, 1884-02-16
RINGING RESOLUTIONS.


Last Saturday evening a large
number of the members of our Board
Of Trade met in CannOn's Hall for
the purpose Of taking some action in
regard to the bills now before Con-
gress declaring the land grants Of
the Northern Pacific road forfeited,
on the whimsical plea that the road
was not completed within the time
specified. 1t is easily to be seen by
al. fair-minded people that the prop
OsitiOn would act as very serious
hardship upon Washington Terri
tory, section of country that is now
attracting particular attention
throughout the entire Union, and
which is on the very eve Of entering
that prosperity that is destined to
lift her up to the proud em'nence Of
one of the very first among the sis
terhOOd OF States. II the bill to
which our people take exception
should become n law it would be I'M
possible to numerate the misfortune
that 1t would be to the Territory.
We are not advocating this measure
on behalf Of corporation, nor are we
wearing the collar Of any railroad d
in existence, but write as we do feel
ing that the best issue Of the whole
people are at stake in this issue.
The following is the memorial
adopted by our Board of Trade, ana
it speaks for itself, in language more
eloquent than any at our command
To the Honorable Senate and
House Of Representatives Of the Uni
ted States, in Congress assembled:
Your MemOriilist, The Board Of
Trade Of the City of Spokane Falls,
Washington Territory, respectfully
represents to your Honorable body:
That the permanent prosperity of the
Territory OF Washington, and the
rapid development Of its marvellous
resources depends largely upon the
early completion Of the Northern
Pacific Railway to Its terminus upon
Puget Sound. tn It such pTt Of the
road as still remains uDRhbhed is
largely through a difficult UlpuntaiB-
Gus country, with undeveloped re
sources, and none which can be de-
-veloped until the railroad is COM
pleted. That even with the existing
land grant, its construction will be a
triumph of financial genius, but
without 1t, almost an impOssibility.
That without such road to connect
the eastern and western districts Of
Washington Territory, the inhahi-
tlnt5 thereof are more effectually de-
prived Of all direct intercourse than
they would be II the Atllntic Ocean
rolled between. We further repre-
sent that our resources are now tap
ped by, and our wealth goes to en-
rich neIghboring cities and states,
whose only interests in our prosperi-
ty is the profits they ndy realize
thereby.
We also respectfully represent that
the Northern Pacific railway, the
great artery Of commerce for the
North part Of the United States, has
been built to connection with tide
water, only after repeated efforts,
and under peculiar hIrdships diff
culties and financial disasters such
as have not beset any other enter
prise Of a similar nature. The great
money panic Of 1878, which wrought
such havoc and ruin prostrated the
men who were engaged in building
this road; and the men who again in
1878 put their shoulders td'the wheel
have been crushed under the weight;
far from having enriched themselves
with the spoils Of the land grant,
they have sacrificed their private
fortunes to sustIin the enterprise.
This road has also practically been
built without other Government aid
thln its grant of lands. 1t has OPEN
ed up to settlement the richest ag.
ricultural and mil @ al districts \ the
United States, and has quadrupled
the values all along its line. 1t has
tapped the commerce Of the Orient,
but the last link Of the chain whi,h
will bind the East and West togeth-
er has not yet been forged; until
that is done, the inexhaustible re-
sources of Americas great Inland
sea-Puget SOund-must necessarily
lie dormant, and that link, extend
ing through the barrier Of the Cas-
cades cannot for many years he COM
pleted If the land grant is with
drawn.
This road over the rugged moun-
tains is a vital necessity for the de-
velopment Of the vast potential COM
merce Of the Puget Sound region,
and the unlimited agricultural and
mineral resources Of Eastern and
Middle Washington. We earnestly
insist, that considering the financial
difficulties which they have encoun-
tered, the projectors Of the Northern
Pacific Railway have acted in better
faith to the Government and the peo-
pie than the promoters Of any other
fransponfinantaI Iine thew have
grown poor, while the builders of
the Central, Union and Southern Pa
citic roads have grown rich. While
they were pouring out their money
like water to build the road and
achieve the end which brings pros
perlty to millions, and increases the
wealth of the whole country, no
voice was raised TO deprive them OF