Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-02
DAILY T.INTELllGENCfR.
coxrvwprrsLE METHODS.


Ahon. the meanest thing OF which
nan or journal can be euilty,is s''emp'
inc TO ridicule persons or COMM H
ubo are engaged in the iaudaoie a"o
ofttimes difficult work Of sustaining aN
haIn;no themselves. Ignoring the rack
that only upon this basis OF indi'idu~'
ond collective effort, genuine and Perma-
nsnt success and prosperity are efee'e''
sucb persons or journals are sTif' 70
discredit all independent endea'o'' "
that end. Such has been and u 'he a.
I'D of the Tacoma Lefger toWars Tue
.sonla Of this city. When, by the fan.
-. ~ the Oregon d Transeontinen'a'
GERMANY TO keep its contract relative 70
the railroad to Cedar River, the SUBSIDY
of s15c, OoO-freely subscribed amply
sscnred. and in good faith tenoefeo
was forfeited, the Ledaer immediately
declared that the subscribers were ho'
homes, that the subscription was not q
Co.. and that these who had contracted
20 nav the sums set opposite their names
"a nsvs, ;ntanded to keep their several
promises.
Nov that a new method of self help
h.s hsen deyised-in the nature OF
loan. instead Of gift outrieht-ior
purpose identical with that proposed
las, year, the Ledger loses no OCCASION
IN cast discredit upon the UNDERTAKING
and ascribe not merely inability, but
lack of honest intention, on the part oi
our people. OF course this sort OF AZ
tack ia irritating. 1t is 50 mainly De
oause 40 absolutely unmanly and un'
inst. Seattle, in common with oihef
cities upon the Pacific coast and Rehef
aIlv throughout the Nation, Is feeling
the effect of stringsncy IN the money
market. II was far easier for her Gill
zens to give away $4,000 year ago
than il ia TO loan in gold coin hall tnat
sum at the present time. Money IL
scarce and difficult 70 obtain upon 80
curity indisputably ample. 1t IL 80 IN
Tacoma, in Portland, in San FRANCISCO
To secure themselves against further
financial tightness, banks have called
in loans Al closely as possible, and are
not vet ready TO adopt less conserva-
tive policy. Il is fact well known 10
the Ledger-or at least should be-tnat
it is through the local banking institu-
tions of a city that its business IS done
Wben. from any cause, they are not
prepared or willing to loan their money
or that of their depositors, there IL
financial stringency.
Seattle has, unlike Tacoma, no pstrSn
saint, no sack, public or private. outside
her own resources. to draw upon. his
CITY never has relied, nor do we now
depend upon any man or set OF men
not numbered among our citizens Tor
aid in any public enterprise. What Be
attic is, it has been made by its own
people the prosperity which will come
must depend upon our own exertions.
On the contrary, our neiRhbor, which
she Ledger assumes to represent, Is the
child of corporation /; IL has been nur-
tured and sustained by the benefactions
of outsiders; 1t owes its present situa-
ton, growth, and all Its public improve
ments, whatever they may be, not to
self energy, but to adventitious and ex-
traneous aid. For all its prospective
public works, its wharves, water works,
its gas works, in short. every improve
ment of a pablo nature, it looks to the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company
the Tacoma Land Company or some
capitalist Herewith connected. II has
been ooddled, petted. nursed and fed
with corporation pap, while We OF Seat
tie have been forced to do az did the
boy who was digging the woodchuck-
get IL or 90 without meat.
Tacoma ought to be thankful to her
benefactors tho ledger shou. d express
the gratitude of its constituency. To
do otherwise would be shabby. But,
while sounding the praises Of its patrons,
it should not descend to cast disoredit
upon the honest, legitimate and hard
work of self. dependent, self built and
solf-sustaining community, in whose
mouth no silver spoon was placed at
birth. Seattle asks, has never asked,
special favors. Our people build their
own gas works, water works, churches,
school houses and other public build
ings, support their own fire companies
We welcome aud help all who unite for
tunes and effort With as, and pay our
own money for whatever We get. We
are al the tail Of no corporation, we do
not supplicate aims nor solicit crumbs
from outside tables. We shall aid the
road TO Green river and expect TO be
benefited thereby. The attempt of the
Ledger 70 impuen the motives, dis
credit the ability and ridioaie the efforts
of such community is ineffably con-
temptible.