Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-02-10
EDIron AND PRoPRIaToR.

PHrIADEIPBfA wants the State CaFl
tai.
The Grace Methodist Episcopal
church congregation Of Harrisburg.
rendered their church building to
the Legislature to hold its meetings
in.
The State Capital shall remain
where it is at Harrisburg. The State
constitution says in section %, arti
c:e 3. "No law changing the location
OF the Capital OF the State shalI be
valid unless the same shall have been
submitted to the qualified electors Of
the Commonwealth at a general elec-
ton and ratified aud api roved by
them.
GOVERNOR HASTINGS has refused to
giant requisi'ion for the person Of
II. II. Becbtei for the prosecutors of
the oaicers of the defunct Newport
deposit bank. Bechiel lives in Ohio,
and the Governor refuses to sign pa
pers by which demand can be made
for Bechtel's arrest and return to
Perry county for trial under the IN
dictment Of the Perry county grand
jury for embezzlemeut and receiving
money in the bank on deposit when
tie officers knew the bank was inscl
vent. The Governor refuses the req
uisition on the ground that Bechtel
was not in Peary county at the time
of the alleged crime.
GOVERNOR HASTINGS is reported as
being against the taking of the Capi-
tai from Harrisburg. Agitators for
the purpose Of promoting local
schemes may urge the taking of the
Capital to this or that pace, but the
thinking people of the Common
wealth who have DO axes to grind,
will be with the Governor most heart
lily to keep the Capital where it is.
Not one single good reason can be
urged for the change of the seat Of
the State Government. Now if the
Governor will do one other thing, he
can enslrine himself in the minds
and hearts of the common sense peo-
pie of the State. If be will announce
that five hundred thousand dollars is
a sufficient sum with the insurar ce
money of the destroyed building tc
erect building where ;the former
one stood for the Legislature to
meet and transact its business in, he
will be looked upon as tie biggest
man in public life in Pennsylvania
The Legislative Hail is only one of
four buildings on Capital Hull, and a
house after the fashion of the new
executive chamber and library will
be ample for ell business purposes
and be more in keeping with the
dignity of the great Commonwealth
than if some gaudy architectural pile
of mortar and stone and brick be
built as show and nothing more
Governor Hastings was elected by al
unprecedeptiy large majority, be-
cause he was believed to be fully ia
accord with the readjustment of the
tariff laws thst will put the manu-
; featuring industries in a better shape
and enable them to go on with theil
business and paying their workmen
American wages. Now if be places
himself in accord with the common
sense pee pie of the State in the mat
ter of the erection of Legislative
Hall at price betting the dignity
of the Commonwealth and beftting
the times, he will do the people just
ice and make himself strong with the
best interests of Pennsylvania.
THE destruction Of the main Capi
tai building at Harrisburg has caus'
ed number of towns to come for
ward and offer ground sites on which
to build new Capital. The question
ton of a ground site is of no corsid
Grafton for the State has location as
desirable at Harrisburg as can b OBJ
tanned anywhere. Harrisburg is as
easy to get to as any other place in
the Commonwealth and it is a town
large enough for State government
buildings. To take the Capital to
Philadelphia would be to place it in
such a community that it would lose
its individuality. When it comes &c
raising money 20 bui.d a new set OF
Legislative chambers that is another
question and might have some in
fuence upon the election, if ever an
election is held to determine where
the new buildings shall be located
The seat of Government calnot be
taken away from Harrisburg without
the sanction of majority of the peo-
pie Of the State expressed by a vote
at a general election. The people Ct
the Commonwealth will not move the
Capital unless some town should
agree to put up new 5uildiDgs with
out cost to the State An offer of
that kind might have great weight
among the voters of the State. To
be relieved of the cost of erecting
new buildings might induce the peo-
pie to vote it to any place where the
erection of the buildings without cost
to the State would be gualanteed
But who woUld have interest enough
in 1t TO obiigate themselves to such
a cost. What business could afford
it. The Legislature converting at
Philadelphia, Pittsburg or Reading,
would not bring money enough into
the pockets of the business of eny of
those places to justify them in erect
ing new Capital buildings. If it would
pay the business people of Philadel-
pnia to erect the Capital buildings
there, it would pay the people of
Harrisburg to put up the new build
ings and present them to the State
The only thing more that Philadel-
phia would get that it does not get
now. would be the money that mem
bers spend for board and hotel bills.
After the wind is all out of the ques
ton, it will be narrowed down to the