Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-24

stronG Resolutions Expressi,e OF
Popular Sentiment.


the forfeiture by Congress If tie North
ern Pacific lard grant Many speeche
were made and bu, one sentimea, VA
/ brought out, t. wit: Ia fav n Of the Ini
mediate and unconditional forfeiture o
All lands ms earned in .ct accord
ance with the terms OF the grtntir,
Act. Among the speakers were Jude,
Beck, NJ Miyor Gervais, Hon. Edwar,
VIII son. County Surveyo. Olms.ead
Cpuity Auditor Peterson, Prot. j. W
Miller, 4. j. Mcdaniel, Timothy Lynch
j. 4. SimnDns. W. f. Jone,. Vim. Stew
art. George ". Goodwin and J. 4
/ keavis
The preamble and resolutions, adopt
ed without dissenting voice. read a,
follows:
On Jaly 2. 1854. (nearly twenty wear.
ago Congress granted to the North RI
Pacific Railroad Company an lmmen,.
strip of public land extending from
Lake Superior westward across the con.
tinent, and also "A strip of land extend
ING along what Is known as tie Cascade
| branch rad IN Washington territory,
III addition to that opposite the man
line. In this way the aforesaid railroad
company has been enabled To hold. a.
with an iron grasp. nearly one-half oil
the public land of this Territory. A,
the time this grant WAS made by Con.
gress the northwestern country WAS a
Wild and comparatively uninhablted re-
giOn about which there was but llt.le
general Information, and the design of
the grant WAS to encourage A cOmpany
of railroad builders to 90 forth as the
forefunners of civiliZ ltloA and enable
settlers to reach this country without
being exposed 10 the dangers and hard
ships incident to crossing tho plains ia
wagons. 1t Is now very generally con
ceded that II WAS an error on the part Of
Congress to graut tee public land to
corp ratIons under any circumstances
Whatever; but had the railroad coupany
complied with Its part of the agreement
and supplied the desired thoroughfara
within the time specified, there would
have been at least some coupcnsat,on
for the error eous and wrongful act. II
seems apparent, however, that the nan
agets Of the Northern Pacific Company
COR It least a majority of them) wers
irresponsible specuin tors who posse sSad
neither the requisite s4gacltv nor hon
esiv Of purpose. non sufficient means or
credit for carrying out their undtrtak-
ing. The great aim appears TO have
been to speculate IN Lands and towIlsltes
ana ste.cks. and secure extensions of
time from Congress and other favors
from lilo Government Land Depart
II snt. la the meantime thousands of
lone-aeeking immigrants have toited
across the broad and thirsty plains, and,
bravlng the dangers and enduring the
hardships frontier life, have convert
ed the wildern, ). into productive farms.
Without any assistance from the Noftu-
ern Pacific K,ll-o ID. which has not vet
teen OonpletrdD these In migrants have
rescued the great northwest from roam
ing beasts and savage men, not as with
tho magic staff oi Nose. or the tabled
spear OF lthurlei, but, with plow and
scraper ard with reeking toll. they have
tapp, q the reluctant: Waters at their
source aud, 10y constructing Irrigatlug
tches Tor many miles over barren
wastes, tloy have converted deserts into
hclos and gardens: aud III dong this
they have been forced to fertil Ze rail-
road lands aud e. hance their value In
order To reach Government lands iying
beyond. lhey have built handsome
schoo, houses. and children that We're
unit orn when the Northern Pacific grant
was iuade have been educated III the Sc
school houses, have graduated from col
ley, =, have married aud now have child
ren of their own; and still the Cascade
branch Is not constructed. Villages
b .vo grown into cities, and many of
their sturdy founders have long since
grown weary waiting for the cons rue
ton of the subsidized railroad, and
have teeu gathered INTO their fathsrs
Ia the great continent OF cternltS-a
continent which ue have reason To Lo, Z
Is Lot traversed by unearned land grants
like those OF North America CONT
ntnt wherein there are no railroad sec
tioDs I, solved from occupancy and no
false promises ot early transportation
facilities to kindle false hopes or vex
their dreainiess sleep. The lands alonL
the proposed Cascade branch road hav.
not been eain.d, and 1T this Il to day
the circumstance are such that these
lands never can be earn. Il 10y the aIlppip
of "a railroad. They have
been greatly enhanced IN value, and
this ell hancement represents twenty
years If toll aud hardship on the part
OF struggling ifontiersmen. Our Quit
waited farms, our school houses. our
our local railways, our villages
and cities, and the ascending smoke
trun. u Thousand furnaces aud factori :
and mIlis. proclaim 10 the world that
the great othwest has been transformed
from a wilderness without the presence
or assistance Of the Northern Pacific
Railroad. which. be 1t remembered, IL
lot vet completed. Indeed. II might be
easily shown that the railroad land
grant has operated 10 retard rather than
TO ad auce the development of this Ter
ritory, ami that tue presence of this
grant Is how and has been for many
years standing In the WAY and prevent
ing the construction by other cumpa-
mes of much needed thorounhfares. 1t
Is also fact. We think. that for several
years past the late President of the
Northern Pacific Company shu WAS
also president of and stockholder III a
rival railroad down the Columbia river1
has been under pledge To his associates
in tbe iIval road not 10 tuIid the Oas
cade braLch road until forced TO do 40
10y action of Congress or 10y threatened
cnnrtiUctiDt OF i ROAD across tue Cascade
mountains by some other company. In
view of tht Se and many other facts
which might he set forth. tending to-
ward the same conclusion.
bs II Hs>o5u<,}. That We earnestly petl-
ton Congress III favor of an abso ute
and unconditional forfeiture of all lands
not lawfully or justly earned by the
Northern Pacific Company and prompt
restoration ut said lands to the public
domain.
Ersolrci, hat the public lands Of the
United States belong of right 10 the
peo lie; that any and all legislation
" Inch teuds 10 place these lands IA the
hands of speculators or landlords Is in
furious To the public welfare and ous hi
To be discouraged: that the recognition
or toleratIon of = forfeited grant where
the road, after long delay, has not been
constructed. AS IN this case is even less
lusiiiiable or rllht than WAS the original
grant; that III forcing settlers for mtnN
years 10 pay double minimum price for
their pre-emptlon claims. Ia order that
the Government might bs reim bugssd
for lands wrongfuily granted away, was
an injustice on the part of Congress to-
ward those who till the soil. and that