The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-12-10
TIE OREGON pAoIFG>

a letter from Colonel Hogg, written
apparently in response to an invita-
tiQn from some eastern capitalists, as
tSwhat he had to say in reply to the
attack contained in the letter from
(" Examiner" published in the Ore
goniua OF the sth of November.
Ir passing, note for an instant, the
kind of opposition to be met. 1t
took the shape of a circular sent by
post on the 14th of November to
every firm and person who had, or
might have,- or might be supposed to
have any intention of investing in
the bonds of the Oregon Pacific
Railway. 1t was headed "Caution
to Investors-Tbe True Inwardness
of the So-Called Oregon Pacific"
It professed to- be-a reprint from the
Oregoni0,a of the criticisms of that
journal on the prospectus and circu-
lar issued by the financial company,
who had undertaken the sale of the
bonds of the Oregon Pacific.
But not only, as we all know, was
the attack in question not penned by
the editor of the O,sgomiaaa, but in
printing it, it was stated to have been
sent to them with request for its
publication.
Moreover, as we noted last week,
; it was not even true copy, but was
garbled in seventeen paragraphs out
of twenty-six. Where Examiners"
letter admitted that the Willamette
Valley and Coast Railroad had ten
miles of completed road, the circu-
lar gave them one; where Exam
iner" stated it to be understood :"
that Mr.. Hogg and his associates had
paid lump sum of only $3.50, 900 for
the 100000 acres of the Eastern Ore
gon land, the circular names $13 900
as the price; and so on, concluding
with another suggestion Of falsehood
in saying that the viewer, (indicat-
ing the editor, or responsible writer
of the Oregoniaaa), had written it as
. warning in the public interest,
whHe 1t was really Examiner mas
aueraAng in the disguise of a public
spirited citizen of Oregon.
It would be too much to expect
chat the Oregomia,s, which published
the attack without note or comment,
although it knew as well as the rest of
us what a tissue of falsehoods and
misrepresentation it was giving to
the world, should print Colonel
Hogg's reply without endeavoring to
weaken its force, and, indeed, de-
prive it of all vitality.
We reprint their article appearing
in the same number of the journal, as
che letter in question, so that our
readers may judge for themselves if
our criticisms are just or not. The
Oregoniass proposes to give every
interest of the northwest fair hear.
ing. There is the text-by way of
sermon it sets out forthwith to mis-
represent utterly the letter on which
it claims to be comrhenting fairly.
What a familiar trick this is.
Have you not often heard an argu-
ment like this, where one party
: evades the force of his adversary by
setting up carieature of his argu-
ment and then proceeding to demol-
ish that.
The Oregoniua alleges that the
: tone of Colonel Hogg's letter shows
it so be his idea of his mission that
he>is to change, and,- in fact, com
pletely revolutionize the course oil
commerce in the northwest; and
again, that " his main plan is to su
persede Portland, and render it a SUI
perfnous and unnecessary factor in
the commercial development and
economy of the northwest"
Where in his letter is the vestige
of evidence of either? So far as We
can see the chief aim of the Oregon
Pacific is to mind it's own business
have its harbor opened, its railway
built, and then to leave to- time an6
nature the solution of the question
whether Portland is to succeed jr
getting trade and commerce for evel
to run up hill They seem to us to de
pend greatly ON the development o
an immense new country, at presen,
untouched by railroads. Are they
not justified in this /? The expert
-ence of Oregon at large can best an
swer this question in pointing to the
rate of increase in population and in
material resources of all kinds since
the first railroad was opened in the
State.
By all means let Portland proceed
TO develou her missir,n if she has ono