, 1875-03-06
The situation.

r3l lTOau COIItHtloA' 1AN
saws 10 Us that in future we must de-
pend uJon our own resources. In the
debate on the Salt Lake bill, Senator
sherman, Of Ohio, reviewed the whole
policy of Government aid to railroads,
and announced that the time had come
when The system must be abandoned.
He instanced the railroads in New
England and the Middle States, all OF
them built without Government aid,
and laid down the general proposition
that if the States or Territories on the
Pacific slope require additional rail-
road facilities they must provide them
at their own expense. Senator Sher-
man is always cool and deliberate, and
in making this announcement II IS
quite certain that be enuncla'ed the
policy that in the future is TO control
the republican party. The position Of
| the democratic party on this question
is well understood. The last Congress
sional canvass was distinctly made
upon the issue Of opposition TO railroad
subsidies. On the issue as thus pre-
sented the democrats carried an over
whelming majority in the popular
branch of the national Legislature, and
by their success made opposition to
railroad subsidies and corporate mono
poles the fixed policy OF the country.
We refer to these matters for the rea-
son that they are of direct concern to
the settlers on the Northwest coast.
The settlements on Puget Sound, as
also in the Great Columbia River Y al
ley, were mainly predicated upon the
! idea Of the early construction Of the
! North Pacific railroad. The failure of
D
jay Cooke & Co, and the whole swarm
Of rogueS who fastened upon that great
enterprise, has sealed the fate Of the
North Pacific, and leaves the settlers
nothing 10 hope from that quarter. 1t
was only in view Of the failure of the
North Pacific that attention was at
tracted TO the DalIes and Salt Lake
route as a possible solution of the rail-
road problem, but this, too, las failed,
leaving us without a peg on which TO
hang the slightest hope for railroad
deve!opme mt. This failure is the more
damaging for the reason that il shuts
Us cut from all IarticiI alton in tie tide
Of immigration hat is now surging
across the continent and reopling the
broad plains 9nd valleys Of California
We are thus left in position where
we cannot eXl ect any rapid growth in
wealth or population, ard virtually
must rely upon our own resources and
iudustr! for whatey,rlrcgress we may
make in tie future. TO those who
have expected 10 grow rich from in
yestm euts in Iubic lands this outlook
Is not particularly encouraging, but
speculatoIs are not the class 10 build
up conntry, and with them we have
10 special sympathy. 1t is for the
honest settlers - the men who came
here to find homes and establish in.
dustrial pursuils-that We rescrse all
our words OF encouragement. We be-
lieve that for this latter class the
country still offers 4 future full of
promise. We are now literally down
10 the hard pan ; all ideas of Congress
SIGNAL aid or help from abroad have
proved futile, and we are lest III q con.
dition where We must work out our
own destiny. Fortunately we are To-
Gated on one Of the five great rivers
Of the world-a river that drains half
q continent. By utilizing this river
and making it suhserrient to the wants
Of commerce, We can IN measure dis
pense with the necessity for railroads
and secure for OR prod Ucers the ad
vantages of cheap transportation. The
coming season will witness the COM
pletion of our local railroad, and this !
practically brings the river 10 our
doors Even with all the distractions !
the rate for do%n freights from Walla |
Nalla TO tIde-water need not exceed !
s. per ton-or ~ cents a buSbel. This !
Is about the figure now paid by the |
farmers of Central Iowa and the Up |
per willamette. Paying this freight |
tariff the producers Of the sections |
named have become immensely pros |
porous, and certainly our agricultural |
ists, with vastly more prolific soil, |
can make headway in contest where
they enter upon terms equally tavora- /
ble. This is the present condition Of /
affairs. But We shoGId not be content !
10 rest here. One-half the agitation /
that has been wasted upon idle rail-
road schemes if directed 10 tue ques-