Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-05-10
D1DHE MAKnus ANYPRoM1sEs

"Did Mr. Willard make any promises to
the people of Lewiston 2 The uniform
answer was that he was asked to make
none, and that no one here seemed dis
posed to ask for promises from him, al
though our people We're disposed to give
him the opportunity to say to the people
whatever he chose, relative to our section
of country, aud its need of transportation
facilities. But his short stay induced
him to decline making us speech, and
only for few moments was he disposed
to discourse in colloquial style, upon mat
ters Of interest to US, and during these
few minutes he took occasion to say that
our steamboat facilities without railroad
were sufficient for our needs, except that
a local road east from this point might
be of advantage to us, and that he should
consider that question. What he meant
by considering that question is an an
nOuncement whose true meaning must be
defined in the future. For all practical
purposes to us at the present it has no par
ticular meaning, and probably will not
cause any citizen to shape his plans diff
ferently in consequence of his saying this,
from what he would have shaped them
had Mr. Willard never seen Lewiston.
Nothing was expected from him, and
consequently nothing was sought from
him in reference to this place and the
country tributary to it. What might
have been developed had he spoken fully
to us, we can only surmise. 1t was a
matter of curiosity to us that he should
without our suggestion, ask us upon
what authority We entertained the belief
that the o. S. L. Co., would extend a
railroad down Snake river to Lewiston.
When he received cur answer he simply
said that decision of that question
would have to be made IN New York,
to which we assented, but he never even
limited that such decision was not like
~ to be made, nor in any manner at
tempted to dissuade us of our belief, and
We are pretty well persuaded in our opin-
ion that he was unwilling to hazard the
public expression of opinion here that
the o. S. L. road would not come down
Snake river to Lewiston. We observe
that several members Of the press of the
north west arc fulsomc in their praises of
Mr.. Wizards frankness in expressing his
plans and purposes, and yet the Seattle
and Tacoma papers place a doubtful
meaning upon his statement Of purposes
in regard to where shall be the western
terminus of the Northern Pacific, and
the Yakima Signal fully shows up the
evasiveness of Wizards language, when
he says ''our plans contemplate the COM
mencement of the n. p. Cascade branch
in October next, and the Oregonian is
much dissatisfied with his speech at Port
land on the question Of Portland being
the great commercial city of the north
west, and says that Wizards language
used leaves very different inference, al
though not saying as much directly.
Now in relation to the great question of
transportation facilities of the different
localities of the northwest, ambigity
in what is proposed to be done is far
worse than direct assertions that an en-
terprise Of public interest will not be at
tempted. The answer that an enterprise
twill be considered" or that "our plans
contemplate" are not promise of any
thing upon which an expectation can be
based, and the same is true when Mr..
Willard said in his Portland speech in
relation to Colfax and Moscow, II un-
derstand that grade is completed to
Colfax and that track laying has actually
commenced. We shall endeavor to COM
plete that line to Moscow this season,
If possible. Now, in the first place the
grade on the line is not completed to
COlfax, and MIR. Willard should have
known this when he made that speech.
In the next place Mr.. Willard does say
that We shall complete that line to Moscow
the coming season, but simply says we
shall "endeavor" to complete, or ''strive"
to complete, cyasive assertion as when
he wrote to Yakima. "Our plans con-
template and then he adds ''if possible,
or in other words ''we shall endeayor, if
possible" not that we shall build if pos
sible, or complete if possible, but simply
endeavor, if possible. The Mirror man
in quoting from his speech leaves out the
''if possible and seeks to affirm the fact
without contingency. Now, upon such
indefinite statements as the above, where
Is the man of sound judgement who can
ny that Moscow will either have rail