Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-05-13
DAILY pOST.INTElllGENCER.


NEEOLEssLY EXCITED.
Our neiphbor the Tacoma Ledger 10
srcited and very wroth st Portland
paper because it published dispatch
from the Philadeldhia Press-also pub
lisbed in this paper last sunday-in
which Mr.. Willard is reported to nave
said that the chief objection TO any point
on Puget Sound as terminus GOT tue
Northern Pacific railroad) ~ the preva-
lence Of heavy foes six months OF the
twelve which seriously interfere Win
navigation. The Ledger IL remarkably
thiu-skinned. We have long since
learned 10 regard ali dispatches coming
from Philadelphia, which In any way re-
ferred to the Northern Pacific railroad
as utterly unreliable. Whenever sncn
come to hand We publish them Just To
show how little sense or truth they pos
sess. This dispatch IL about on a par
with a dozen others which have lately
been sent over the wires from that deiee-
table source and Just as worthy OF Gre
dence. We have been told all manner
of falsehoods by specials from Phiiadei-
phia while the Ledger has eagerly grab
bed at, published and commented upon
them, solely because they were, AZ II fan
oied. designed to help Tacoma at the ex-
pense of other cities. notably Seattle
and Portland. Now when one comes
along which pinches Puget Sound and
elsvates the horn of the I" fresh water
seaport" our neighbor "squeais' ana
fiiaa into a passion. II finds fault with
thu Portland paper for an act of which
the Ledger itself has repeatedly been
guilty, and says the dispatch could
only be indited and only published
through spirit.of malice and jealousy"
Precisely. That Is what We have always
thought when Philadelphia dispatch
booming Tacoma and giving Seattle
black eye appeared in the columns OF
the LEDGER. 1t makes difference whose
or in pored. Has our neighbor been
brought to its senses at lastf Has 1t
finally concluded that to upbuild a city
IL ia not imperative that it be erected
upon the ruins of another. IL would 30
appear by the following quotation from
It's editorial column.
IL ia right and proper that towns
should fight for their own upbniidinR
and progression. IL Ia more than admi.
rable that corporations sheuld dispute
the race for supremacy with every COR
ceivabie means OF fairness; but the snc-
cessful way Of doing IL IL not by tearing.
down the rival. not by lying abont and
Willy ing, not by curslng the country Oh
which II In an integral psrt, but rather
by acting upon the generous principle
that good is in all, hnt yours Ia better.
These are the most sensible utserances
which have grac the columns OF the
Ledger for a long time past. They are
no less true because wrung from It BY
the publication of the telegram referred
TO. While that portion OF the dispatch
which alleges that navigation of Puget
Sound ia unsafe because of foRs, is base
less, aud but silly fabrication, ths
concluding portion, TO wit under ex
isting circumstances II il doubtful i
the Cascade branch will be built for ,
great WHILE" is undoubtedly true. WI
have for some time recognized the fac
to be that 30 long az the Northern Pa
cific Railroad Company can hold on IL
its land grant and not build that sec
ton of its road il will do 80. We're i
taken away, however, and fair fell
opened TO other companies to build
railroad over the mountains, IL woul
soon be compelled in sheer self interes
and for preservation of its business &
to construct the Cascade branch. Thi
ia the main reliance, AZ well of Taeom
as Seattle and all other Puget Soun'
ports for direct road across the noun
tains. Forfeit the grant, give others
chance, and there will in very shor
time be not only one but two or mor
railroads running east from Puge
Sound. Allow the grant TO stand an
there In no assurance that in ten year
such a road will be in operation. Gu
neighbor should recognize this fact
stand in for right and Justice to th
people of Washington Territory, let g
the idea that corporate rights are supe
rior to those of the people. and abov
all neither get unduly elsted or angr
over Philadelphia kilograms.