, 1877-12-22
''OEr Railroads."

S1I N0thO00os
Under the above heading the
Bedrock Democrat. published at
Baker City, Oregon, in the fol
lowing ably written and exhaus-
tive article, exposes the dog-1n-
the-manger policy being pursued
by the Oregonian in relation to
the railroad enterprises which
now engross the attention of the
people of Eastern Oregon and
Washington Territory:
If there is any one thing more
than another that our people are in
terested in it is the building of a
railroad to connect us with a market
for our surplus products and to
enable US to have cheap and
quick transportation. This is
a subject that naturally interests all
citizens of Eastern Oregon. and
when they see and know that parties
and newspapers in other portions of
our State have been heretofore and
are now doing all in their power
to defeat any and all measures that
would, if carried out, give us rail-
road communication with the Pacific
ocean on the west, and the great
marts of trade east of Us, they nat
urally look upon such men and
newspapers as the enemies Of our
prosperity and future growth in
wealth and population. Our peo-
pie cannot see why it is that certain
parties in Portland are using all
their influence against the interests
of that portion of the State lying
east of the Cascade mountains,
when it is q we'll known fact that to
this portion of the State Portland is
largely indebted for her past and
present prosperity; that it is the
trade and support she has received
from here that has made her the me-
tropolis of Oregon, and that it Is
the continuance of this trade that is
to continue her greatness and make
her prosperous and wealthy in the
future. In view of these facts it is
surprising to our people to see the
leading paper of that city, the Ore
qouiun, taking sides against US, and
doing everything it can against the
Portland, Dalles and Salt Lake Rail-
road, and better to secure its object
is saving all that is possible, and a
great deal that is not. in favor Of
the Northern Pacific Railroad, when
it we'll knows that the building OF
that road is very doubtful under any
and all circumstances. But it may
be that the Oregoaian is opposed to
having large amount of the public
domain thrown open to settlement,
which would be the case if the bill
introduced by Senator Mitchell. to
aid in the building of the Salt Lake
Railroad, should pass. 1t is well
established fact that whenever the
Oreaouiaa has been under the con-
troll of Mr.. Scott, its present editor,
that its course has been hostile to
all and every interest Of Eastern
Oregon. Why this should be SO
we do not know, and it is strange to
our people that the citizens of Port
land should sustain him and his pa
per in such a course, unless they
too are hostile to the future growth
and prosperity of Eastern Oregon,
from which they have heretofore
drawn the most Of their trade, and
which has been one of their
greatest sources Of wealth and
property. If the O'egoniaa and the
citizens of Portland still intend to
continue this course towards East
ern Oregon, it behooves our people
to look to some other source for aid
TO secure to them the much needed
railroad communication, and let that
source be from which we are the
most likely to receive the required
aid. From the present outlook il
seems to our people that Seattle is
the point from which we may expect
aid on our west, and that the Unior
Pacific on our east will soon find il
TO their advantage to have our trade
as we'll as that of Southern Idaho
The railroad from Seattle to Walls
Walla is fixed fact, and when il
once reaches Walla Walla, the line
can and will be extended to Umatil
la, Union and Baker counties, ovel
yerv rich and prosperous agricul
tural country. that would then turn
its trade to Seattle instead of Port
land. Let this road be once started
and by the time it could be complet'
ed the Union Pacific would connect
with its eastern terminus, and then
goodbye to all trade with Portland
from Eastern Oregon. Our people
should now take steps, in connection
with those of Walla Walla, Weston.
and Union, together with the inter
mediate country to accomplish this
desirable object, as we see we are to
have no help from Portland. We
must do something in aid of SELF
preservation; the people of Walla
Walla and the Sound country are
willing and able to help us they
would like to have our trade, and by