Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-18
DAILY paSI.MIElLIGEKcER.
srsIII, atcEisgs A VIsITeE-

road" aud vas received oy neP '''a''
of oar prominent citizens. lie vi7i'ea
o1r Chamber of Commerce aud rep'ieU
- so,,e ,,ts,rsoatories. His reply u
pnbIished el.ewhere. De RraVeiy 'o40
the twenty or thirty men 5srs OF toe
body supposed to represent TIE "aS''''''
interests Of tsi= c.ty in ef CT that the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company "S
making all ths spa possible u axe
t,,-o ,ni- CIV tie l,e1efit Of one ot IT.
,,os+ isp,rt.nt and permanent con
tipnoas resouIc4s- He b.afsed theli Iof
n,aniDe obstacles IN the way oi TINS
Ian1able effort Of bis company by adVo-
eating forfeiture of its unearnsd lands
He said that bis company needed tbos-
lands a. collateral upon which to Dor
,ou money 70 baild a railroad TO be
snb;Ac.sd "a private ownership ana 70
be used TO injure u.s. He eraNeiy -
snred the assembled business men oi
this city that they wee at hoer'y 1"
.,.td a railroad to Green River II th"y i
ware able and 50 desired, and thai Ia
time. when his company bad con'tfuel-
"A mad over the m 1untains, this ROAD 1
an hniIt nv our citizsns might interssc' /
with the Case ,de brarch- de told ihem /
moreover that, provided the company |
could borrow money on government COL |
lateral. O.. public lands % which II
has no legal or equitable claim II would
buiId % miles or more of the Cascade
branch within she year, and show Con
0ress that II was in good faith carrying
ont il. contract 70 speedily complete us
railroad.
Well IL the members of the Cham
her OF Commerce have read the fosT-
ISrxttIgENcgR for the pas, Fix months
they have been assured OF all theSe
,hinos before. We have told them that
thu Northern Pacifi. Railroad Company
uould build the Cascade branch on oor-
rov.d money; that it would not build
il in any other way that II never bad
other methods Of constructing Its rail-
road that the great obstacle TO borrow
ing money was its doubtful title TO the
security II desired to pledge; that the
road IL built was intended to, and
wsuld divert the coal product OF the
Green river fields 20 Tacoma for trans
sbipment that the only way TO avoid
this result was to get in there first with
a railroad that we must build the road
IL built at all and that the las gives
any company the right to intersect with
its road the Northern Pacific.
We have told them a good deal that
Mr.. Harris did not. We have assured
our readers that the ownership OF odd
sections of coal and timber lands. coup
led with a monopoly of transportation
Of their products. would be the most
complete and binding subiugatlon OF
the resources of Western Washington.
to the interests of single corporation
which can be conceived. We have
urged that in sheer self preservation II
was the daty of this people to oppose
this attack upon the city Of Seattle, upon
its prosperity. its business, its rights as
self builded CITY. Are We rightg Have
we been correct? II SO. what are we all
going to do about itp Are We expected
TO sit supinely. with arms folded. while
great corporation pnrsues its purpose
TO acquire the most valuable lands 10
this Territory, with the openly avoved
Intent of working our financial and
commercial ruing
Mr.. Harris tells US that these lands
are public, that We have no more right
or interest in them than the people Of
the East. Ii il not so. They are stu
ate in this Territory, they adjoln lands
occupied by our citizens, wis pay taxes
on every acre they own and upon all
the improvements they make. who are
expected and required by Law to protect
and defend the rights y OF this hinge
corporations at the peril of their lives II
necessary. They belong TO part OF
the public domain set apart for fu:ure
State. of which the Congress of the
United States. the Government itself is
trustee; they belong to the intending
immigrant, the man who comes over
here TO aid in creating and supporting
future State. They are part and par
Del of the resources upon which great
commonwealth must depend for future
prominence. dignity, wealth and popu
lation. We have more right to them
than the people of the Eas,-while they
remain At homo. When they come over
here into aud through the wilderness,
build homes and share the fortunes of
those here who have preceded them. they
will have common lot and equal rights
with Us. We are more interested than
they. We are builders of cities and
founders of a commonwealth. The
lands of this great government have
always been dedicated to ,hese OBJ
iects. ded.csted TO those who,
by popping the wilderness, de
served 10 acquire and enjoy them.
They were never acquired for the par
pose OF being Invested and diverted to
I'LL the pockets of q few corporations,
from whom no corresponding nor re-
sultant benefit at all commensurate
with their cost and vAlne can b. Oh
ained. These public lands, of which
Mr.. Harris spoke so elibly, cost this
country blood aud treasure. They are
the price of hardship, the proceeds of
interchangeable energy and the patient.
prolonged endsayer of American citi-
Eens; not Of those who rem ain in the
East. but of those who came here long
before the Northern Pacific vheedled
plant Congress into granting away the
sirthrieht of its citizens. Ana when
the president of this huge company
tells rs that citizens Of this Territory.
within whose confines this great an
earned domain is situate. have no more
right 10 object to their alienation with