Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-11
vOOR
rho Democracy Of Wash
ingtOn
,..se q, =. voorhees,. OF Ceifax
sr seIesase " Congress- and
.a.., n Ringing Forfeiture
Platform.
,s.,c,,1 TO Posr-IsTELLIsESckB- !
w.ttA WALLA, W. T.. Sept. 10.


l ~. Territorial Democratic Conven-
In st today at II, noon. Hon. j. J
nOD L. Of spokane, called the meeting
bfu 'asy and Jos. Kuhn, of Port Town
gss elected temporary chairman
sn en-, some delay. Hon. q. II. Warren, OF
ns county, was made permanent
ss Si.asn. and Calvin McFgddsn, of
ccS,s.a,,;a Secretary, and Henry Killing
Issistsnt Secretary,
IT, Prudential Committee reported
inornties of Adams, Chehalis, Cow
Jeland. Kitsap, Pacific. Stevens,
1.tiakum, Skamania and Snohomish
not represented. ,n
;,.t;on reported making {. 81. Warner,
whitman. anti-railway. chairman,
Val q. McFadden and II. Killing SEQ
rearies.
4, ~. Platform Committee, and a mo-
1 ~, IN add another member to the
& os.,sortn Committee, made by Fuller
8 !, p,erce. was lost by a heavy vote.
a, adjournment WAS then taken for
a 10 committse on Platform To report.
~ committee met and reported the
4 ALLOWING platform:
TSs Democratic party of Washington
Tsr,itory. through its representatives in
douyention assembled, declares as fol
f0ws:
r,oalaimed BY the National Convention.
nd heartily endorse the nomination of
Gsyslapd and Hendricks for President
md Vice President.
The uublic lands are the heritage of
,hs neoule. and should be held by the
Goysrnmept as sacred trust, to be dis
cod OF 10 actual settlers III small bold
'oos. The Government having hereto
lore. under Republican rule, made IN
viss and improvident grants of large
,rasts of public land 10 corporations for
,he purpose OF aiding in the oonstruo
ton of important lines of railway, and
ala corporations having in many in
canoes failed to construct railways in
accordance with the generous condi-
lions Of said grants. the Government
.hoald nov avail itself of the breach
n contract, and resume control of the
Granted lands, thereby closing for the
iuture forever the open gateway through
shich a system Of landlordism, now
hasrinQ such sorrowfal and calamitous
fruit in the fairest portions of Europe,
heffecting an entral 20 into our free
Republic.
fhe Northern Pacific Railroad Com
many having more than twenty years
400 bsen granted lands amounting To
Al empire in extent to aid in the con-
sruction Of railroad from Lake Su
pelior to Puget Sound. upon the most
munifcent terms and conditions, which
terms and conditions IL has fiagrantly
violated, il has now no legal or equita-
bic claim TO these lands, and can re-
eeive none Of theu except as AN act of
grace on the part of the Government.
We therefore demand that the Govern
ment shall resume coutrol of these
granted lands, except sach as have been
Dld 10 bona fide purchasers, aud in such
cases the purchaser title should be
eonfrmed.
Those portions of the grant within
The limits of the withdrawal of the main
line from Wallula to Kalama on the Co
lumbia River, via Portland, aud on the
Cascade branch from the main line in
Puget Sound, and also all lands within
the 30 called lieu limits of suoh line,
should be Internationally restored to
the public domain. the company having
usve. constructed any of these portions
Of lis chartered lines.
The title of settlers and bona Jtde pur-
shasers within such limits should be
ecnhrmed, and the company should be
compelled to account TO the GOVERN
ment for the proceeds of such sales. All
other parts of the company's enormous
grant should be restored to the oontrel
Of the Government, to be opened TO set.
llement under the existing land laws Of
the United States, and the proceeds
should be turned over TO the company
That We believe the contrel Of large
areas Of land by individuals or corpora
ions is wrong in principle nd danger
Gus to the public welfare.
That we donounoe rs fFaueht with
peril 20 our rights aud liberties the
hieh-handed attempt of the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company 20 control
the legislation and politics OF this Ter
riiory.
That we denounce the attempt of the
Northern Pacltic Railroad Company u
secure from the President the accept.
snce of the Puyallup coal road as a part
Of the Cascade branch, said road hav'
ing been built many years ago simply as
slocal road wholly within the limits OF
lands withdrawn for the main line oI
aid company without any pretense oi
animation that IL WAS intended to bs
any part of said branch line. We char.
acterizs such attempt az an act of bad
faith and fraud on the part OF said com
pAny, made far the purpose of securing
BY stealth and without consideration
public lands worth many times the cosl
Of the whole of the proposed said
branch line.
We are in favor OF the immediate re-
peal Of the gross earnings tax law, EN-
scted at the last session Of the Terrific
nal Legislature; We favor equal taxa
ton with all other property of the Legal
and equitable interest of railroad COT
porations, of lands owned by them or
lheir assigns, and to that end We favor
NE enaetmant of the necessary le9isla.
non, either by Congress or the Terri
oral Legislature.
aud the Territorial Legislature of laws
regulating freiqhts and fares upon rail
Ways, 30 as to prevent extortionate
enarges and unjust discrimination.
That through the neglect and want OF
sulciency in the administration OF the
uosernment, hordes of Chinese laborers
are still pouring into our midst. 20 CON-
pete with and degrade homes. free labor.
aao We charge the Republican party
sisn bad faith in the enforcement OF
zoe chinese restriction act
That We are in favor of such a change
existing laws as will fully protect the
u.es, rights and property of miners.
We favor the enactment Of laws i'm
POSING severe fines and penalties upon
aay railway company, or its agents, that
aAh give or offer 20 give, directly or in
.lectiy, any passes, tickets or othei
SaGsportation to any member OF The
legislature or any officer thereof, or q
10y delegate, or TO aay political con
" mat We condemn the coarse of the
Norteern Pacific Railroad in their de
taftufe from the policy OF chargius
gsal freights 70 tue interior aud ter
lish points Of the road as an unjust
I .loaatlon OF sacred promises made; thai
sae compelling of intermuuntain ship
~ 70 pay freight charges upon thei
plpments OF merchandise from th,
:, 49, equal 10 tue amount charged q
&c raeitic terminal and back % thei
pcctlve points over hundreds ol
sSa'es, u an imposition that should no
% uofne by consumers along the lin,
sunout seeking avarv r,oasihia mas, ma AZ