The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-08-21
SINH. '. en-, Virginia Prosper

.. si,nil '. en-, bsinin Pronper:
In strongly written editorial article en-
titled sweet Virglpin's Crisis" the Register
deals ably with the railroad problem as It
touches cur o@n State. 1treters 10 the vast
natural reeou1ces atill slumberirg in the
boHels q the earth; to tho primitive con-
d,ion Of the people before "the lido Ct
capital and enterprieo trat struck our
b,rde.s;" to the rich and now populous
rsgiou developed by tho Chesapeake 4
o lio railroad, "built by Northern money
aad Northern enterprise" to the projects
f,r connecting tina. road with the Baltimore
& Ohio; to the part Western capital has
begun to take in our development, result.
Ing almost immediately in the Ohio River
road; to the numerous systems OF narrow
gaug, roads protected and under favorable
circumstances likely TO DO constructed.
The Regi.ter then remarkE:
Il is jIst st this cyisis We now stand. Be-
fore us arc opeaif G the possibilities Of great
future. Beh,bd us are ias usslesa decades OF
iEertnees and isolation wteIe WesAt and slept
while psegrees and higher civilization grew
mp all around NJ. Wtlch iield shall W &C.
cupt? Shall we.go forward or retreat? 1t
Is ncmentcus question, SD we have reach.
ed crisis lii this material adysucsment and
prosperity OK our State thai brings a fearful
responsibility to our people. Are We eq1al
10 The occasion, or shall we prove ourselves
unworthy the great Gpportuhi.l.s Fortune
has cat N cur pathway? Whittier do our
best interests lesu US? Ne invoke the peo-
ple OF West Virginia 10 g.ys the cub Jet calm
deliteIation and wise dlseuseiun.
Whether West Virginia ia to go ahead,
sand still OF fall back Is the supreme quee-
tion Tor West Virsirians 10 determine. 1t
is the one question which all men having
in!srest anG pride in this State OF splendid
possibilities should besble TO consider and
determine without political biss or pre-
judice. West Virginia, starting so late in
the lace Of progress, ought to present the
inspiring spectacle Of people standing
t,gether IS one man to hold fast to what
has been attained, working harmoniously
and unanimously TO build on that basis q
substantial prosperity Tor the enjoyment OF
this generation and the heritage Of the
generations that sha|l follow. A new rail
rood 10 penetrate, the wilderness or bring
remote communities near to markets and
great centers OF ciyil;ssticn-the develop
ment Of one mining district to bring into
tho Safe money aud populations more
to West Virginia thaa the success Of any
politician. Yet the success Of 5 politician
may fall as blight upon every enterprise
and deeh the foadect hopes.
A Democratic Convention-we will not
say the Democrats Of West Virginia-has
nominated Tor Governor q man who has
blilt up notosiely for himself on his un-
reasoning, spiteful and aggressive oppos:-
ton to aggregated capital. It matters not
to Mr.. L. Willis Wileon what corporation
is created for, what it proposes to do, what
uuexplored fsld Of industry it proposes to
open; for his purpose 1t is enough that it is
corporation. In his campaign for The
nomination he beat up the State from the
Big Sandy to tho Pennsylvania line, from
the Ohio to tho borders OF the Old
Dominion, denouncing corporations as he
went, making war on railroads in particu-
lar, teaching doctrines which ii accepted
by this people means 10 West Virginia
hopeless, helpless poverty for countless
years to come.
Corporations like men often do the
things they ahould not do-let the law hold
the to their oblisatioue. But great rail-
road, mining and manufacturing enter
prises arc the achievements OF men $780,
ciated in companies as the law provides,
and these substantial blessinSa como in no
other way. In this day the Goddess Of
P ,enty moves by slesm; from her cernuco-
pi' she makeo the exchanges reproductive
! rlus!ry, distributing the larmers' p, O.
d tcts over prosperous towns and cities
q I'd bringing back to the aSricul.u,i,s Il 9
wares which ingenuity has devised and
skill has wrought tor the comfort Of his
home and the better prosecution Of his
calling.
The idss Of MIR. E. Willis Wilson is not
to induce capital 10 come into West Vir-
gin!a to build railroads, open coal mines |
and erect factories, but to resulats the lite
capital already inraltd here in works Of
that character. is It not better 10 regulate
by competition which develops as it regu-
lstes? and as plain business proposition
how much capital does anybody think Mr..
Wilson, as Governor, would be likely to
attract to West Virginia ? The country
knows that he was nominated against the
protest Of tina: elemen! Of bis party which
hes done something 70. the development
81 the s.stc, which understands that capital
is sentative and easily takes fright. Men
are not going to put money into railroads
and mines and manufacturing plants in a
State whose Governor ia pledged to en-.