, 1869-09-25
LEGISLATION.

The members from Walla Walla coun'
ty, from their number and character,
should exercise an important influence
10 shaping the legislation of Washing
ton Territory. In House of thirty mem.
bers, Walls Walls elects six, and 10 a
Council composed of nine members, she
has two, or on joint ballot more than
one-6fth the representation of the entire
Territery. With this vote united and
working harmonious, it is for Walla
Walla to say what laws shall be enact
ed, and what measures defeated. With
this understanding of their power, the
members from this county should enter
tie Legislative Halls, not as suppIicauts
for favors, but as representatives clothed
with high duties, and having neither
favors to ask or bestow. Let them oc
cupy this high position, and they will
at all times be enabled to check bad
legislation, and secure for the people
they more Immediately represent the
blessings of cheap local government.
The members will scarce find them.
selves warm in their sea;s before they
will be approached by parties asking
them to support this measure, or the
other measure, and promising in return
to favor any pet bill the party so applied
to may have 10 charge. Now, it SO
happens that Walla Walla county has
no special favors to ask at the hands of
the Legislature. Our roads, bridges,
and all other internal improvements
have been made at the expense of the
taxpayers of the county, and we have
never appealed to the Territory for one
dollar to be expended in opening av>
enues of communication. This is the
position Walla Walla county occupied
at a time she was paying one.half of
all the internal revenue collected, and
one>third of the Territorial income, and
this is the position she occupies to-day.
Now, with this understanding, it may be
asked, on what principle of justice our
people are required to pay taxes to open
roads and make Improvements in dis |
tant and remote parts of the Territory |
At the last session of the Legislature
thousand of dollars were asked for to
build bridges and open roads, and not
one penny of all this amount was to be
expended for the benefit of the people
who pay one.third of all the taxes col
lected. Take the appropriation to open
the Snoqualomie Road at sample
This measure was possibly the best Of |
its kind, and it was represented that by |
appropriatng two thousand dollars the
road could be opened for teams across
the mountains, and thus unite the two /
great sections of the Territory. The |
members from Walla Walla listened to
this appeal and'by their votes the ap>
preparation passed. Now what is the
history of this measure The members |
from King county drew the warrants
for the money before the Legislature ad,
journed, and from that day to this the
Territory has been paying interest on the /
amount appropriated at the rate 10 per
cent. per anuum. But what ofthe road? |
So far as we have heard, not a single |
team has passed over it, and if fperchance
a solitary horseman has journeyed that
way, no thanks to the appropriation,
for this feat was accomplished before |
ever a dollar was drawn from the Ter
ritorial treasury to open the road. SUBJ
stautialIy the money on Which the Ter
ritory is paying interest might just as
well have been cast into the waters of
Puget Sound.
Following Suoqualomie, came au ap>
preparation for the benefit Of some Pierce |
county road, and then came the biggest
swindle of all, the appropriation of eight
thousand dollars for repairs on the Non
ticello and Olympia road. This bill |
passed the House by the aid Of Walla
Walla votes, but was defeated, after
desperate struggle, 10 the Council. All
these were measures local in their char.
scter, and if desirable, should have
been made at the expense of the couu-
ties to be benefited, and not saddled as
a tax upon the people of the entire Ter
ritory. The number Of swindling bills |
of this character that was crowded upon |
the last Legislature is beyond belief, and
that more of them were not passed, was
owing to the determined opposition OF
the more honest members, who were de. |
termined not to be made parties to the |
robbery of their constituents. The same
character Of bills will be up at the seS
sion of the Legislature soon to COM
mence, sud the ouly safe course for the
Walla Walla members to pursue will be |
to vote them all down. They can then
return to their homes, and looking their
constituents squArsly 10 the face, can
say, that they have not assisted iu rob
.biag the public treasury.
-
PIcAYUNE BUTLER, of the Tidal
Wave, discredits the report that
Judge Desdy writes for the New
York Imperialist. Deady is not in
~the habit Of recognizing such men as
Pina1nnp> and 90 the latter il mot