The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1879-12-03
WANHINGToN LETTER.
A Quorum Of Congress present
Washington Reyiyi1ied VIII
the Capital be Removed?
from Our Regular Correspopden, /


For the last two weeks Congress
has been brewing in the air, and
now the hotels and boarding houses
have more than quorum. The
heart Of the city throbs with new
life. The ayaricious faces Of the
shopkeeper, the bartender, and Of
the innumcrable host who have
rooms to let are lighted with the ex-
pectation of gain. The Departments,
and Government clerks we have
nearly always with us. Congress
comes and Congress goes and these
go on forever. But Washington is
never really herself socially, morally,
(immorally) and politically except
during the Congressional session.
A common remark is: aWhat a
splendid capital We will have in
FIVE, ten, or twenty years" Archi.
tcclural improvements are in con-
slant progress. Millions have been
expended to make smooth and solid
streets. Parks have been laid out in
every section Of the city. Forests
of trees have been planted. Colossal
bronze equestrian statues mount
guard in the squares and circles
Fountains, flowers, and foliage con-
tend with the miasma of surround
ing swamps to make this unfortunate
locality an urban paradise. But the
surrounding swamps and physical
geography are more patent than con-
gressional appropriations or the en-
terprise of real estate holders. We
will have splendid capital when
the seat of government shall be NOV
ed to locality moro favored by ma.
ture, and this removal will probably
take place much sooner than is an
ticipated. The political'signifcance
of the next census will soon be felt
in Congress. In FIVE years the ques-
tons Of Solid North and Solid South
will have ceased to agitate and dis
tract the country. The Solid West
will loom up, and not even the North
and South solidiied can prevent that
unsentimental section from removing
the capital a thousand miles from
the Tomb OF Washington. But the
North and South cannot be solidifed
On this question. What objection
will Texas make, or any state whose
borders are washed by the Mississip.
pi or the Gulf. Tennessee and Ken
lucky have the preponderance of
wealth and population in their West
ern sections. New England, New
Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virgin.
ia, the carolinas, and possibly, Penn
.ylvania and New York are all that
can be relied upon for solid opposi,
tion to the Westward movement
1t would seem at first thought a
gitanic task to remove the group of
palaces that compose the National,
Legislative and Executive Depart
ments, but the work will be easy
when compared With the transporta-
ton feats of the Egyrtians 5000
years ago. The cost would be less
than the sum Louis XIV. cxpeodca
on Versailles. With modern appli.
ances the removal might be accom-.
plished in five years. reluctance
of Congress to improve the harbors
and drain the pestilent swamps that
environ Washington is found in the
secret conviction that this is not the
abiding city of the nation, and that
it is poor economy toexpend treasure
on temporary habitation.
In the Congress that will convene
on next Monday the Democrats will
have a majority of 5 in the Senate
and in the House.
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