Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-18

| toe time N voich the terms OF the coz
tract were TO have been fulfilled ha,
long gone by. Il 10 indeed true that tn.
Northern Pacific has within the last fss
years built 100 miles of road; bnt dur
ing the same psriod the Oregon Bail.
way and Navigation Company, uitho1;
foot OF land. and even p4yInQ for the
right Of way through the land through
which they passed, has built 200 miles
of road through a country fully as diff
cult as any through which the Northern
Pacific has built In fast, that portion
Of their line along the Columsia river
Was probably more difhculi than any
equal portion of the Northern Pacifc's
lines These lands We believe to have
been given Ia 1854 In order thai the
railroad might be a pioaser-mi0ht
blaze forth vav for civiiiZa-
ton what l. the result We
have here today busy. bustlinp
city Of l2,UD inhabitants, which has
sprung into existence absolutely with
ont the aid Of the railroad and in spite
OF its opposition. The country has been
settled. the pioneer has found his own
way over the dsSsr' and the mountain.
through the fnrest and the food; and
now the railroad comes TO claim the re-
after the work Is done.
Bot We have causes OF complaint
aside from this, and Mr. Harris. whom
| bsTIeve to be fair man. cannot fail
y recognize them. First among thess
II that the company issues contracts for
the sale of lands containing the mot
mOnstrous conditions - conditions BY
which purchasers are tied down and
FRnHAFA1 fnFaraF nnfhfnn hattar thava
serfs of the company. 1t cannot be, il
Il not human nature, that such a vast
power can exist and not be abused.
The danger ID appalling. and doubly sp-
pAlling In mining country. The grant
To the Northern Pacific carries with il
the coal and iron, the entire mineral
wealth of the country throu h which
the road passes, and this is true of NO
other railroad grant.
Mr.. Harris here interrupted the
speaker, and said that other grants, no
tably that to the Central Pacific, carried
with them the mineral wealth of the
oountry.l
Well, so much the more reason for the
forfeiture of all une trued grants. |
say the danger is greater in a mining
country, because in an agricultural
country large blocks of land cannot
long be held intact, but vast tracts of
mineral land can be held fer all time
and no power on earth can dispossess
the possessor. | presume that YOU do
not question the reports of your pre-
decessors IN which the road for which
these mineral lands are claimed is de
scribed and designated as mere coal
road. | say that what have stated are
the views of our people. These views
affect the entire Territory, and no &C
ton that the company may take can
alter them. There are some points,
however, on which our own people feel
especially aggrieved. We ask no favors
and we expect none but We do ask fair
play. That we are not receiving. There
Is road now operated between here
and Tacoma on which the time sched-
ule ON which trains are run has been,
and is, based on studied inconvenience
to the people of Seattle. Perhaps you
may think this impossible. As an in
stance of what your company will do,
let me call your attention to
the fact that last spring some
folders were prepared for your
road in which inadvertently Seattle had
been referred to as the Queen City of
Puget SQUAD" When this was discov-
cred the entire edition WAS destroyed.
Il this not small way to treat a great
and fiourishing community! Yet it is
characteristic of what our treatment
from the Northern Pacific has ever
been. We look to Mr.. Harris TO RENE
dy these grievances. We judge from
your past record, from your broken
promises. your unkept faith, and you
must not be surprised If we regard your
promises with suspicion. We simply
await with patience your actions. In
conclusion, wish to repeat that | mean
no dIscourtesy to our guests. We are
city of no mean population our regis
try for little city election held here
this week indicated that our population
was greater than those of the three next
largest cities in the Territory combined.
We think that in view Of these facts We
are entitled to expect and to demand
fair treatment at your hands. This
would be true were you merely private
corporation. Bot you are more than
that. You are in certain sense pub
lie institution. Your road is built with
money raised on collateral furnished by
the United States, not by money fur
nished by the stockholders. This car
ries with II an obligation to the people
AZ binding as if your road were built
directly from the treasury. Instead Of
doing this, however, the Government
has seen fit to throw the burdens on the
frontiersman. to pay for its road with
the public funds, and this being the
case, We. AS citiz ,as, are entitled To de
msnd and recsive fair play at your
hands.
After reply to Judge Burke by Dir.
Harris, Mr.. McNaueht spoke in oeh ,lf
of the company. Speeches were then
made by John Leary and Judge Lewis,
in behalf of the people. We regret
that these are crowded out this morn
log, bat they will be published in full
tomorrow.
President Gatzert then thanked Mr..
Harris for his presence, and after an
interchange OF courtesies. the meeting
adjourned. Mr.. Harris and party i'm
mediateiy afterward departed for VIc-
toria on the steamer George z. Starr.