Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-11

4
Let one o@rf- a:on be sufficient. as il ha
q spesiss 1.af1ng on the question az i
exists eefore the people of Washinpto,
Territory. On June 4th, 1884, in speak
nag OF the National Republican Conven
ton. the Chicago Tribstas said:
Ihe procrastinating treatment o
the whole subject of the foFfeitable ians
grants by Congress is injurious to To,
| public interests and is unworthy of tha
body. The Republican Convention
should go before the country with {
strong resolution on the subject. and 1
strong pledge that, if entrusted witt
the Government. If will carry out IL!
resolutions to the satisfaction of ths
western people. who have suffered crue
and unnecessary wrongs at the hands OF
the land grant corporations"
That has the true Republican ring e.
u, not Railroad Republican, but tyz.
hepublIoan. Bot, coming nearer hom;
and looking over the files of the
TERRITORIAL PRESS.
We find but one or two papers in th.
Territory, Republican or Democratic,
that have not spoken in strong language
on this subject. A very few quotations
from these will be sufficient. The pa.
pers quoted are chosen from among
those IN the smaller cities of the Terri.
tory.
THE CoLFAX GAZETTE
Says: The injustices imposed upon the
people by the Northern Pacific rnonop.
oily are being heralded all over the land
tbe people of the whole United sssatss
are being aroused 30 great indigas,iou.
and indications now af6 that mighty
war against monopolies and class leg.
isiation is upon the eve of breaking
out"
THE GRAY's HARBoR NEWS
Says: There is no doubt but that the
Northern Pacific IL not entitled to as
much land as they claim, and that Con-
Rress ought tc pass a bill forfeiting
their right TO the surplus
THE vANcoUvER REGISTER
Says: "No man who looks at this map
will fail to be astoundsd at the magni-
tude Of the shadow cast by this claim
of the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany upon this Territory. 1t reaches
from east to west wholly across it
from Idaho to the Pacific ocean-and
covers fully two-thirds of all the landed
area of the Territory. The south line
of the shadow IL the south boundary of
the Territory itself. The same is true
of the east line; but small corner III
the southeast being ont of gloom. The
west line of the shadow is the Pacific
ocean, along which northward il ex-
tends for about hundred miles from
the southern Territorial boundary,
Every acre of land in Washington Ter
ritory south of Tacoma, with insignifi-
can't exceptions, is in the shadow of
this nonstrous claim. It crosyss the
whole Territory in breadth varying
from 100 to lJ0 miles, and. save the val
leys, and islands of the lower Sound,
covers its best agricultural land"
The PdciIfc Journal speaks of "the
gross wrsnR peEpetrated upon the peo-
pie of this Territory by that grasping
monopoly"
The Dayton Journal speaks of the
" encroachments of this monster mo-
nopoly."
So the list might be stretched out to
fill page after page. There il scarcely
a Republican paper in the Territory
that has not at one time or another
placed itself squarely ia favor of for
feiture, and sustained lis position with
the most forcible arguments.
ANOTHER QUESTION
May trouble the mind of the doubling
Republicans. He may think, =" But what
Is the real attitude of the party itself,
working through the patty machinery,
in this Territory? As Republican,
shall have to desert any party organ
ization in order to vote my honest con
victions p To both questions the an
swer is, No."
THE REAL SENTIMENT
OF the party as expressed through its
last county conventions Is unquestion-
ably in favor of forfeiture. A few of
the resolutions on the subject may be
quoted to advantage. The
WHITMAN COUNTY
Convention passed the following:
RESOLVED, That we favor the forfeiture
of all grants of public land made to
corporations, in all cases in which the
terms of the grants have not been liter
ally complied with, and demand tbs
restoration 10 settlement and occup@1oy
by those entitled TO the bsuefits~of the
various land laws of the United States,
of the vast tracts of pablo lands now
withheld by CORPORATIONS from the pub
lilo domain under lapsed grants. and
that We favor such legislation as will
fully protect all purchasers of land in
good faith from railroad corporations,
and that we favor the confirmation by
the United States of the titles of such
purchasers.
wHATooM COUNTY.
Resolved, That we are in faver of the
forfeiture of all lands unearned by the
Northern Pacific Railrsid in this Terri
tory. and We hereby instruct our dele
gates in the Territorial Convention TO
vote for no man as candidate for Dele
gate to Congress who is opposed 10 for
feiture of said land grant.
sNoHoMIsH ooNuNTY.
That We are in favor of the forfeiture
of all the unearned lands of tue North
ern Pacific Railroad; also. that We are
opposed TO the acquisition OF large
tracts of land by corporations or indi
vidusls, and we will endeayor TO obtain
snch legislation AS will tend TO correct
this evil.
sKAsrr COUNTY.
The Skaeit Republicans resolved "thai
We not only indorse the National plat.
form, but that we are IN favor Of the
immediate and unconditional forfeiture
OF all unearned lands granted to the
Northern Pacific Railroad" and "thai
our delegates to the Territorial Convcn.
ton are hereby instructed 10 support
forfeiture resolutions In said Cenven'
ton, and support no candidate for Con,
gress who will not stand apon and abide
bv the platform adopted by the Repnb,
licaa party in Territorial Convention
assembled"
KING COUNTY.
Resolved bv the Repabiiesns Of Kias
coaafs. ~ ooaaeafioR ssseDsbiea: That W,
NOS only fully indorse the action of ouI
National Convention, but that We are IN
favor Of the immediate and uacondi
tional forfeiture Of all OF the .unearnec
lands granted 90 the Northern Paci6s
Railroad, and that ths delegates hers
elsessd 80 represent this coaasy In ths
hepabiicAn ferritertai Convention be
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