Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-18
OlJly POST InTEIlIGENCER


UWy puSIsIUJk LLIukNUku'
souU nxce<eRrTTlks-
Il il szid that rssree County viii
slnsst solidly Support the kspuniienn
TerrisofiaI platform and nominee for
Dsleesfs; that while there will Be The
usual wrangline oonoerning county On
cex. she full vote Of the Denoersfle
PARTY win be given 70 Armstrong. Pub
liz statements Of this kindars frequent
" heard, and the same idea 10 shzdo~sa
ia the utseranoes Of the Tacoma press
II may be true. II 20. IL proves that The
peopls on Pierce County viii disre9srd
craftsmanship 81 the coming elsstion and
voss for what thsy deem their best inter-
esta. That this 10 the indubItabIs right
Of syery elscsor will not Be disputed
The people OF Tacoma owe mot merely
she existence OF their city. bat IT, pres
snt status, mainly 70 the Tacoma Land
Company. . majority Of whose stock b
owned by the Nssthern Pacific Railroad
Company nearly all the minority thereof
being also owned by certain very prom.
inens members Of the directorate Of
said company. II 10 70 ths profit Of
these gentlemen 70 build up Tacoma be
GAUSS Of their interest in the company
which owns tbs major portion Of its
toxnsite. II h to the interest Of these
gentlemen 10 secure for the Northern
Pacific its unsarnsd land grant. because
they are largely Interested in the stock
Of that company. Naturally Taeoans
people deem IL their duty TO help the
founders and friends Of their city In
their plans. For 70 doing they expect
70 bs hereafter sienaIIy rewarded by the
favor Of that company and the invest
ments and improvements 20 be made hy
II. We have no word Of criticism for
Democrats who, being opposed 70 for
feiturs Of the Northern Pacific grant,
ayow their intention 70 vote against the
nominee Of their party. Neither do We
ind any harsh languages in the Tacoma
press directed at such persons. II
seems 10 be conceded that IL ID al right
TO vote for the railroad In Pieroe
County.
But Tacoma IL not all Of that county,
and the interests Of great many OF its
residents, numbers OF whom came TO
Pierce county and settled long before
Tacoma was located a. q town, do not
sntirsly center In the prios of iots
therein. There are hendricks Of farm
ers who care more 10 get cheap trans-
portation for their surplus product 10
market, and In rssurn got thsir pur-
chasss and importations, their ma
chinery, furniture, etc., hauled at rea-
sonable figares, than whether the Land
Company sells town lots. They have
expected that when railroad communi.
cation was effected. freight rates would
be placed at reasonable figures. They
have been disappointed.
The local freight rates of the North
ern Pacific in Pierce county are signal
ly oppressive. They bear heavily apon
the merchant, the laborer, the con-
sumner In Tacoma, thsy bear with
greater weight upon the producers of
the adjacent valleys. They are higher
than on any line of railroad that We
know Of. While the residents Of Ia
coma. owners Of lots, etc., can perhaps
philosophers that they will get even for
this extra tax upon their pockets by tho
increased value of their property
through favcritism Of the company, the
dwellsr outside, the farmer and pro-
ducer. has no such set OF (" with
which TO console himself. when he Ii
compelled 10 pay from 20 10 30 per cent
too much freight on that portion Of his
srop sent 10 market, he must pocket
the loss. When the cost Of his farm
implements, furniture, lumber for new
buildings. etc., 10 largely increased by
disproportionate freight charges, he
must grin and bear 1t.
The Northern Pacific railroad claims
large amount OF land 10 Pierce coun
~. Its grant extends over its entire
area, and II will eventually try 10 obtain
tstle TO every unoccupied odd section.
II claims this land ty virtue Of buildine
the kalama-Tacoma section of its rail.
road. That was completed In 1873.
Since that time, as prior thereto, every
property owner In Pierce county has
been compelled 10 pay taxes upon his
holdings. with the sole exception OF the
Northern Pacific. That company pays
no taxes upon its land In this Territory.
The farmers of Pierce county are now
asked TO vote In favor of extending The
time for construction of tho Cascade
branch. 30 that the Northern Pacific can
lay claim 10 half the public lands In
King county. The people Of this coun-
" object 10 this extension Of time. They
Know that the experience Of Pierce
~~N">et Va AaC&AuAt Will lu<Ilff
she assertion that land grants are hos.
tile TO rapid settlement; that they affect
resident settlers iniuriously; that they
deter immigrants from coming by reason
OF tho increased cost Of the land. They
are furthermore aware that the burden
OF TAXATION Is never assumed by the
corporation owning the lands, but Ia i'm
posed upon citizen settlers and private
owners. The sentiment OF the farmers
OF Pierce county is with their neiphbors
OF King In this matter. With this in
view u Is hardly probable that solid
vote viii be given for non forfeiture i'm
th,t oosnty.
II, however. Pierce county shah vote
solidly for Armstrong and non. forfel..
ure, and King county shall vote far
Voorhees, and forfeiture, will a Taoom.
Democrat be less amenahle 10 cr,,,c.s,n