Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-06-07

ward reduced one year By a Subsequent
resolution. From date of suspension
of work in 1873 until resumption OF con-
struction in 1s7S-fve foil yesrs-not
mile of railroad vas built. Tnes, over
a year after the time when by Law this
company had agreed 10 complete It's
road, il resumed work thereon. In Ia
wears i. had built $50 miles Of railroad
Good faith. indeed Ii his not
beer. constructed in good faith IL has
been built thus far by sales OF bonds
based upon the mortgage of grant not
earned. II owes almost S66.OO.OOo OF
funded debt .sdsy. 10 pay interest upon
which the people along its line, its pa'-
rons, are to be taxed for q long term OF
wears. Besides being thus taxed for
| interest, We, its patrons. are to be com
PEELED indefinitely 10 pay eItorsionate
freight charges, that dividends may be
earned upon stock for which the treas
airy of the company never received
dollar, which never aided in the build
ing of a railroad, which represents not
invested money. but inordinate greed.
The Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany has never acted in good faith.
Neither with the Government nor the
people, whose pioneering 1t has foI!oieed
across the continent, has 1t dealt square
lIy. 1t started ont AZ pledge bre aker,
and has kept its course consistently. II
promised to build a railroad in IL years,
and has not done so in 20 years. 1t
agreed to begin within two years,a did
not commence until six years had pass
ed. # promised to build main line to
; Puget Sound. then begged of from iis
bargain, aud when allowed to substi-
tutc a branch for such main line, has
; failed TO build,up TO this day, any avail
able or useful sectios of such branch
Il promised to pioneer the county, to
give settlers better facilities, to trans
: port troops and stores for the Govern
: ment. Ii waited until all these things
. we're otherwise accomplished. or were
not needed, and then came hating or
behind, away behind the wave of i'm
U migration which has settled and PEG
pied the western slope. 1t promised tt
6 sell its lands at reasonable figures, anc
$ broke Its word. II promised not to dis
Is criminate, and does SCI daily. 1t prom
T. ised, in accepting charter from tk'
Government to be an honest citiz N anC
u pay its taxes. 1t has never done so. L
u promised to be q benefit. Ii bids fair Il
u prove curse.
y Good faith indeed! Why does Goa
u mining drag; why are not railroads
local railroads, being even now con
u structed both in L tstern and Western
'e Washington There il but one answer
3 II is because of the illegal claim and in
" iquitous hardness Of company who's
o history is but record of broken prom
!, ises. To the south and east, in Utah
d in Idaho, in Montana, in Dakota, il
y Oregon, in Nevada and in California
s. local railroad building, building with
q out subsidy, Las been almost constan
- for the past five years. Thousands o
% mics have been constructed withoa
l. government or outside aid. What ha
been done here in Washington? On
o road, from Spokane Falls to Wallula
Z for building which the company CLAIM
: $500 acres of land per mile. A roa,
o which terminates where! On Puge
Sound9 No. At tide water? No; bu
y on sand pile in the interior Of tn
u country. Its good faith is that of Juda
II Isosriot.
Now. what does this railroad want
l. One Of its directors said the other da
: that IL would accomplish much more i
h the people would not attack its claim t.
= its forfeited land grant. Undoubtedly
u II now wants the government-i. O., tn
people-to give It about -, 100000 acre
Q Of public lands not earned. For what
q Not for fulfilling its contract. II oanno
d claim to have done that. II must be
: then, for breaking il, for that s its onl
other claim. We are content to let to
!. fair minded men Of this country deoid
Q whether company which took a con
= tract to commence building a railroa,
d within two years from its date, and 4
+ complete it in swelve years, yet whic
y six years after the time to begin had no
}. built mile of tie road, and whicI
;. when the time expired had not DOM
), pleted one-fourth thereof, did in goo,
q faith attempt to fulfil its agreement. II
! assume that the Northern Pacific Rail
road Company has done so, is to declar
that there is no virtue In solemn con
tracts nor in honest agreements. 1t
Il. A., s,4ta