Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-24
LOCK HAvEN'S URGENT AMBITION.

An article appears in the last issue of
Lock Haven paper which indicates loft,
and peremptory ambition on the pant o
that thriving lumber town. We believ
that town has already shown premonitor,
symptoms of a desire to have the State cap
ital removed to its locality. But there ha
never been so striking manifestation of tn,
spirit of the boy who, in putting up prayer
Tor the supreme object of his desires
avowed: 81 want yellow sled with greer
runners; and want it now!"
The argument in this article by which il
is shown-conciusively to the Lock Haven
people, we presume-that the capital should
promptly be transported from Harrisburg tc
their town is that while in old times cite.
and political 'centers had to be located or
waterways-lik, poor farms in our own
time-the devastation of forests producing
drouths and floods "will eventually force
not only the people, but also railroads to a
higher elevation Consequently the nee
essary action is to locate the capital at the
geographical center of the State, to es-
tablish Estate forestry on the public do
main and a State capital in the center
thereof to commemorate Columbus dis
covery of the New World" The pro-
gramme is an attractive one, but it will
prove to have its drawbacks. Thus, to say
nothing of the question whether geographi-
cal centers are as important as railroad
centers, in locating State capital, and the
doubtful accessibility of a capital in the
midst of State forest, there is the great
objection that the wood saving propensities
of our practical politicians would utterly
destroy the forests. Beyond that if Lock
Haven cures the damages to the rivers by
State forestry, it will not be necessary to
move the people and railroads to higher
elevations, which impales the Lock Haven
combination on the horns of dilemma.
But this is not the only original feature
of the argument. Lock Haven wants the
capital so promptly as to fix the commemora-
ton of Columbus discovery, of next
year, for the date of its removal
The Constitution requires sundry formali-
ties such as action of the Legislature, and
a vote of the people before the capital is
moved; and as that process will be entirely
too slow to suit the peremptory
desires of that energetic town, the article re-
ferred to proposes to amend the Constitution.
But the spectacle OF the State falling vigor-
ously to work and amending the constitu-
tion in order that Lock Haven may get the
capital in time to celebrate the Columbus
anniversary that way is made rather remote,
as it takes two or three years to amend the
Constitution. To carry out this part of the
project, there is no way but for Lock Haven
to improve on the example of Chicago and
adjourn the Columbus celebration say till
1897 or 1898, in order to get time enough Q)
to amend the constitution; (2) to induce the
Legislature to pass the act moving the capi-
tai; and 90 to build the new buildings,
create the State forest and blow them both
in, with appropriate ceremonies.
On the whole we would advise our ambi-
tious friends not to be too prompt about
moving the capital. Great bodies move
slowly and capitals have the same defect.
If the Lock Haven folk will wait until the
next century, and meantime study some
method for making the Susquehanna river
run uphill, they may perhaps induce flood
that shall wash the capital buildings up
that stream from Harrisburg to their own
municipality.