The Osceola times., 1884-01-05
ATLANTA'S VICTORY.
elimination Of a Long and Bitter Fight
Tho Capital Of Georgia Permanently Lo-

elimination OF a Long and Bitter Fight
Tho Capital of Georgia Permanently Lo-
Gated.
Atlanta Georgia Special to Cincinnati Enquirer.
The vote by which the house to-day
agreed to build 81 100000 caoital in At
lanta brings to circulation one of the most
Interesting chapters ofthe reconstruction
history. When the refusal of Milledge-
vile to entertain colored members Of the
legislature and other like acts led to the
selection of Atlanta by the military as
the temporary capital, all those who had
been prominent in the old government
were arrayed against the impertinent
city The sentimentalism of the people
was outraged, and the dearest hopes of
old men was to live to see the day when
there would be assembled in Milledge-
town, under the ancestral roof, a legisla-
ture of sons true to the soil. The ques-
ton of the capital location was submitted
o the people in the constitution of 1868,
when Atlanta was chosen by a popular
vote, or counted in, as was alleged to be
the case with Bullock. A curiosity of the
vote was that Baldwin county, in which
Milledgeville is located, voted for Allan
Ia, while Fulton county, containing the
latter city, voted for Milledgeville. The
contest of the next ten years was bitter,
Ii was a contest between the old element,
clinging to NIlledgeville. and the new
element, who wanted to carve their for
tunes anew. Macon, Columbus and Saw
annah, jealous Of Atlanta's commercial
growth, encouraged the claims of Mil
ledgeville.
After the flight of Bullock the war
against Atlanta and her new idea became
intense, and one of the leading elements
which called into existence the conven-
ton of 1877 was a desire to remove the
archives back to the old city. During
| these years Atlanta was not idle. The
purchase of the opera-house being built
by kimball was negotiated by the city, a
large amount of money being sunk. The
purchase of other property tended to give
the state an interest in the city, and the
increase of commerce had declared At
lanta TO be the entrepot of the state. At
ter a bitter debate the convention of 1877
decided to submit the question to the
people, not, however, until Atlanta had
tackled on to the article a proposition to
donate to the state the city hall square,
] ,,,l t,,, l
else.
The campaign which followed was un-
eN' IMPLIED for bitterness, In Macon, an
inc gnant citizen brought his dog up,
and placing between his paws an Allan
ia ballot, voted it. BY clever campaign
ing .t,lanta was again selected, but the
fight lid not end here. As long as the
STATE was without a costly state building
there still remained hope for the old
town. Hence all opposing elements
united in refusing to appropriate money
for the erection of new capital. At last
however, the claims of Atlanta have
grown so prominent that opposition has
simmered down, and the bill which has
for a week been under debate in the
house proposing the erection of a 81 ,0O0,-
900 capitol was passed by a good vote.
A Commission, Of which the governor
shall be member, shall have charge of
the work The building is to be of gran
ite quarried in Georgia, other things be-
ing equal, and is to be completed by 1889.
The first year there will be appropriated
/ 100000, and each succeeding year until
completed, SiS0.Q00.
This settles Atlanta as Georgia's per
! nanent capital.