while in a large State
Ike Texas were the largest city, Galveston
hosen as capital, instead Of Austin, it would
lmost bankrupt the treasury.
The necessities Of a State capital in the eyes
( the fathers were a central and healthy To-
alton. Never has the Democratic party
reached the idea that it feared the masses of
he people and sought refuge in an insignif-
ant village through fear of the "mob" most
word; never has it declared