The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1891-01-24
The Capital at Auction.

The provision adopted by the Con-
stitutional Convention on Wednes-
day in regard to offering the Capital
of Kentucky to the city or town that
will pay the most for it is the most
mischievous which human ingenuity
could possibly have devised. If
there is any thing upon which the
people of Kentucky, without regard
to geographical location or political
affiliations, are of one mind, it is
thai TINS Convention should settle
the Capital question for all time to
come. But instead of settling this
question as the people desire, and
putting an end to the contest about
it, which has veXed the people and
retarded legislation and kept up per-
petual strife for the last hundred
years, the plan proposed by the Con-
vention can have no other effect than
to keep up the strife il a more ag-
gravated form for century to come.
The idea Of putting up the Capital of
great State like Kentucky TO the
highest bidder, as you would sell
drove of hogs or herd of cattle for
the market, is disgrace to the civil
ization of the age. Just think of how
it will work. This year Lexington
bids half million Of dollars and the
Capital is knocked off to Lexington
as the highest and best bidder.
About the time Lexington has levied
and collected the half million of
taxes from her citizens, who have
voted the tax reluctantly, but under
the belief that the Capital would be
thereby permanently located there,
Louisville opens the bids by offering
a million dollars to have the Capital
located at the Falls City, and takes it
away from Lexington before the
paint is dry on the roof Of the new
Capital building in that city. What
then would become Of the taxes levied
and collected at Lexington? And
what would the good people of Lex
ington say who had bankrupted the
entire town and then lost the Capital?
But to carry the illustration to its
natural and legitimate results: Sup
pose that after Louisville has thus
outbid and ruined Lexington, and
has erected beautiful Capital build
ing in one of her splendid parks near
the Falls; and just as she has finished
it and has had Watterson, Bennett
Young and others dedicate it TO the
State in grand style, as they know so
well how to do; ana just about the
time the dedication is completed
telegram should reach Louisville
from Whitesburg, in Letcher coun-
ty, or from Morehead, in Rowan
county, in substance as follows:
"Dear Watterson and Young: You
need not go any further with the ded-
ication of the new Capitals; British
syndicate has just purchased two or
three counties in this section Of the
State, and will give three millions Of
dollars to have the Capital located
on their lands; SO please hold on until
the Legislature meets" Or suppose
that Cincinnati should conclude that
by Offering five or ten millions TO
have the Capital at Covington or
Newport would greatly increase her
southern trade, the Capital must then
be located to suit the merchants and
traders Of Cincinnati. These are
but fair and foreible illustrations
which show that the plan adopted by
the Convention not only defeats the
wishes Of the people on this vexed
subject, but will certainly defeat any
Constitution containing provision
calculated to o&er premium to bri-
berry and corruption, and tending TO
breed ill feeling and distress between
all the different sections of the State.