Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-05-01

IOr,zonian. Anil 80

In speaking of the future OF Portland
Lass week, Mr.. Willard said sone very
pleasant and hopeful thinSA The adj
vArsazes 20 come froCa our position a. .
railroad center we're, perhaps, not over
stated Mr.. Willard looks at the 2soa-
ton With the eye of q railroad Eian- and
fails, We think. 70 give due importance
to oar commercial position. strictly
speaking. Mr.. yiiiard's speech. 80 far
- j: referred - oar position - port.
vas remarkable more for vhat might
Be infss1ed frcm It than for what Was
sesuaI1y said tn to1s ves 6iseoora1-
ing 70 efforts % improve The river. he
seemed 70 ny, though b did not say is
Ia % Eany words: "Yoo Esd Eoe
trouble about yosr rivscA They are
god snooah.'
And hscs - bslisvs Mr.. vIlard is
wrong. Chicago Is greater city than
Indianapolis becauas Of it, situation on
tie lakes Indianapolis i . great
country mart IN which the agricultural
products Of the country are Exchanged
for SIC products Of home industry, and
for the products 0f the industry Of
other dates brought tners for Ale-
And Il Is great railroad center, bot
with all this. and With its hundred
thousand people besides, Is i IN inland
clsy-th polite description Of q pros
porous co0nfry town Ii holds the
same relation 70 Chicago that Welia
Nalla does 10 Portland. And does any
body imagine that, by any arrange
ment Of railroad lines, WalIa Naiis
could be made the chief commercial
city Of Oregon and Washington in op-
position TO Portland or some other
poins of water shipment? Ii could be
doomed, Of course, and perhaps made q
great city, bat hovever tav0sed is would
always be secondary or tributary to the
place of shipment II the lakes could
be moved down to Indianapolis, ChicA-
90 would bocOUe the tributary town
and Indianapolis the great depot. Why
- San Fnncisc0 Q greater town than
its neighb0r Sacramento? Is II
because II IL on deep water, aud II all the
railroads In America should terminate at
Sacramento. 1t would still 10 secondary.
But the advantages of being "a raii-
road center are very great, 90 great
that No believe Portland would con-
tlnus 70 grow If it never saw a ship
after the close of this year. All thai
Mr.. Willard says concerning its sure
future prosperity, We believe 70 be true.
But IN the satisfaction Of doing we'll let
US not lose the opportunity Of doing
best. Portland must retain tho ship
ping business Of the country, and this
II can do only by means of its connec
ton with tire ocean. Our produces
are of such character that We
must always ind our chief mar
ket abroad. Oar Wheat and salmon
must always b. sent away by ships, and
We cannot load ship on Puget Sound
without playing into the hands of a
rival city. Chicago may ship her grain
by way of NeS York or Baltimore. bat
in this she does not foster a rival, be-
cause she sits in an empire Of her own.
Portland has such an empire, but she
holds it because she is it, shipping
point, and successful rival for it,
shipping business would supplant her.
Another element of the greatness oil
Portland in the future will DO the Pa.
cific Oce IN trade; aud the profits OF
this cannot be secured at second naud
Portland can enjoy the advantages OF
the Pacific trade only by it's actual
transaction at her docks. Already We
have the beginning of this great future
business in q coast trade which ID stead.
lily growing. 1t will in time extend "a
every country between orr southern line
and Cape Horn, and to the far isles OF
the ocean. And the China trade prom.
ises 10 become the COLOSSUS of com.
merce. All tais will 20 to the shipping
point.
The point Of Mr.. Wizards speech i
this, he contemplatss NO changes OF
policy vhich will check the growth OF
Portland. A careful reader will find
nothing in the speech inconsistent with
purpose TO mako Tacoma or Seattle
the shipping point of the Northwest. II
rests with rs to see that this il
not done. Portland nov has the ship.
ping. and if she is wise she will retain
it. We do not believe that it il enough
to own and store the grain. We want
also to ship it. By making Portland q
railroad center Mr.. Willard will redeem
all his promises-it is for rs to build
greatness upon that condition, and We
can only do this by controlling the com.
merce Of the country. To be q railroad
center and not, too, depot of COM
MERGE is to be country crossroads on a
large scale. We must hold the COM
merce, and We can do it BY deepening
the river channels.