, 1873-07-10

for the railroad terminus. and as 1t is
admitted that the Co.nmissit ners who
are authorized to determine this qnes.
ton are generally conce'.ed to be above
suspicion of being ac'uated by any ule-
rior or improper personal motives, the
question then naturally arises: Why
should there be any doubt upon the
subject? We answer, that every man is
more or less the creature of ssociatlon
and liable to have his opinions formed
and his judgne ent biased by the repre-
senta,ions of those with whom he il
most in contact; especially Is this the
case upon Questions where his associ-
ate- are supposed to have Il better know
edge. Of the matters considered tnan
he has himself. Thus it is understood
that all local or special legislation Il
procured through lobby representations
and lndue,lces, not necessarily lnvoiv-
ing corruption on the part OF the legl>-
Iators. In this case, the Commission
ers come here comparative strangers, t"
determn this question: by eur>"ry oo
seryatlou and such oral Information as
they may obtain by personal intercourse.
and herein is the disadvantage we labor
under Seattle is owned no controlled
by It's own inhabitants, WHO have made
their homes here. and in the main
achieved by their own industry ii they
possess, without any vIsw to specua-
ii H. They have never employed ANY
runners agents or lobbyists. to follow
MP the raihoad officials to Set forth tine
advantages of their town; never made
any uvertures to the railroad land ring;
meyer nr,de any propitlaiory donations
of town lots to railroad engineers, and
never, like all the other competing
points, ntertained propositions made
without authority by agents of the land
road company. When the Commi--
sioners came here, fGaly authorized to
act, they found the citizens fully alive
TO the importance Of the subject, and
ready and willing to respond to any
reasonable demand, and anxions to CO.
operate with the company for the pub-
lie benefit in no Stint-d. niggardly or
selfish spirit. Fo, all the benefits they
acre to derive from the railroad they
a e wiling to pay their just proportion
of the expenses, ont of their own earn
ings. without resoriing to any intrlgn".
secret understanding, or corrupt iniiu'
enc@s whatever. With them it is ii fair
and open proposition to give and take.
The town plat of Tacoma represent
ed almost exclusively by spectators.
who bonght aud held 1t only for specu
lauv- purposes, the railroad being the
special and only .'ject through and by
hich they hoped to realize any profit
from heir investment; the o.ily means
by which Il town could ever be built up
and maintained ut that point. Hence
uone of the appliances usual to shfeWa
md successful spectators have b. ell
omitted to make then speculation a sue
cess. Every man who was supposed to
have any Influence with the Directors OF
the railroad has been rendered an inter
est in Tacoma lands. which many ac-
cepted: the railroad land ring. i'll which
many of the Railroad Directors are in
terested has become identified and are
making common cause with the Tacoma
Interest. and General Sprague and Mr..
smith. the agents of the ring. have dog
g.d the foot steps of the Commissioners
from the hour they entered the ferrito-
ry: all the most plausible aud self
assured land spectators of Portland
are interested III roconIa; i'll fact. from
Portland to Seattle and back again to
rort.aud the Commissioners have had
~cant opportunity to hear of ythlns
hut Tacoma. they have literally been
enve.oped in Tacoma glamour, well
caicul ited to betog the understanding or
drive to distraction men of the strongest
minds. Ii the sreculators sncceer by
their superior tactics and tire'ess zeal
which Is not probable nor yet inlpossi
ble it will be an ssurauce to the pub
lie that the old laid ring is yet III the
ascendant in the management OF the
Northern Pacific Railroad, all other as
surances to the contrary notwlthstand-
lng. On that event. which We do not
now anticipate. We shall have something
to say of the alternative when it will
present to the citizens of Seattle, and
the certain means within their reach of
maintaining the supremacy OF their
city rs the commercial metropolis OF
Puget Sound.
Tn r..1,,5. lz.,:-n. a. '.
before suggested, the persistent Efforts
OF the spectators and the personal i'll
hnences which they have brought to
bear. should create such pressure up
on the Commissioners that they should
feel themselves driven to the necessity
Of deciding against Seattle. what then ::
Before considering this question we
would recommend as the best policy. III