The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-12-11
Is This a Nation or a COnfederacy?


since declared that this is a nation, and
| they are SO emphatic in that behalf that they
want the word ''Nation" written and printed
with a big N, but the bourbon democracy of
| the South, and the republican legislature of
Washington Territory, agree in declaring
| that the United States is Confederacy
The South enforces its declaration by pistols
and shot-guns, the legislature of Washing
ton Territory by its legislation. During its
last session, Gen. Grant, who has travelled
the world over and has returned, declaring
| this to be a nation, visited this Territory,
the legislature ad journed to do him honor
and then went back to Olympia, full of
the national idea, and passed an act which,
| in effect declares, this is not nation This
they did by an act entitled can act to pro-
vide system of revenue to be paid by
foreign Corporations" According to Web
ster, foreign means "alien, not native"
and foreigner is zone who belongs to an
other Country" that is, not to the same
nation. The act provides, that any person
who is the agent of any foreign life or fire
insurance Company, or of any foreign Sewing
Machine Company, must pay tax of SIS
every six months, but the agent of any Cor
poration of like character III this Territory,
need not pay tax. So that this Territory,
or this little nation with a rery small n,
whose expenses are paid 10y the general gov
| Il,
| the United States, who do not live within
| the Territory, from the exercise of the rights
which the constitution of the United States
seems to confer upon them. That constitu-
| ton says, "Ihe Citizens of each State shall
be entitled to all privileges and mmunities
of the several States tSection >, article 6).
But this little pauper nation (?l says that
| corporations (which are composed of citizensl
of other States and Territories shall pay
blood money, a tax not required of corpor-
ations within the Territory. The act is, at
heart, small, mean and discriminating, and
quite at variance with the broad national
idea which now possesses the better class
of our citizens. And worse. it erccts a
Chinese wall around our Territory, and has
direct tendency to drive away the business,
capital. and energy which the Territory SO
much needs. Our business men need the
protection afforded by fire and life insurance
companies, and they want their risks placed
in the hands OF responsible companies, and
the companies and their patrons like to have
resident agents at the several points where
business is done. There are no insurance
companies in this Territory, and our wise
Legislators have done all they can to keep
other companies from doing business here
They say to the people of Vancouver, for
example, ii You want your life, or your
house, your place of business or your stock
in trade insured, you must 20 abroad, Il
mean to another part of the nation), for We
will have no agents OF foreign corporations
inside OF the Chinese wall which surrounds
our towery Kingdom. But it is said, that
| the agents OF insurance companies and other
foreign corporations come here, and 'by
ways that are dark, and tricks that are
vaiu," trick, deceive and fool the simple
babes in the woods III this fair nation, Il
mean w. T. and these poor simple folks
need protection. Very well - then why
not pass an act with a title truly setting
forth the intent OF OF the act, thus An act
to protect the smpletons OF this Territory
against the better informed people OF other
States and Territories. But such an act
would not accomplish much, because you
cannot by any sort of legislation furnish
brains to Il person who has none, and ii
there are fools in the Territory, the legisla-
ture cannot help it. But, the design OF the
act may, after all. be TO license these agents
to do wrong. The divine law declares Thou
shalt not and there is no qualification. no
terms stated upon compliance with which
the wrong may be done. But our legisla-
ture declares that the agents Of foreign
corporations shall not cheat, wrong, or de-
fraud our people unless We license them to
do so; they shall not do this grevious wrong
for nothing but they may for $50 a year,
rather cheap this The trouble Is, that !
some one has been deceived by another !
better informed than himself he has suffered |
some loss or Inconvenience that intelligence |
or prudence might have pre- vented, lie tells |
his trouble to the member OF the legislature |
from his county or district, who comforts
him 10y assuring him, that he will have
law passed agin it, just as ii the power OF
the legislature is SO vast as to enable 1t by |
legislation to change the laws OF nature. |
The same legislature that passed the act /