The morning news., 1899-12-22
STILL AFTER STATE CAPITAL.
JACKSONVILLE TO MAKE VIGOROUS
EFFORTS FOR REMOVAL.

VIII Require Change in FlOrida's
Constftution-state's Needs Have
out Grown the Ola Building, Bat
There Is Much Sentiment Attached
10 It-RemOyaI of the Capital
would Precipitate Question OF
western Florida Joining Alabama.
Tallahassee, Fla, Dec. 2.-It now seems
to be quite well settled that the city Of
jacksonville will renew and push with all
possible vigor. the effort made during the
last session of the Legislature, 10 get the
state capital removed from Tallahassee to
Jacksonville.
The struggle before the Legislature last
May developed the fact that Jacksonvile's
aspiration 10 be the seat Of Inc state gov
eminent had many strong supporters.
Jacksonville Is, more than any other point,
the railroad and commercial center of
Florida, the most generally accessible
town, and the most hustling. The busi-
ness Of the state has outgrown the accom-
modations OF the old capitol building in
Tallahassee, erected in territorial days,
ana that structure must either soon be
considerably enlarged or a new capitol
built
In order to effect q change in the lOca-
ton Of the seat of government, the state
Constitution will have to be amended,
| because section l, of article xvi, of that
instrument provides that, 'the seat Of
government shall be at the city of Talla-
hassee in the county of Leon"
According 90 reports considered very re-
| liable, the business men and the poliu-
clans of jacksonville are now devoting
much of their energy to doing quiet but
effective work looking to the selection of
/ legislators, who will vote to submit the
question of amending the cons tNution to
popular election.
/ why jacksonville Wants 1t.
The people of Jacksonville seem to fully
1 appreciate the value of the prestige and
/ monetary assistance which would accrue
/ to that city by having there the state
/ capital. They have had to pay dearly for
! whatever they have gotten, and one result
! is that jacksonville now has q large mu-
| nicpaI debt, and needs everything she can
! get hold of to help meet her obligations.
! The state capital would help materially
towards this end, and II is understood that
business men and others going out from
Jacksonville to all portions of Florida are
/ losing 10 opportunity to set forth with
] III
found in their city in the way of hotel and
railroad facilities and general progressive
ness, which the present seat of govern
ment does not offer.
Tallahassee has been the capital of For
ida for seventy-fve years-since the terri
tory was acquired from the kingdom Of
Spain-and in her fight to remain the seat
of government she has whatever advah-
/ tages lie in present possession, in the sem
timents of tradition in superior healthtul-
ness, and in the argument that the time
has not yet arrived to change the location
of the capital because the settlement OF
| the state has not yet progressed to the
| point where it can be predicted with any
degree of confidence whether West Florida
or Peninsular Florida is going to lead in
wealth, population and influence.
Future of western Florida.
The futures of the long, rich strip,
known as Western Florida is most inter
estlngly and materially bound up in the
action which the Legislature may take
regarding the removal of the capital. Il
has been repeatedly stated here at the
capital that the majority of the substan-
tial and influential people west of the Apa-
lachicola river (Which is the Chattahoo-
chee river after It crosses the Florida line)
feel that their section should properly
be a part of Alabama; that their inter-
ests and sentiments are more nearly con-
South Florida; and that it would be to
their advantage to be annexed to Ala
bama- Pensacola is the most important
town in that section, and most of the
country tributary to Pensacola is in Ala
bama.
In a somewhat smaller degree the same
feeling entertained by the people in thai
part of Florida west of the Apalachicole
river towards annexation to Alabama is
entertained about annexation TO Georgia
by people In what is generally called
Middle Florida; that is, the section be-
tween the Apalachicola and Suwannee riv-
ers Naturally, this latter section Is the
richest and most fertile in all Florida. Its
forests and soils, phosphate and cement
deposits and fisheries await only the prop
er development to be productive of i'm
mense wealth. In 1t is located Tallahassee
the present state capital, and this fact has
heretofore kept down the feeling that this
section should be a part of Georgia.
l May Develop Something.
Talk of determined and organized efforts
to secure the necessary legislation 10 effect
the transfer of these two strips of Flori-
da's present territory to Alabama and
: Georgia, respectively, has been heard from
: time to time for number of years, but
: until lately it has been considered by most
! practical men as mainly a dream.
Since the question of removing the cap
itaI to Jacksonville seems TO be becoming
a vital issue, however, the partition of the
state has received the earnest attention
of practical and influential men, and, ac-
cording 10 opinions expressed by promi-
nent men of West Florida, who have re-
Gently visited Tallahassee, the removal OF
= the capital to any point east of the Suwan-
! nee river in the near future would precip-
5 itate an agitation in that part Of the state
{ west of the Suwannee for reshaping OF
state lines that would engross the atten-
I IA
Z Of the three states-Alabama Georgia and
S | Florida.