Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-28

fEas. Oreponiau, March q. !

II there has been any doubt all along
a. 70 the truth Of the proposition that
the Northern Pacific Railroad Company
regards the people as Its serfs and pup
pets, instead Of regarding Itself as
public servant and benefactor OF the
people, while doing a legitimate Business
and Re ,plng reasonable profits. such
doubts ought TO b. efec.ually dIspelied
BY she telegram from ST Paul published
Ia another column. The company has
partItioned Of the territory between 81.
Paui and Portland and saws: Suca
part belongs TO 81. Paul and Ainneapo-
lis. and tue other moiety belongs TO Port
land" IL il 10 traffic-coHmerce the
same thing that IN another aspect hap
pened centuries ago, and which has seen
- graphically apostrophiZed by the re-
Ii.ious ctronicler: " The soldiers. there
fore, y aen they had crucifiec Jesus TOOK
his garments and made fOur parts, 10
every sOldIer a part. that the
scripture nigh, be fulfilled, which saith:
IEey parted ny garments among tReiH,
and upon nag yestUre did they cast
IDts'
! ne rights or interests of the interior
towns along the line or of the people OF
the whole interior country do not enter
into the calculations a. all. - T. .st OF
Pen d'Oreli.s. SAYS the company, are
the geese for you fellows at -. Paul and
HIIue4p Ills 10 pick; west of that are
Portlaud's geese: and ne will pick on
! both OF YOU and all along the lln- be
| sides II Montana, for instance, we Will
so discriminate IN our rates that the
! People will he obliged to come east t.
bay. even though they could buy cheaper
| n Portland: but IN Oregon and v ash
| ington We will discriminate so they must
| 90 10 Portland. We are working for the
! patronage If merchants at terminal
points, because they can ina other out
! lets; but the people of the interior can
help tn mselves, and are obliged To pa
tronize Us whether they like 1t or not.
Therefore We charge = higher rae from
St. Paul to Walla Walia or Pendieton
than to Portland. so they will be obliged
| to go 10 Portland with their business.
And then comes the marvellous piece of
| logic that /" Portland formerly enjoyed
the trade of Oregon and Washington,
and is therefore still entitled to it." So
the DAD was not built to afford Oregon
and Washington an eastern outlet, after
all. 1t was built only to boom Portland,
and further enrich Portland merchants
at our expense.
Ia the name of justice; in the name
Of equality; IN the name of the )nsti-
| tuition and the laws, which have gu .ran-
teed equal rights to all-is this company
| Of corporate spectators to SAY where
the trade of Oregon and Washington
belongs. and of whom We people shall
buy and where! HIS the Republican
Congress, departments and courts no,
only given the railroad ur lands. but
also empowered it to exact tithss and
tributes to be bestowed upon Portland
merchantsI That is what this Ian.
gua9e imports. Nothing less can be
made of it.
| Well, voters of Umatilla county. how
do yon like the situation? This Is more
than mere party question. lis ques
ton of whether We are to be land-own-
ers or tenants at-will-whether We are
to be serfs or freemen. II is socia
question, a commercial question, HON.
question, a bread question; a question
Of equality and liberty; a question tha
you nave to decide soon, both for your
selves and generations to succeed you
by your ailots; or little later, amiC
the cannon's roar. upon the field of bat
tie, fighting for life and liberty.