Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-01
DAILY POST. INTElLlGENCER.
way CONTINUE TaE GRANT:

President Sfnltn Oh huo N'~S
& Navigation Company that no affa"R
ment for a traffic agreement De'Se0u
tho Northern Pacific and his company
"hss been made or is pending. AS
aiming this TO be authentic, the infof-
nation convened will be very grate'ui
90 sva,v citizen OF Washington Terri
torv who 10 anxious for tne speeoS
ooronls,ion of the Cascade Branch. Inc
mooted lease of the Oregon halfway
Company's property by the Northern
Pacific has been freely discussed IL Is
a proposition needing no argument "
snpport it. that the execution OF SUCH a
lease would make the CONSTRUCTION oi
thu Cascade Branch not merely uh.d-
yisable, but business absurdity' ine
Nortbsrn Pacific does not need 70 own
control or operate two lines from Iar
arm Washington to Puget Sound. Con
troll Of a railroad down the Columbia
nyer AZ proposed in the much taiAs"
AZ lease would be ample for all the
mazda ~ the Northern Pacific Railroad
COMPANY for years to come. The only
reason for constructing the CASCADE
Branch would be to obtain the ianu
grant.
R,. with the failure Of the Northern
Pacific to secure control OF the CONNECT
inc link between the end of It's line al
WaIlula and Portland, the situation
changes. II it fail to get control Of
that section of railroad Jay Gould may
not be 90 unfortunate, and the On.o1
instead of the Northern Pacific Will Oh
tain an outlet to the ocean. Ia such
oonjunoture the latter company has one
of two courses TO pursue: either to ex-
tend its line down the Columbia riVer to
Portland or build over the Cascades to
Puget Sound. Under such circum'
stances there can be no doubt that the
latter IN the best and will DO adopted.
A road down the Columbia would divide
business with the present line. A road
through Stampede Pass to the Sound
would be- shorter and would be removed
from competition for many years.
In this view of the situation 1t Is not
improbable that the Northern Pacific
hemmed in AZ il Is aud must else re-
main, will build the Cascade Branch.
IL must do 80 10 save itself. An outlet
to the ocean is indispensable to its sue
cess as carrier Of overland freights.
This IL Just the position that we desire
10 SEQ that company placed iii. o.,
compelled to build the Cascade Branch
in sheer self preservation. We demand
that IL shall build this section of its
road without subsidy of any kind. We
know of no good reason why II should be
given An enormous grant of land for
building a railroad that it must have
one that il should have completed over
seven years ago. There are hundred
good reasons why the land grant in aid
of building the Cascade Branch should
be declared forfeited. There is not one
valid or just argument for continuing
the grant.
The main reason alleged by those who
favor extension of time to the Northern
Pacific and continuance of its
land grant, a. proposed by the
late Territorial Republican Con-
vention, was and is that I've
need the road we must have it ; and
unless we oonceds the land grant it will
not be built" II it be true that the
Northern Pacific has failed to secure
another route to the ocean, it must
build road over the mountains. 1t
must do 80 promptly, for within 80 days
another railroad will be hauling freight
from Omaha to Portland. There then
remains no excuse on the part of those
who have opposed absolute and prompt
forfeiture for the reasons given above.
The road must be built, With or without
the grant. There is in this view no
question left for discussion. II Is con-
ceded that the Northern Pacific Rail
road Company has not earned the land
that 1t Is liable 10 forfeiture /; that il
ought to be 80 disposed of. Then why
not advocate just and proper neasureY
Will any journal claim that now-in
lSS4-the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company should be given $500 acres
of public land per mile for building 245
miles of railroad which ii ia forced 10
construct in order TO preserve itself
from unequal competition and financial
disaster2 We think not. Charity is all
well enough when deserved. Possibly
the benefits of q railroad across the Cas-.
oade Mountains would offset the stupen.
dous gift of lands claimed for is CON
struction. But II the people of this
Territory can keep the lands and at the
same time, by fortunate combination
OF circumstances. secure the coveted rail
connection, what public spirited citizen
or journal will arge u different coursel
We are aware that this Is not railroad
view of the case. This paper lie not urg-
ing that any lenieney be shown the
Northern Pacific. We think that cou,-
pany long since forfeited all claim to
generosity or forbearanoe on the part
of the people of this Territory OF the
general government. Every acre of land
il has not earned should be forfeited,
and 10 bold what 1t already has obtained
II should be compelled TO complete ita
road. In view Of the present status Of
affairs, We shall expect all those who
have declared in favor Of continuing
the land grant on the plea that other
wise the Cascade branch would not be
built, to join with us In a demand for
prompt and un additional forfeiture.
Railroad corporations, no more than
other citizens are entitled to credit or
aid for doing what necessity eompcls
them TO perform.
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LIVE lsslE.
Several railroad Republican newspa-