The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-03-07
THE Ex-CAPITAL.
Wheeling Resigns i'm Favor of
the New permanent
Seat"
News Notes from the Late Seat
of WAR Legislature.


WHEELING, Feb'y 2Sth.-The last
Legislature has come and gone from
Wheeling. The Pan Handle has
about surrendered its hold upon the
legislative Handle" and will here
after be only the "Pan''-a recepta-
Gle, probably for the crumbs of leg
islation-a kind of slop-pot where
Charleston will throw her garbage.
Wheeling don't manifest any re-
greet at the departure of her capital
honors. They really pretend to be
well satisfied-even giving thanks
that they are done with this whole
capital business. Indeed it was Sc
riously discussed whether Wheeling
and the adjoining counties of the
Pan Handle had not better transfer
their allegiance to Pennsylvania,
and such proposition was actually
passed the other day by one branch
of the city council.
The interests of Wheeling are
very different from the balance of
the State, and Legislators from the
rural districts and remote sections
are slow to appreciate or respect this
fact. Let me tell you when the
legislature of West Virginia comes
to be down at Charleston, the other
end of the State, Charleston and her
neighbors will be the principal ben
efciaries-the Sun and Moon of the
State government will rise and set
over that spot, and towns and cities
in other sections will be but very
small luminaries. The Charleston
end of the State has very decided
conviction that if the State gov
eminent was not instituted and is
not run for it's benefit, it ought to
be, and every body who knows
Charleston is assured that when the
capital is transferred to that section
it will be. OF what benefit or inter
est will the capital be to the popula
ton of this end Of the State, when
they can't get to it except by travel
ing through two or three States, or
hear from it inside of week?
The Legislature, just adjourned,
has been, as all Legislatures are, a
subject of general criticism. Wheth-
err it was the worst or best one we
ever had is not yet settled. In '78
we had what is known as the "Gran-
ger Legislature" which was supposed
to have eclipsed all wildcat Legisla
tive bodies in history. The last Leg
islature was not near so bad as that
but had in it some of the same ele-
ments which made an impression if
they did not control There was
also good smattering of the genuine
old bourbon, and the respectable and
intelligent element had a hard time
and consequently not much was done.
One other matter that interfered with
Legislation was the partisan feeling
which was appealed to on almost
every measure, aud the slender ma
jority which the Democracy had was
insufficient to control wherever there
was much difference on the merits of
the measure.
The Republicans finally compelled
the Legislature to adjourn with about
two-thirds of the legislation that had
been matured, still on the calenders
and only needing few days to pass it.
We might say that all Of the leading
measures of the session failed. 1t
was we'll that some of them did fail.
Co education, in which you are To-
cally interested, failed against the
will of the Legislature. 1t was said
in the closing hours of the session,
that some who had voted against it
would liked to have had another OPP
portunity to vote for it. The more
members thought on the subject the
more favorably they regarded it.
But I cannot take space to enter
into all the details of the legislative
history of the past winter, nor give
you any comprehensive outline of
the news and gossip at the ex-capi-
tai. This is the last communica-
ton, however, you will get from the
capital until you go to the other end
of the State for it. JF.P.
Just before final adjournment a