Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-12

0&WE& - A3EE<x3{N W0M4 UUX U0&u HUM1
the poIiey o. the party tpuShine onel
tions of which it has spoken- For d
purposss Of the discussion I xill tres
the questions Ia regard 90 the publi
lands and Pacific railroads as one. A
the first Nztional Rspublioan Conyer
tim haId tn 1856 NJ msption was mad
of the public demafo. bat Il wAs n
solved:
That railroad 10 the Paciic 0ceal
By the moss central and pracsissl rous
ts isnpexatissiy dexnsndsd BY she intel
ests Of the whole country. and that ID
Federal Government onzht 20 rendr
immediate and eih iens aid in iss con
etru9tIou.D
Thos it viii b. eeen that fhs Rspuh
iioan party - ite 6rnt National Conven
tion committed it1eif 20 t6e c0iiey o
buiidtn4 . railroad 70 the Haoi6o ocean
Tbs Republican N1tjousI Oonyention
- l160, at Chicago. spoke - follows
touchinR shess qusstsons- That VI
pe0test against amy sale Or alienation q
others of p9blic lands held oy aetna
settIers, and We ds1snd the psss1ge b
Couxfees Of the complete and e4tisfao
tory homestead measure which has q
ready pessed the House that . rad
road 20 sne Pacific ocean - imperatsveil
demanded % the fnterosSs o. TIE wnolf
country; that the FEDERAL Government
ought 70 render immodIass ana eincicut
a'a e iss conssrnctlon
Then after our party had possession
Of the National Administration. were
enacted - Republican measures, the
homestead iaw, socuriu2 20 every actual
settler upon the pablo domain 9 home
and the grant IN money and lands e
the Union and Central Pacific, and the
grant 70 the Nortksrn Pacific of lands
TO aid In the construction Of railroads
one 20 the Pacific osean, and one 90 Pa
ges sound. In 1864 our party aQsia
spoke A. follows:
speedy constfnctlon Of the railroad to
tns ~ raoinc coass. a
The platform OF 1865 Was devoted to
the settlemenf OF the issues made by
the rebellion. In 1877 u was declared
y our natlenai platform, Ihat tne
fac1ao Railroad and similar vast en-.
ferprises have poen generously aided
and successfully. conducted. and the
pubic lands freely Rfveu TO actual set
tiers. That We are opposed TO further
grants OF pnblic lands 20 corporations
and monopolies, and demand that the
national domain be set apart Tor free
homes for tbs people"
Again In our national platform IN
1876. II was declared thai, I'VE re-af-
arm our opposition TO further grants OF
tbe public lands 20 corporations aud
menop0iies. and demand that she Ma
tionai domsil DO devoted TO free homes
for the people,
Again IN 1850 our party spoke as fol
lows: That no further grant of the
public domain should be made TO any
railway or other corporation.
That farther susidios 20 private persons
or corporations must cease
And nnaily In 1884 In our national
platform IL is said: "rhs principle Of
public regulations OF railway corpora
tions is a wise aud salutory one fer the
protection Of AIi glasses OF the people,
and We favor legislation that snail pre-
vent unjust Discrimination and ex-
cesaive charges Tor transportion.
The public lands are a heritage OF ths
people or the United states, and sneuid
be reserved as far ~ possible for small
holdings by actual settlers. We
OF Congress the speedy forsei-
ture of all land grants which have
lapssd by reason OF Noncompliance
With acts OF Incorporation IN all cases
where there has been no attempt IN
good faith TO perform the conditions of
such grants"
Looking at the legislation OF our par
~ on this Northern Pacific Rsilroad
grant. IL will be noted that IN the orig.
inal act, section 8. the grant was made
upon the condition that the whole road
from Lake Superior 70 Paget Sound
should be completed by July, 1876. On
May z. 1876, Congress extended the time
two years. On July /, Is65, Congress
passed an aot requiring the completion
Of the road by July 4, 1871.
On March l, 1863, Congress gave the
road power to issue bonds secured by
upon its railroad and tele-
graph line. 0n April 10, 1863, Congress
the road TO extend its branch
frem Portland to Puget SQUAD, and 10
connect it with the main line west of
the Cascades. Aud finaily on May 81,
1870 Congress passed an act authoriz
ing the issue Of bonds on its property
aud rights Of prop .rty OF all kinds TO
aid In the construction of It's road; that
It's main line go down the Columbia,
via Portland, to Puget sound, and its
branch be constructed from some point
on It's main trunk line across the Gas