The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-03-31
The Member from Catfish.

BY some oversight of the public prin-
ter, the following speech, made at the
last session, by Territorial delegate,
was omitted from the Record:
"MR. SpEAKER-It will not astonish
me to see the gentlemen on the other
side attempt to filibuster on this ques-
ton, but let me tell them, sir, that the
people who sleep in the glowing gush of
the setting sun are gazing with glistening
orbs on the fate Of this measure. The
people of the East may look disdainfully
from beneath the rims of their zenith
soaring plugbats upon the demands OF
the West, but the day has come, sir,
when the proud denizens OF the noun
tain passes that gave birth to the SWELL
ing waters of our rushing rivers, have
come to know their rights, and they, sir,
have sent me here to maintain them.
The brave pioneer, who, taking his life
in one hand, and American civilization
in the other, stepped forth upon the
prairies to plant them both, rests his
arms. upon his gun and looks to
you for action. The lonely Indian
stands by his wigwam and deties
with threatening glances the gentle
men on the other side. The voice of
maidens comes over the plains, mingling
with the grass that inhales the fra
GRANGE of their breath, and the prattle
of children is caught up by the blizzard
and waited toward you, all joining in the
cry of rage and Indignation which the
opponents of this bill have aroused.
Would you divide this nation? Would
you have the swift Missouri Il Seine, or
would you make it Danube? Would
you have it Thames, or would you make
tia Rhine? Taking its rise in the thun-
der-nulsing peaks Of the glistening Rock
les, it pours its floods through fertile
prairies and plantations alike, cementing
the grandest quarter spheres that ever
conspired to constitute hemisphere.
Would you change its destiny? Then
tell the people of the west that you boot
their pleas for justice to scorn, and the
broad bosom of that stream will become
the dividing line between your nation
and mine, and States will crumble be-
fore the march of civilization, instigated
by the life-giving, freedom breath
ing Territories whom you are seek
ing to crush. Already the East has de-
cided that the age passes without the
deal. Already the East has proclaimed
that straights do not count and fix three
of kind as the next above two pair. But
beware! Alexander of Macedonia fol-
lowed victory too far, and his defeat at
Parthenia gave Troy to the world and
paved the way to English Jurisprudence.
Beware The hordes of the Northwest
are settling to the collar, and the flint of
their rifles is echoed back from the rock
bound hills that bore them. Refuse this
measure, and you inject ruin where all is
now peace You blast the prairie flow
ers with kissing breath and build a mon
ument of bones to the short-sighted pol
icy that denies the God-fearing frontiers
man the right which the elementary
principles of constitutional government
guaranteed him in his birth. We do not
ask much, sir. Our demands are small,
but, in tn language of our common
Scripture, sir, l tell the gentlemen on
the other side that until heaven and
earth pass hence, not one jot, or even a
title, of the American eagle shall pass
away until you have adopted some meas
ure establishing branch woodward at
the mouth of Cat. fish creek"