Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-07-25
VliYPlA. SiIlGHll N4EifG. Ill. ., ~
A LITTLE PLAIN TALK on IN IM2OR-
TAET SUBJECT.


tered the Isis for a discussion Of The
questions involved in the issue Of county
bonds. The rroiior Of the use OF oUr
columns has certainly been explicit
enough to dispose of the grave charge
to the effect that the press had been
"muzzled' by advocates of the railroad,
and that nobody holding adverse views
could obtain hearing. The ST>:HA.p
and its contemporaries have all invited
the most thorough discussion. |; the
opponents of The measure fail 10 re-
spond, they owe il TO themselves, as
we'll as us, to retract the charge made
few weeks ago, when the subject began
to assume definite shape,
There has been, we believe, but sin
gle article published by TIC opponents
of bonds, and that appears i'll the last
number of the Tra~crqtoyer the sigma
ture of " b." Now whoever " 3 can
be, we don't know nor care, bat we
think that it would have appeared in
far better taste for the writer 10 have
appended his name to the communica-
ton, as friends of tie measure invalia-
bly, do, and have met the issue as bold
ly as its Importance warrants. a fail
ure to do this, under similar circum-
stances, generally indicates that the
writer is ashamed of his name or of the
position he assumes, a conclusion winch
will not of course obtain i'll the present
instance.
The gist of I" BIS homily is, however,
not an attack upon the present railroad
enterprise, but a lamentation over lost
opportunities. He affects to believe
that our citizens drove the Northern Pa
cifc Railroad Company to select anoth-
er place, when he well knows that their
proposition suited the company so well
that the terminus was located on Budd's
Inlet. Its subsequent removal to Ia
coma was not affected by any acts of
theirs, either Of omission or of commits
sion. The Introductory remarks of ''B'
lead to the impression that lie intends
to make an argument, but when the
reader reaches the end Of the communi-
cation, he finds that like Paddy's flea,
it is not there.
The only orator who has assembled
the rostrum as the mouthpiece Of the
obstructionists, has been Mr.. Morgan,
and his utterances have been partially
answered in previous number of this
paper. It will be remembered that he
professed to be opposed to bonds hc-
cause their issue would entail debt
upon the county, gigantic in its proper
tons, which would cucumber every farm,
"and make its owner and his posterity
bond-slaves." This way of stating the
question is, literally, "full Of sound
and fury" and in reality, signifies
nothing" The distinction which Mr..
Morgan appeared SO anxious to make,
between tax levied to build railroad
and other taxes, is simply absurd. 1t
differs from no other tax imposed for
necessary object. 1t is no more an in
cumbrance on his farm than are the
Territorial, county or school taxes, for
the payment of all of which it is equally
"bonded." Hyperbole may sound very
fine, and produce marked effect some
times in political assemblies, but this
subject is of far too much importance
for the sympathies to be swayed by Or
atorical rhapsody or fanciful figures of
speech. Dull and unpalatable facts
must be handled in plain, prosaic
manner, to carry the convictions of men
who feel that the waves of adversely
threaten to overwhelm them. What
mist has come over the vision of our
our friend, that he does not see by
deprecating Olympia he is stabbing his
best friend? Is it not possible for him
to realize that the benefits he derives
from the town are ut least double in
value the aid he extends in return? Let
us illustrate: A larger amount is APP
portioned each year, from the common
school fund, to apply on tuition of his
children, than he pays into the Treasu-
ry, of Territorial, county and school tax
combined? Isit fair or wise for him to
conclude that eff Olympia and Tum-
water want railroad they should build
it," when, with the railroad tax of four
mills added. his aggregate taxes will
amount to lees than the annual sum
apportioned from tax upon the aggre-
gate wealth Of the county, to school his
children? If tho canita1 of Olvmnia