The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-03-23

racine railroad left here today for
the strike zone at South Danyiiie,
Ky, A report received at the rail-
!, road Offices here today confirmed n
story Of the assassination OF Oscar
] Patch, a guard, who was killed near
!, Danyille. Also it is reported many
Iengines were fired upon between
4 Danvllle and Ludlow, KY. last night.
but no one was injured.
more careful and broader statesmen
Iof that period looked to see what
might DE the possible condition Of
the Union If the South should sue
coed In establishing her independ-
ence, A glance at the map showed
them that the northern states which
would remain in the Union would,
libe practically severed into two not
unequal parts by the state of vir-
lginia, the strip of land from the
point ON the Ohio river to the lakes,
less than one hundred miles broad.
i d.
alone connecting them. The terri
tory lying to the west of this mar
row connecting band was largely ag-
lricultural in its nature and suitable
for agricultural purposes. The sen
timent against slavery in that sec
ton was not particularly marked,
because slavery could be made prof
liable. The influence OF the South
in the upper valley OF the Mississip-
pi was strong, and II the South had
been able to establish its independ-
eaee, that influence would have been
strengthened In succeeding years.
The eastern and New England states
could not have sustained sovereign
ity over this great tract OF. land to
the west. The. southern coneeder-
'acy, once established, would have in
sidiously extended its power over
the western territory, and the result
would inevitably have been the
gradual absorption of the Northwest
by the southern states. and the
United States OF America would
have constituted only Pennsylvania,
New York and the New England
state.
Natural Features.
The power of these states over the
territory lying west of Pennsylvania.
once broken, never could have been
re-estaolished. The contour of the
country. the rivers and the noun
tain chains form a defensive line
along the western boundary Of west
virginia, which could not have been
broken ny any power that the east
ern states could have put into the
ned. In order to make possible the
existence of the United States, it was
necessary to break through the state
OF Virginia. The far-seeing men Of
81 recognized this fact, and started
about to solve it. AS a result OF
their efforts, a sentiment was Gre
ated for a division OF the state of
Virginia. West Virginia was Gre
ated and admitted into the Union as
a loyal state. The narrow strip OF
land connecting the eastern to the
western states was extended south
ward from the latitude OF Pittsburg
to the boundaries OF Kentucky. The
northern states were thereby made
compact and united body, and IL
the South had succeeded in estab-
fishing Its independence and had re-
NAMED out of the Union. the unity
and growth OF the northern states
was. by the creation OF West yir-
GINA, assured. These are some OF
the reasons why the creation Of
West Virginia was war measure
and war necessity. Happily, the
southern states were all brought
back into the Union, but the fact
that West Virginia was created and
admitted into the Union as war
measure, and set up a government
OF Its own after Its admission to the
ollioh' without any resources save
Its power Of taxation, furnishes
strong argument, in my judgment,
why the federal government should
feel equitably and morally bound to
take care of West Virginia in the
matter of this Indebtedness.
| am not certain that I am con-
tributing anything new to the dis
cussion, but the things which 4 have
pointed out appeal to me torcEbly.
and. AFFORD. I think. substantial
reason why the federal government
should place upon all the people
this Indebtedness. which, to all the~
people is a mere trife. but to the
state OF West Virginia alone, d huge
burden.