Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-25
oAIlY POST INTElLlcEHcER'


uhHy PuSI-IMI 6LLIuLuOLns
RrrrBLsCss DerrsssE Ass psss.
On the 2znd day u Jasusry, 1884. shs
Hauss Of Representatives By vote Of
PSI yeas to IS nays passed shs foliow'ne
resolution relating TO upsafned isaa
grants 20 railroad corporations:
Ruotred. That In the judemenf % We
House an public Ian . hsFetofoss efa -
"a sfafea and corporations Ter the COS
ssrnction 81 railways % far ~ fne safns
|. - s,,hfes9 4, forfeiture By reason OF
mr.. foI6Iimeus Of the condsffons On
vhich the gratis we're made. ooznt ~
<. d~elerod forfeited 10 the upitca
$780, and restored 10 the pubiic 90
main.
OF the IS negative votes east, II were
NV Republican and 7 By Democratic
,nsubers. OF the IL kspubiisans
were cast By Massachusetts Congress
men Who represented stockholders snd
boudboldsrs Of the Northern raesne
Railroad. -
On tbs 24th day Of January. 1884. sns
posr.IxrrI11oxscxn sditorislly com
mentine upon the sotion OF the hooss
Of Representatives, said:
Thsrs are evidently grounds for hope
xh@s scmethinc viii be done this winter
-. svea ~ uuesrned land granted oel-
s;rgantiv 10 railroad corporations. We
are content u the rssnit Snail ~ ~ - -
people demand. namely suffos !"
al grants NOS earned.
In another paragraph Of the same
article, referring 70 possible opposition
bv the Republican Senate 70 the passage
81 forfeiture sets, We said:
The Reuublioan party cannot AFFORD
a sntaoor,izo the public demand out
ss,olau - Il IA. noon this question. 10
AZ sa vould be 20 misreprescnt tns
wishss If nine tenths Of the party ano
aIienate from iss ranks at the impendinR
election enough of tins rank and ME "
inscrs defsas.
From that day 70 this the Posr-ixrxL.
LroxxcKa has seen no reason 70 chanes
front upon that question, nor has y
vsvered in it's belief that legislation y
foreshadoved by the House resolution
vill be effected and perfected. IL
strengthen the hands OF those who bad
In charge this mattsr--the House Com
mitsee on public lands : We urged
the people Of this and other counties =
petition Congress for forfeiture OF tns
Northern Pacific unearned Rrant--ths
only one that vitality Affects this Terri
tory. This was done. Without distino
ton Of party, petitions were signed .,
thousands in all parts Of the Territory
and forwarded 10 Washington. TIT
citizens Of King County went farther
and By voluntary contribution paid tn
expenses Of an attorney TO Washington
for the sole psrpose of presenting full,
and forcibly the rights of the people o.
Washington Territory upon this lanc
grant question. With oil these measured
the Posr- was In accord
Each and ell had It's hearty and vigorous
support.
when the time approached for the 40
sambling Of the National Republican
Convention, this paper Republican n
sentiment, every member OF whose stat
Ia Republican Ia every fibrs-aided II
preparing and after ward presenting Y
the Convention at Chicago map ant
statement showing the extent OF the IN
earned land grant 10 the Northern Pa
cific In this Territory, aud calling 10
an expression of Republican part.
policy thereon. That expression wa
given In these words:
We demand Of Congress the speed
forfeiture Of all land grants which hay
lepsed by reason of non-compliane
With the acts Of incorporation IN al
oaees where there has been no attemp
made in good faith 10 perform the Don
ditions OF said grant.
This plank was "tinkered In the IN
terest Of certain land grant corpora
tions, notably the Northern Pacific.
waa followed by unequivocal declare
tions In fayer OF forfeiture by the Dsm
ocratic, Auth Monopoly and Greenbac
National Conventions. All parties il
the United States are committed TO th
forfeiture Of unearned land grants !
railroad corporations.
Az the time for the meeting OF th
Republican Territorial Convention ~
preached, Indications that the Norther
Pacific Railroad Company would en-
deavor 10 control that body were every
whore apparent. /, had no interest i
its deliberations or action save to pre-
vent declaration through the platform
In accord with the public sentiment o
this Territory and the Nation at large
II succeeded. The platform Of sha
Convention, upon the subject Of lam
grant forfeiture, 10 illogical, impracti
cal, meaningless. II misrepresents th
party and ignores the facts and logi
of the situation In this Terri
tory. u proposes TO extend for owe
three years an opportunity 10 the North
ern Pacific TO earn u land grant eqnii
ably forfeited seven years ago. IL I
effect declares that the Northern Pac
70 has attempted in good faith TO Pei
form the conditions OF lie grant an
therefore is entitled 10 an extension {
sletvn years beyond the date when by 1
charter conditions its read should ha'
been completed,
The observation-disclosures opposed ID
declaration on the part Of the Conve'
ton. We declared IL antagonissic 10 n
sentiments of the bulk II the Repuhl
can party here and elsewhere. wedo
still. We asserted, and nov insist tn
the platform isin conflict With the polls
and utterances Of the Republican par
for many years past that u stnltifI
she intelligence OF the party menbe
ship TO practically declare thai q
Northern Pacific IL entitled 10 an e
tension of time 10 perfect title TO
land grant in this Territory. 10 a