The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-12

CHARLESTON. W. Va, Jan. ill.,
Governor Atkinson's message, sent to
thelegislaturc to-day, Is rs follows.
Gentlemen 81 the Senate and House OF
Y Delegates: 5s
The constitution Of the state OF West
Virginia makes 1t incumbent upon me.
as The chief executive. to submit for
your consideration a careful statement
OF the financial affairs and other opera
tions Of tho state government. to-
ge:her with such Recommendation for
the future government and welfare OF
the state, 40 may. be justified by exist
Ing circumstances. s.
It Is very sra atlfrinsi 10 me to be able
to assure YOU that the state Is rapidly
developing, and that tho people in sur
| rounding commonweaiths arc coming
within our borders to avail themselves
OF tho wonderful advantages With
which q bcnefccnt Providence has Law
lshlg endowed us. In coal, oil gas and
timber. West Virginia is easily tht>
first Of all the states or the Union. For
number OF years We have held first
! place In the production OF oil and gas,
second place in coke. and last year We
forged nhead of our sister state OF Ohio,
and took third place IN the output OF
coal. Having upwards Of ninc million
acres OF virgin forests, 1t Is readily, to
be seen that we must be given FIRST rank
rs to timber resources. It Is only
within q few years past that West yir-
ginia began. In real earnest, to open up
her marvellous natural resources, and I
hazard nothing when say that it is
only a matter OF q very few years for
her toreach the forefront in wealth and
enterprise among all the states.
e In thede years OF drive and push and
enterprise and close competition, the
contest for success, In all business un-s
dcrtakings must ultimately narrow
down to the survival of the tittest. Tho
state that, hns the general Investment OF
,tiatural resources andI advantages Z; in
the rnw materials, which nre tho base Of
Gll that go to make wealth, Is the one
that Will, of necessity, win out In the
end. We have double, or more coal
area than Pennsylvania. whichd Is now
our only actual competitor in the pro-
ductior o. the s"dusly diamond that is
greater in ralue than the gems OF COL
condn Or the; sparkling jewels OF South
Africa or Peru; therefore 1t will takebut
n few years for our stnte 10 suppant
Pennsylvania In the production Of coal.
The best quality OF any article which
can be purchased In sufficient qunnti-5
ties. will necessarily be IN constant de-
mand. We not only have the best quail
ity OF all couls and coke in tho republic,
but We have u greater area OF acreage;
how. then. can We fail to takc first
place? This Is true also OF oil, timber
Ind gas. I conclude, therefore. thar
our future as 81 state ls n bright one,
MD our present prosperity Is but a mere
hdrhinger OF what Is yet to come. s -
z Our population has gone beyond the
million mark, and people from other
states are coming to US rapidly. Our
public schools are OF q high order, and I
ous laws are properly and vigorously :
enforced. Taxes In West Virginia arc
moi Sccssfvc-therefore the advantages
we are offering the people to come
among US can not be surpassed by my
other state. 49, 81 =
We have ono advantage over every
other. state in the republic. and that is.t
We have no state debt, nor can we, un-s'
der our present constitution. ever create
one. This is worthy OF the thoughtful
consideration Of every business man
who has money to invest. A. h
s,5. FINANCIAL SITUATION. =
For q detailed condition OF our flnan-t
cial affairs for the past two years,
rcsncCftIIly rnfpr yn,t N Ihn 1,tnsnt,yr