Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-03-19
A SOP TO WEST VIRGINIA.


The House Committee on Public Lands has
agreed to report bill granting to the State or
West Virginia property at Harper's Ferry, 1or
terms of the bill stating the amount of the
property appropriated. or the particular e9uca-
There was an act passed by the LEGISLATURE of
this State, last winter, donating to the Jefferson
wbich may be donated to The State (and not
otherwise appropriately, for educational pur-
poses by the General government. and we pre-
mendation by the House Committee on Public
Lands. and that it was engineered by the same
"Sop to West Virginia." There is rich-
ness for you, as Squires said of the skinned
milk Upon what meat doth this our Caesar
feed that he has grown SO great" A dona-
ton of over a quarter OF a million of dollars
is styled "sop." The term is not used
simply to ornament an attractive head line,
for what follows rebuts such a presumption.
This kind of '.sop" ought to be good enough
to titilate even the royal palate of the
Wheeling Register. Now if this article had
appeared in Morgantown paper we should
not have been surprised. A Noryantown
man, might regard the above mentioned
engineering" as "poaching on his pre-
serves" and might write after this fashion.
Morgantown has an Agricultural College,
which has heretofore been the beneficiary of
a handsome slice of pa.rimouy from Uncle
Sam, and perhaps, she might think she had
a contingent remainder in all donations of
like character. But why is the Register
turning up its nose at this "sop" of two mill
lion and quarter dollars7 Wheeling has no
Agricultural College, and is not likely to
have. Her interests do not run in an Agri.
cultural line. If it was pig>iron, We could
understand it. Not only the head but the
he baa1,hy Tho vho1o
article is a little bilious.
The editor speaks of an act turning over
such donations to Jefferson county for an
Agricultural College. having been "engi-
neered" through the Legislature. This is
insinuation, that that Honorable Body de-
monetzed several educational Institutions
after the style Congress "engineered" out
of circulation the dollar of the Fathers. 1t
affords US some satisfaction to inform the
public that the records do not sustain this
insinuation. The bill is short one, aud
was read once in each branch of the Lesis>
lature. 1t donates to the Jefferson County
Agricultural College, any public lands or
land warrants, which may have been, or may
hereafter be donated to the State of West
Virginia, to the value Of 500 900, on con-
dition, that said College educates, free Of
tuition, each year, twelve boys from differ
cnt sections of the State.
The bill was passed after mature delibera-
tion for ccgent reasons.
There were a number of Institutions loca.
ted in differcu sections of the State before
tho Legislature clamoring for large expendi-
ture of public monies for current expenses,
and construction purposes.
Tho Delegates from Jefferson pressed
upon the attention of the Legislature bill
Loll,r ont Of he az
Treasury, but in substance for such public
lands, as might hereafter be donated to the
State, and limiting their request to 100000.
Who could begrudge to Jefferson County a
windfall that might not happen in a hundred
years? Who, even if the Granger Senator
from Jefferson County did "engineer" the
bill through our Legislature, and is now pi-
loting this measure through Congress, will
envy him and the people of Jefferson their
success?
The people of the Kauawha Valley cer>
tainly are not of that ilk, to play the dog in
the manager towards the eastern Pan Handle.
Besides, since it has been the policy of
West Virginia that "all sop shall be pooled"
what section of the State is better entitled
to one "square sop" than that east of the
mountains. 1t will be qualification to our
people TO one of the largest tax paying
communities in the State receive some por-
ton of the public benefits. We are glad
the first bill passed the Legislature. We
are glad it passed with only two negative
votes in the House and one in the Senate.
We hope this bill in Congress will have q
like success, and that Jefferson County, and
through Jefferson County West Virginia,
may reap much advantage therefrom.
We hope Congressman Kenua will unite
with tho Representative from the Second
District in making this bill law.
Charleston Courier.