Year: 1877

Dc 1911 dioue. DuI W tne clLiZeHS OI tne
State living al distance from any of
the rival points, and who can have no
direct interest in the fortunes of either
of them, the question is presented as one
of State importance, and they are pre-
pared to take 3 more elevated view Of it
than those who are blinded by prejudice
and personal interest.


1t is hardly worth the while to dis
cuss the advantages and Disadvantages
that Martinsburg presents as a candidate
for Capital honors, as that city is con.
cedsd to be virtually out of the race
She cannot control q solid .vote in her
own district and perhaps not siugle one
out it. So that it isperiectIy apparent
that whatever may be the relative
strength o. the other points, Martins
burg is compelled to fall behind. The
question really presented to the voters
of the State for decision in August next
is which is the more eligible point for
Capital location, Clarksbnrg or Charles
toni and in deciding this question it Is
necessary to take into consideration, not
so much the welfare of the State at the
present, as what will rebound to its
benefit in the future. If central geo.
| graphical location enters as q factor into
the contest, then the two points stand
about even-neither occupying central
position, one beng as much too far south
as the other is north. IT accessibility is
to be considered, then we frd them
equally balanced again. The same route
is TO be travelled over in going to Clsrks-
burg from the southern part of the State
as is gone over in reaching Charleston
from the northern part. In atfording
facilities for accommodating the public,
Charleston has the advantage, as the
Hale House is more capacious and
every way superior to any hotel
accommodations which Clarksburg af-
fords. Charleston has the additional ad-
vantage OF building erected for state
purposes. But these are not considera-
tions of right, as compared with others
which may be presented. The erection
of hotels and state buildings would be
consequent upon the location of the cap.
ital at any point, and while temporary
Inconvenience of this description might
be experienced, in the course of time
suitable provisions would be made for
all such demands.


But the only point for the people OF
West Virginia to decide, is at what place
will the location of the capital give an
impetus to the development of the natu-
raj wealth and the construction of lines
of railroads and other internal i'm
provements resulting in permanent
good. Taking this view of it, every
fair minded and Inprejudiced man
must decide in favor of Charleston. 1t
is not necessary to say anything in des-
paragement of Clsrkburg and her claims.
Admit, as all must admit, her polite and
refined socriety, her thrift, her wealth
and enterprise. yet the fact remains and
cannot be controverted, that every avail
able resource of that section has been
fully developed and there is no undevel-
oped region tributary to her. On the
other hand the Ksnswha Valley possesses
an exhaustless supply of mineral wealth
now in the incipient stages of develop
ment, which needs only little impetus
to unlock the vast treasury and pour into
the lap OF the common wealth untold
revenues. Tributary to the ksnawha is
an immense area watered by the Elk
the Gauley, the Greenbrier and New
rivers, awaiting the touch of enterprise
to reveal its mine of wealth. The future
greatness and prosperity of West Nir'
ginis depend upon the development OF
tins domain, and the sooner We realize
the fact and act accordingly, the sooner
will we reap the harvest.


La the next place Clsrksburg is not on
the line of any contemplated railroad
and indeed is so situated as to forbid the
idea of the construction Of any import
ant line of communication leading to o.
from 1t. Charleston, situated on tht
Kanawha at the mouth of the Elk
must be the objective point of any
road leading from the northern
to the southern portion of the State
With these advantages, and the sddi
tiopal one of being an important pom
on the projected water line connecting
the waters Of the Atlantic and Mississlp
pi, it needs no prophetic vision to sec
Charleston as the future metropolis o
The industrial wealth and the centre o
population of West Virginia.


Independent of all these considerations
e. / have. said before, there il . sense o