Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-02-28
Hon. w. L. Wilson Makes Some
Terse Practical Suggestions.
From the Wheeling Register.l

WAsHISGToN, February 20.
To the Editor of the Register:
Sir:-I shall be very glad to CO.
operate in any general effort to at
tract to our State desirable immigra-
ton and needed capital. In con-
certing measures to effect these re-
suits we must consider several
things:
First-That while our mineral,
lumber and other are pretty
well understood in the country, there
lis a very general impression that they
offer little attraction to the man OF no.
means or of moderate means, and.
that their development can be accom-
plished only by the large capitalist.
the corporation " the syndicate.
This is partly true, but not to the
extent commonly held.
I cannot think of any remedy for
the impression better than
that the State should at once under
take and push to speedy conclusion
a geological survey, not waiting for
the completion Of that undertaken by
the General Government. Such survey
should be made for the purpose chief
ly, of giving, in authentic and popular
form, accurate information as to the
physical structure of the State and
the and character OF every
section Of it, and thus be made the
basis Of a reliable gnide-book to set
tiers and investors. 1t would point
ont the localities and enterprises to
which not only the great capitalist
hut the man of moderate means, and
the settler without means, could
p~roftably devote himself.
Fortunately we have in Professor
Israel G. White, of our State Univer-
| sity, a man pre-eminently fitted for
this work, and I have no doubt he
could soon organize a corps, out OF
| his former students and others in Il
own State. who would add to c0mpe-
tent scientific capacity for the work
a genuine State pride is doing well.
Secondly-There is also an i'm
preston outside of West Virginia.
that, owing to sparse population and
mountainous structure, many por-
tions of the State are lacking in the
educational advantages. and in the
stable and well ordered society for
which the better class Of e%migrants
look in fixing their permanent homes.
Such impressions are fostered and
strengthened by widei.y-puhlished
and exaggerated stories OF such local
| disturbances as the recent Hatfield
and Mccoy feud.
To remedy this, 1 would advocate
a constitutional amendment to dis
tribute, say through a period of eight
or ten years, the accumulated fund
of the State, and the application each
year of the funds now used to in
crease its principal, to the support OF
our school system. l do not believe
in the policy of State acculnulating,
by taxation or otherwise, n fund to
be invested at interest. The policy
comes down from a period when pub
lie schools were not supported by
general public taxation. The money
is worth more in the pockets OF the
people than the State can get in in
terest for it. 1t will become more
and more difficult, us this fund accu-
mulatcs. for the State to find safe
and profitable investment for it, and
the day will probably come when it
will be lost or impaired by unfortu-
uate investments. Its safest and
most profitable investment is its eN-
penditure in the immediate future in
widening and improving II COM
mon schools, nursing into existence
4 much needed system of interme-
diate schools and placing upon a bet
ter basis our Normal schools and
University. and it is folly in my
Judgment for this generation to be
curtailing it's school facilities in or
der to accumulate n fund To improve
those of a wealthier and better edu-
Gated postcrity. ,
These suggestions, somewhat more
diffuseIy than / would write if l had
more time, are some of the means l
would suggest for " booming West
Virginia and for making it worth
I" booming"
Very sincerely, 49,,
w. l.. WILSON. -