The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-05-21

Sna oi kne railroad Controy e.'sy- @ &C ron
PoiItics-Denocr tIc Reconciliation PLAT.
form, disgracefuI 10 the State danrrr-
Gus TO all public interests, and DAMAGING.
TO the Credit of our Railroad Bonds, etc.
HAsaISGroS CITY, D. C., 4pviI %. 20
EDITOR OREGoSIAS Oregon is ahead The
West Side Railroad Bill to-day passed both Houses
oi congress, the first AMI oniy land grant bill
passed this session, likely to for several months
As the pioneer of the land grant fight and re.re-
sentative of the land grant policy 1t deserves
rnore than passing notice. For nine 10 < weeks
we have laeored TO reach vote on the measure
IN sle liouse. and the success with which we have
neen held back by the enemies of land grants,
SHOWS their strength. Bat the uccumulatiag
forces To-day bore down all opposition and reach
cd tue bill on the 'sTpble" Holman, Democrat
OF Indiana, had tho floor. and with Fernando
Wood, used up their hour in set speeches, violat-
ing their agreement to let Mr.. Smith have time TO
explain the bill. BY arrangement. Fitch Of Ne
Sada, was to make the leading speech in favor of
the land grant poll y. which lie did eloqGently
and ably, speaking forty minutes The ioor was
then given GFst 20 AcCormIck, Democrat OF 80,
for three minutes to state the position of the Land
Committee in favor Of the bill; then ten minutes
10 Smith to answer questions 1t being near five
o'clock when Smith got the floor, and the House
becoming impatient, although by general consent
he authorized to take his own time TO explain,
yet feeling the great importance of reaching voie ie
before an Adjournment wiich would have defeat &
ed us be called the prev Gus question. Speaker
Blaine rapidly pressed the vote. first by aeciama-
ton, then by "diyision,' then by tellers and
hnaily by tie ayes anu noes, ana when 1t f.
nally apparent that We had the House, then COM
menced the siic-fghts. Greater excitement had
never been seen the loor before and NJ words
of mine can portray the intense feeling of nearly
two hundred members, all t1ikin :, most ef them
their feet, aud many in hot blood The irra-
pressi5le IugerspH pitchiag into sam Cox
Beck was pitching into Frimble, his eoiiea cue
Wilson, of Minuesota, WAS firing away nj IIoImap.
Smith, of Iowa, was tearing away at Hawley of
Illinois both members of the Land Committee4:
MaYnrrd was gest.eaiati g mildly at tho whole
Democratic side Sargent was firing away at all
the opposition generally; and Root. of Arkansas
was raliying his Southern friends; while EIdridee
ot wisconsin, with oaths both loud and deep and
cieneaed fist, was deuouneing his Democratic
friends as miserable facttonsts 1t was plain that
the West Side bill was not on trial, but the two
hunted other Land Grant bills donating enc hun
dred millions Of acres, for twenty thousand miles
OF railroad, and looking to the investment of a
thousand million dollars, regarding this as test
vote, had precipitated all their force and re into
the contest. But the battle was brief ualler the
operations of the previous question and the Speak
eE soon announced the inal result 81 for the bill
and 60 against It.
SENATOR WILLIAMS.
