Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-06

A DIVIDED COMMUSfTT.-lt has been
clearly demonstrated of late that the
town Of Tacoma is divided on railroad
questions. The upper ten that is,
the railroad aristocracy and the mer-
charts and leading property owner
stand by the company III eyeryihlnG.
right or wrong, and a. though they had
to. The company dictates every move
ment. social. business, political and
nnnicipal. When it wants anything. II
has only to saw so TO get IT. The popu
lstion bask In the cOmpany's smiles
and cringe at its frowns. Little at
t.inpts at rebellion are promptly put
down. The company has strong hand
there. and puts 1t forth whenever 1t
feels the occasion 10. 1t tells the PEG
pie who shall preside at their public
greetings, VITO shall lead off III society.
who shall he their officials and who
shall be placed Under the ban of Ippu
lar disapproval. IL says what streets
shall be opened and wha, shall no., and
IL has its way without regard to the
wishes or interests of others. II one
| wants To live and prosper therr, he
soon finds II nee. ssary to fawn upon
| the powers that be. Its favortes are
selected for the service they Can do,
| and are paid accordingly. lndtpend
| ence of the railroad element means So
| cial ostracism aud business destruction
| This is recognized Ill through town. A
| feeling Of opposition Is cousts ntly and
carefully repressed. This feeling occa-
sionally makes itself manifest in dis
| agreeble way. II ~ particularly
evinced by ihe laboring and poorer
clAsses. who know that they have no
| rights that will be respected when IL Is
TO the interest of the company and its
hangers-on To overriCe them. Each
| succeeding election the disatfectiOn Of
| these classes breaks out. but by prom
ises of something better III future by
treachery and by all the other influ-
ences that can be brought to bear, The
people are pnt down. This Is the wors,
featare of life Ia that town. ard were
1t not for that feature Tacoma would b,
As pleasant a place IN which TO dwell ~
any in the country. One of the occa
siunal outbreaks IL now apparently al
hand. Another election IL coming on
and 1t is known that the raIlro d ring
will have its picked men to pat in place
| Neither Is I'll, re the best of {. cling there
on account of the land grant, freight
Discrimination and TIE like. The peo
pie feel that they are absolutely alOn,
III their position, that every other town
n the Territory Is against them. ant
that they are wrong. They are tired o.
being made To appear to uphold -
many and such barefaced acts of i jus
tIce. They know that II will be bette
for them aud their town for the govern
ment to- take back the land. and the,
are tired of being compelled to say 9th
erwise IN order simply that rapaciou
corporation may be further enriched a,
the public expense. We are tlid by
prominent resident of Tacoma that, il
he dared and the people also dared L
express their sentiments III such a man
uer. he could obtain the sign lures %
uine out of ten of all the men in tina
place To- petition for the forfeiture %
the land grant. The people We're CT lee
upon, the other night. To take step
looking to tue holding Of n convention
represeutin Western Washington fl
the purpose of resolving against forfeit
IRE. The meeting Was held, but W
not a success. aud no convention wa,
called. the whole proceedings, outsid,
of few HARMLESS resolutions, being re-
ported in the Led9er in Just four Ii rs
as follows: " At Il meeting IN tue Court
house last evening, J. W. Thompson
presiding. several speeches were mad,
and the resolutions following adopted
Only that. and nothing more. ca
neighbors of the terminus should on
deavor to emancipate themselves from
this odious railroad thralldom by unit
ing with the people of al! other parts o.
the Territory in petitioniug Congress
for forfeiture OF the land grant and TIN
regulation of inter State commerce.