, 1882-09-15
A Forcible Statement.
THE \. p. II. II. CoMPANY's POLICY AND
DELEGATE RRENTS.

pl.LEhAii 4. lA'E-'A''
The following is letter written by L.
n. Sweet Of ColiaX, to one of our ex-
changes. Whitman county has expressed
It's preference for Judge Sweet for Dele
gate, and his utterances are not only
important in view of his possible candi-
dacy, but because he is evidently Il vigor-
ous thinker who knows what he is talking
about and is not afraid to speak his
mind freely:
CoLFAx, w. T., Sept, 4, 1882,
EDITOR Fo OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES:
1t is the settled opinion Of many that
the people have no rights which corpora
ton, are bound to respect, and wnlle
this may not he true in general, 1t Is uu-
doubtedly true in isolated cases. 1t Is
evident to the casual observer that the
officers who have the management OF the
Western Division of the Northern Pa
cifc Railroad have, by species Of false
reasoning, drlfted into the pernlclous
belief that the Northern Pacific is
magnet, around which all interests Oh
the Northern Pacific slope must revolve.
This belief is evidenced by their action
relative TO matters political and things
material. In their zeal to shape ana
mould everything of IA plastic nature 10
their aims and ends, these officers evl
IDENTIFY lose discretion and partially over
look the natural position OF the com
pany which they represent.
This company has failed to carry Out
either the letter or spirit of the contract
entered into with the government, d
compliance with which guaranteed it q
muniiicent land grant. Knowing this
the managers are straining every nerve
and using every influence to induce
members OF Congress to assist in ac-
Complishing desired ends, and in secur.
ing benefits which no court OF equity
could consistently allow. The fact tina,
the Northern Pacific Railroad Company
has failed to fulfill its part OF the con
tract under which it was to receive
millions upon millions of acres of the
finest lands in the great Northwest, Is
patent to every man of average common
sense who can read the English Ian
guaga. In the first instance, the com
pany has failed to complete its road
within the time specified in the contract.
failure to comply with its very letter
ought. perhaps, to be overlooked, were
it not for tho fact that il has failed, and
will in all probability fail, to comply
with its spirit. The charter under which
the company is seeking to enrich ltsell
by appropriating to its own use and
benefit tract of land upon which Il
populous and powerful nation could be
established, provided for the construc-
ton OF railroad from Lake Superior to
Puget Sound. This road is practically
being constructed from st. Paul, Mime
sota to Portland, Oregon. At this june
ture, so far as construction and apparent
intent is concerned, the fact meets us
and is forced home upon us, that the
great Northern Pacific Company, whose
wealth exists ostensibly in n" "syndicate."
but really in its vast land grant from the
government is using II portion of its pos
sessions in attempting to subsidize Con-
gress to the end that it may evade the
fundamental law which gave il existence,
eeyade its legal contracts, evade its posi-
tive obligations, and build its road to
Portland, thus avoiding the expense of
construction through the mountains to
Puget Sound. In doing this the COM
pany forces the citizens of Washington
territory to pay tribute to and to enrich
the commercial (D cormorants of n neigh
Ing state, who are building city at our
expense.
Seattle is the natural and lawful ter
minus of the Northern Pacific Railroad,
and but voice the sentiment Of thou
sands when ] say that congressional ac-
uon should be taken to force the com
pany to build and equip its road direct
70 the Sound, or construct it not at all
,9y further government aid. The time
mas come when the Northern Pacific
should fulfill the spirit Of its contract, or
suiter the consequences Of its premedita-
teI and wanton evasion. Let the Re
publican party--a party OF noble deeds
ana grand achievements, whose record
SWrltten on the pages OF history in lines
vi vivid light -promulgate platform
winch shall be an irresistible force in
aWHaping legitimate legislationi in favor OF
Washington Territory, as against the
,sinlawinl desires of n bloodless corpora
sa'. Soa' The power which creates should