Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-01

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construction of important lines of rail
way: and said corporations hayine
IN many instances failed TO con
struct said railways IN accord
ance with the generous condition,
OF SAID grants, the government should
now avail itself of the breach of condi.
tioA and resume control of the granted
lands, thereby closing for tue future for.
ever the open gateway through which
the system of landlordism, now bearing
such sorrowful and calamitous frait IN
the fairest portions of Europe, ia effect.
lug an entrance iHto our free republic
me Northern Pacific Railroad Com.
pany having more than twenty wears
| ago seen granted lands, amounting "a
an efnpire IN extent to aid in the con.
struction of 4 railroad, from Lake Sups-
rlor 10 Puget Sound upon tte most lnu
aincent terms and conditions, which
terms aud conditions IL has fa2rautly
F.oiated, II now has 40 legal or eqnit
| able Claim to these lands and can re-.
ceiVe none OF them as an act of grace
upon tina part Of the government. We
therefore demand that the government
SNAIL resume control of all the granted
lands except such as have been sold to
BONA noe purchasers, aud in such eases
| the purchasers title should be confirm
es. Those portions of the grant within
the limits of the withdrawal on the main
line from Wallula. to kalama on the
COLUMBIA river via Portland and on the
Cascade branch from main line in East.
ern washington to the terminus on Pu-
get Sound, and also all lands within the
30 called lieu limits along SAID lines
should be unconditionally restored to
public domain, the company having new
er constructed any of these portions of
Its chartered lines. Titles of,settlers and
or bona tide purchasers within such lin
Its should be confirmed and the company
compelled to account to the Govern
ment for the proceeds of such sales. All
other parts of the eompany's enormous
grants should be restored TO the control
of the Government to be opened to set
Element under existing laws of the Unit
cd states and the proceeds turned over
to the company. We believe the control
OF large areas of lands by individuals or
corporations is wrong in principle and
prejudicial and dangerous to the public
welfare.
We denouncs, as fraught with peril to
ouE rights and liberties, the high handed
attempts Of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company to control the legislation
and politics of this Territory. { haI We
denounoe the attempt of the N. =. X. Il.
Co. to secure from the President the ac-
ceptance of the Payallnp coal road as
part of the Cascade branch; said road
having been built many years ago sim
ply as local road, wholly within the
limits of the lands withdrawn for the
main line of said company without any
pretense or iHtimation that it was, or
was intended to be, any part of said
branch line. We characterize such at
tempt as an act of bad faith and fraud
on the part of said company, made for
the purpose of securing by stealth, and
without consideration, public lands
worth many times the cost or the pro-
posed branch line.
We are in favor of the Immediate re-
peal of the gross earnings tax law, enact
ed at the last session of the Territorial
Legislature. We favor equal taxation
with all other property, of she legal and
equitable interest of railroad corpora
tions in lands owned by them or their
assigns, and that we favor the enact
ment sf the necessary legislation either
by Congress or the Territorial Legisla
ture.
We tavor the enactment by CongIess
and the Territorial Legislature of laws
regulating freights aud fares upon rail
roads, 50 as to prevent extortionate
charges and unjust discrimination.
That through the neglect aud want of
efficiency in the administration of the
Government, hordes of Chinese labr rs
are still pouring lnte our midst to oon-
pete with and degrade honest free labor,
and we charge the Republican party
with bad faith in the enforcement OF the
Chinese restriction act
That we are in favor of such change
IN existing laws as will fully protect the
lives, rights and property of miners.
We favor the enactment of laws i'm
posing severe fines and penalties upon
any railroad company or Its agents that
shall give, or offer to give. directly or in-
directly, any passes, tickets or other
transportation. to any member of the
Legislature or any officer thereof. or to
any delegate to any political convention.
That we condemn the course of the
Northern Pacific Railroad in the depar-
ture from the policy of charging equal
freight rates TO the Interior and termi-
nal points of their road As an uujustii-
able violation of sacred promises made;
that the compelling of intermountaiu
shippers to pay freight charge upon
their shipments of merchandise from
! the East equal 10 the amount oharg 4 to
| the Pacific terminel and back TO their
| respective points, over hundreds of
miles, Is an imposition that should not
be borne by the producers and consum-
ers along the line without seeking every
redress, and that until this great wrong
| ia righted and assured beyond posi-
bility of repetition, the whole people of
| Washington Territory should regard
| with jealous suspicion all unbounded
promises of this company, and unite in
demanding equal and exact justice in all
matters pertaining to freight charges.
| As a matter of right we ask for the
speedy admission of Washington Terri
tory, with the name Washington" rs
one OF the sovereign States of the Fed
eral Union, and we favor the incorpora-
ton OF North Idaho within the limits of
| the future State.
That We are in favor of so amending
the laws as TO relieve women from the
compulsory jury duty in this Territory,
| with this amendment we heartily en-
dorse the present laws extending the
right OF suffrage to women, and declare
that the elective franchise should not be
denied to any citizen on account of sex.
We are in favor of liberal approprias
tions for the improvement of all the
bavigabie rivers and waters OF this Ter
ritory.
We are opposed to the selection of
non residents to fill the federal sffices
within the Territory.
l Etnv