Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-14
DAILY POST INTEluGENCER.


Of Washington Territory are IN favor OF
restoration to the public domain OF the
nnsarred land grant TO the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company. WITHIN WIS
membership of the Republican party Oh
tbis Territory the same feeling exists IL
aoual il not greater proportion. Put 70
a tss. today, the claim of that corpora
.;or wonld not receive from the rank
and file of the Republican party ten per
.a,t NJ its votes. 1, is the almost
unanimous sentiment Of the unbiased
and intelligent citizens OF this ielfi-
tory that the time has gone by wnen 'hs
,uhIic domain should be given away I"
railroad corporations. This Is the pro
nouncsd attitude of the two great Ma
tional parties upon this question. II Is
too plain to need demonstration tDa'
,be resurrection and confirmation 81
laosed grant is tsDtamount to making
new one.
The Republican party OF TINS ierr'-
,o,v wiIl he called upon at its conven- |
ton TO express the sentiments OF us
membership upon this question OF lsnd
Grant forfeiture. Il will not be per-
mitted to dodge the question. There Is
no wish to do so among tbs RANK ana
file. They demand and will insist upon
an unqualified declaration Of opinion
and policy. A Delegate 10 Congress is
IN be then nominated. He should be
the choice of a great majority OF the
marty. and should embody and reflect
their sentiments. He must do SO II ne
Ia 10 receive their cordial and effective
Endorsement and support. 1t Will be an
Insult TO the Republicans of this Terri
tory should the convention place before
them for their support a man whose
record, expressed views or associations
are in conflict with their sentiments
upon this vital question. We do not ex-
aQQerate in saying that IL the Rspubi'-
oan convention shall nominate az candi-
didate for Delegate to Congress man
identified with and supported by the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company
directly or indirectly, it will invite dis
aster, it will solicit defeat.
The expressions of the people OF this
Territory through their platform, their
nominations and their selection of
Delegate, will have great weight with
Congress and the authorities at Wash
inpton. That this is true Is shown by
the influence already exerted through
unofficial and desultory efforts on the
part of the people. II by the result OF
the coming election II il declared by the
people of this Territory that within her
boundaries the unearned land grant TO
the Northern Pacific Railroad Company
should at once be restored to the public
domain, il is not unlikely that action
will be taken TO that effect during the
next Congressional session. The rail
road managers, realizing this fsct, are
striving, by methods old. but which
have heretofore too often been success
full, to combat the desires of the people.
and by the use of party machinery to
compel Republicans TO choose the al
tentative of stultifying themselves, and
abandoning their convictions, or, ON the
other hand. to bolt the ticket.
We are addressing the rank and file
Of the Republican party. We desire
the success Of that organization. We
desire TO see this Territory represented
by Republican In Congress. We want
a sincere, conscientious, intelligent, act.
i've, representative Republican nomi-
mated by the convention next month.
But he must be a representative Of the
people, man In accord with their sen.
timents and demands. A representa-
tive Of the public interest on this ques
tion of land forfeiture cannot be also
an advocate Of the claims OF the North
ern Pacific Railroad Company. The
two positions are incompatible. They
are diverse and antagonistic. They can
not DO combined. The Northern Pacific
will have its representatives in Congress
and in the Hobbies. II keeps them there
continually. II pays them, and owns
them. But IL shall not select ours, nor
will we help TO elect it's selection.
Within the next ten days. nearly IL
not quite all the counties of this Terri
tory will have selected delegates to local
conventions. which in their turn will
send delegates to the general convention
OF the Republican party, 10 be holden
In this city next month. Efforts will be
made by the railroad company in every
one Of these county conventions to send
men here as delegates who will misre-
present the popular sentiment upon the
question of land grant forfeiture. II 10
within the power of the voters of the
party, the rank and file, TO oheckmate
these efforts at the outset. Every dele
gate elected to the several county con-
ventions should be Of known reliability
and nnquestioned integrity. He should
be q representative citizen Of his local
ity and Of expressed views upon the
land grant question. County conven-
tons thus constituted will select good
men to represent the people here. Il ID
the duty of every Republican 10 take an
active interest in selecting delegates to
his county convention. II this be not
dens there can be no assurance that the
convention which will meet here next
month will be representative in char
acter. There are enough independent
voters in every precinct In this Terri
tory, save perhaps In one or two coun-
sies. TO snow under any railroad candi
date at the primaries, II they will hu,
do their plain duty.
The Democratic party Is awaiting the
action Of the Republican Convention
There Is no doubt as to the position
which that party will occupy upon the
question Of land grant forfeiture. /,
withstand squarely in favor Of forfeiture
OF all unearned grants. Can the Re-
publican party afford 10 do otherwise