10 this letter desire to say n word personal of
Senator Williams. No matter what NAV have been
heretofore said j1Stice requires me to say that he
has Iahored faithfully for the interests of Oregon
on this question. Senator Williams has occupied
very dInIcult and EN- barraSsing position and in
1ne heat OF this railroad controversy and under the
pressure OF the peeuniary interests OF the men en-
gagged in these railroads, his motives have not
gone Gnqucstionea. A different feeling or state
of atfitrs eouid not have been expected. But now
that the battle is over and both euterpriss 5 are
fairly successful mainly by his labors, We should
not hesitate TO 10 him full and complete Justice
or myself, am entirely satisfied that be has
aeted conscientiousiy in the matter, and to the
best of his Judgment aud ability; and although
We did not agree as to what right and best for
ess sue Interests, Jet lis proposition IS doubt
less TIE oast thing we could secure under the cir
cumstaDees. Many persons in Oregon think it a
very easy job to secure railroad land grant. 1t
II the very reverse. Il IS the most difficult piece
Of legislation in Congress: and anything less
than the most careful mana cement, and untiring
efforts, will result in failure. To such manage
lnent, and TO such efforts, Senator Wilams super
added all his political influence faGd I tell you
that is poteer here) and hs deserves we'll OF our
people without distinction of party. II is an un-
usual thing for Senator to leave his seat in the
Senate. and 90 into the House lobbyist; but
Senator Williams did that kind Of work land 50
did Mr. Cer5ettl; and had il not been for such
cforsS, the bill would have hung BY the ears until
July, and probably never reached hearing, in
stead of being, it Is, the fsst and oEf4 land
grant bill yet passed at this session.
RIVALRY ENDED.
trust l have said enough on this subject; but
not more than eandor and justice demanded. And
also sincerely hope this railroad contest between
the East and West Side may now have an eud
1t has been productive of evil and evil oniT al
though the contest itself was unavoidable after the
organization of the Salem Company With the /
atS!ucoEporatIon OF the East Side Oregon Central
all incentive for West Side opposition to the East
Side enterprise was renewed, and has ceased in +
fact far as know.
Arrangements have been made here, which. if
properly encouraged by the people on the line of +
the road, will the early completion of I
the West Side road. And I NAV also state that /
the North Pacific Road, to the interests of which I
Senator Corbett has devoted his efforts This ses- /
sion, IS now certainty.
OREGON POLITICS.
As there seems to be necessity for every man
to speak out for the right at this time YOU must
excuse few words on the political situation in
Oregon. I have carefully read the PROCEEDINGS
and platform of the late Democratic State Con-
vention in Oregon, and must confess to both s.,r
prise and astonishment at TIE depth OF tic Dit
it was necessary TO sink in order to reach the
: bcd fock II ls dangerously low down, and if !
there Is any other place lower it is certaiIyne to
be reached through political convention What |
do the Democratic leaders in Oregon mean? Their |
so-caled platform has been repudiated bv ninety
nine hundredths of their party in the nation aud
ts only representative among the seventy-eieht |
Democrats in Congress, is the notorious Mungen
10 strip the Albany platform of the glittering
and senseless generalities and bungling verbiage
With which it is becouded, it resolves itself into
ust two propositions. First, The civil and polfti
al disiranehlsement. and the indirect enslavement
If the enfranehised colored people. Second The |
epudiation of the National bonds
All over the Northern States, and in most of /
he South, the sensible leaders of the Democracy
ire accepting the situation in good faith and
reating the colored people, before the law as the
4
Constitution treats them and it is a matter for |
eep rsgIet that the free State of Oregon, alone
hould now produce political Convention that
cts up o howl for the restoration of the good old
ays when demoralized fathers could sell their
Wn daughters into slavery and prostitution, and
'hen the slave driver, with his bloody insignia of
he lash and tho branding iron, could cry his hor-
i'd trade under the shadow of the nations capital
nd hoat bis cruel flag in the face of the Goddess
Justice. Thomas a. Hendricks of Indiana, Ger
ainly the ablest and wisest of the Democrats .
[atesmen, came out in public speech few days :
go' and advised his party unite with all citi-
ms, 70 secure to the negroes the legal and eqai-
nd MS position is genera ly approved by the | .
'emocrat,e press while the Democratic Legisla- +
IRE oI sIyiand s making haste to provide equal
ducational advantages to coIored eb;Iire, r. I
mere ID anything secured by, assurance made :
oanie sure, It IS the civil and political rights of
10 : to light againat it now ReyoIufions never
2 . Daek ward, and this legislation for the black