Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-06-15
CONNIE ON CAPITAL QUESTION,
He Favors Cheap Building, Notwithstanding
It Is a Gift from the General Government

II Is Gift from the General Government.
Isn't it about time the people Of
Olympia were agitating the capitol
question? Eternal vigilance is the price
OF success, applies as well to that qIes-
ton as anything else. notice some
"phellow" east OF the mountains has
taken advantage of your suggestion
that Spokane was not central enough
for holding conventions" to apply Il
like suggestion to the location of the
capital, ignoring the fact that MEM
bers of the Legislature get mileage,
while delegates to conventions do not.
1t is fact that cannot be ignored
that there is large number of citi-
zens of the State who would like to
see the capital removed from Olympia,
notwithstanding the fact that Olym-
pia was made the permanent location
by vote of $4,000 majority, on fair
and impartial vote. / don't think
any fair-minded man will dispute the
fact that Olympia is entitled to the
capital for the following reasons:
Public opinion favors it; it is nearer
the center of population than any
other city; it is situated at the head
of the grandest body of water in the
United States; is easy of access by rail
or steamer and is tributary to the most
productive country in the State. Be-
sides it is the finest residence city in
the State. l believe this is generally
conceded. Again, while other cities.
second in Importance to Olympia, have
had appropriations for public build
ings, and the city of Olympia never
put in an objection, Olympia has never
received cent. Now with these facts
staring us in the face, it strikes me
that one must be possessed of a large
amount of gall to even suggest re.
moval of the capital to any other
point.
don't think any one will dispute
the fact that we need better building
than the barn on the HILL" for legis-
latlve purposes. In fact it is dis
grace to the State. Now there is no
excuse whatever for holding sessions
in the barn" for an indefinite time, if
we only use the means at our COM
mand in accordance with reason and
common sense. l have always con-
tended that we have no use for mil
lion dollar capitol and won't have for
the next fifty years, and right there
was where the great mistake was made.
If, instead Of appropriating $l,OOOO00
for capitol and spending over $780,
600 for foundation that has been an
eye-sore to the State for the past sew
eral years, if the Legislature of '92 had
appropriated $4,000 we would have
had building three times the size OF
the Thurston county courthouse, which
would have been credit to the State,
and it would have stopped all this
wrangling about removal.
may be mistaken, but 1 am thor
oughly convinced, that the people OF
the State would not object to the
building Of a capitol costing not over
$450,OOO but they will never consent
to a million dollar structure. for they
do not need it. 1 am aware of the
fact that it is claimed by some that
the $4,000 acres appropriated by the
government is worth more than
81 100000. don't believe it. But
suppose it is, would it be good judg.
ment on our part to spend that
amount for something we don't need
except for display The land won't
spoil and will enhance in value with
the development of the State and the
surplus can be used in identifying
the grounds and furnishing the build
ing and in making the necessary addi-
tons as needed. There have been adj.
ditions to the National Capitol build
ing at different times. We have had
about enough of spread-eagleism in
Thurston county already in the Elec-
trio Light and Power Co. and the
Olympia Hotel. Let us get down to
plain common sense and get what we
actually need, q StatekOuse that will
fill the bill for forty or fifty years to
come. / am aware of the fact that
many of the good people OF Olympia
have their heads set on a million dol
lar capitol, and won't be satisfied with
anything else. They did get the Elec-
trio Light and Power Co. and the
Olympia Hotel and found they had
elephants on their hands that were
hard to manage. Come down off
your perch and be reasonable, and
we'll have Statehouse ready for the
Legislature of 1903.
Hoping for general expression OF
opinion on this vital subject, I am
Yours Respectfully,
J.C. Coo.