The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-08-09
Purely Competitive.

The completion OF the North
ern Pacific Railroad is the fayorite
present editorial theme in this
country. The point of view thai
different men take is Influenced
greatly by probable result as it ap-
pears to them. Pixley, OF the
-Argonam, who is usually trench
ant and optimistic, IS in this IN
stance extremely faulty in his
logic and cvinces a tendency to
draw erroneous conclusions.
1--WE must not forget" says the
.4rqon0nt, ''rhat upon the Atlantic
side of our continent there are fifty
millions Of people oct OF total OF
less than fifty-three; that the At
lantic side confronts Europe, with
which is the great baIk Of our
trade; that on the Atlantic coast
and its interior are great cities,
great manufacturing centres, and |
great capital; and it is there, and
not here, that the important indus
tries of the country are organized;
that capital gives long and easy
credits; in a word, it will be well
for us to remember that we are a
sparse population, poor, and newly
located, in an isolated position, and
upon the wrong side of the Amer
ican continent; compelled to en-
counter the active opposition Of
people outnumberiDg Us in popu-
lation twenty-five times, exceed
ing us in wealth fifty times, IN en-
terprise an hundred times, and
having the advantage Of Us in age
two centuries of time. We are
being invaded by the commercial
Goths and Eandals from the north
and east, and are being surrounded
by an enterprising race Of ad-
venturous, busy business men, who
have no sympathy with US in oar
politics, our present, our past, or
our future; who are grasping FOR
everything within reach; and who
don't care a damn what happens.
so long as it don't happen to
them Against this business con-
spiracy TO invade our state, this
raid which sweeps in upon us from
the east, and sweeps down upon
US from the north, as Highland
clan upon Southron fold, we may
not invoke any of our argonautic
legends of stormy cape, OF per
ilous isthmus, Of adventures
on plains or mountains, Of tol
in mines, of romances OF early
days. We can not use any
of them against the adventurou;
greed of the man from Chicago
who comes to sell leather, anC
nails, and farm implements, in ex
change for wheat, and fruit, anC
cheese. We may not begolle TIN
swapping stranger who comes t
steal our trade by any girl-tal
about our climate, our land of tn
pomegranate and the olive. Ou
San Francisco merchants and bus
mess men, the owners of our cit
lots and country lands, are no'
face to face with a danger whlc
threatens to diminish the volum
of their business and impair til
value of their property-to TAX
from them the profits of their trad
and diminish their incomes fro
rent. What we are to do about I
what means we are to take to sax
what we have and get what "
can, is the object of this writing
1t would be hard to find moi
folly in a smaller space than Il
above comprises. THE man fro
Chicago" that comes to this cou
try is the man wanted. He brin
money, he makes money, ne cr
ates industry, organizes manuIa
lures, developes the country al
places it at its best. 1t Is, TO
sure, an invasion; it is, however
welcome one. The men that con
from the east are welcome in pI
portion to their ability; the smart
they are the more welcome SIN
they be.
The whole matter is purely CO.
petitive. If those men from c.
of the Rockies are such "rustler
as to capture our trade, our bu
ness and our people, we'il have
stand it. But these people ii
are coming are old acquaintanc,
they are of our race and kindre
they are of the same family; tn
will help US make the northw
coast a great empire. They
welcome; the sooner they cor
and the more Of them the bet
for the country.
AS for ''our politics" ETC., Il
will get into politics fast enou
The quotation we reprint is a C
fession of weakness and is not
he taken as a representative ut
ance of feeling.