Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-26
AMY posT.INTElllcENCER.


alton of the railroad DetSeeu sNs
and Tacoma vas ressived, there nave
Ran numerous speculations regarding
the cause of the outrage We use 'oe
word outrage sdvisedIy, since no o'net
40 pertinentIy expresses the enecs 0i
Ibis order. We have refrained from
attempting 70 explain the causes Tor
this sudden stoppaee OF our ran o''n-
r,r,;..tion With the East, for the very
,o.d reason that having no Official or
sn,bor;tatiye information in regard 20
!. xha.sver We might say would De
merely speculative and as liable 70 Dc
;n.o,,sct al truthfdl. Tbs railroad De-
.vsen Seattle and Tacoma has been
onerated about six weeks. Ii has de
veIoped paying properties, largely ei
.aaainc the expectations Of its friends
and managers. We have been In
formed that notwithstanding the fso'
that this road has been operated seains'
a combination Of Disadvantages ans
ING not out Of iis location. bot because
ia operation conficted With other sno
mere powerful corporate interests us
net earnings have thus far exceeded
City per cent of its gross receipts sno
thai business thereon has steadily IN
creased from the date it Was opened Tor
traffic. That q quarrel, or coufilcs OF
any sort between non resident mana
oars Of corporations having conflicting
ana rival interests IN this section should
eliminate in the peremptory stoppaee
Of all trains upon paying and neces-
sarv section OF completed railroad Is
nothing less than public outrage. 1t
ia an injustice TO residents along It's line.
whose property has been appropriated
for its right of way; 10 IL an inconVe-
nisnce and will be positive detrimen'
TO those who have already come TO re-
gard its operation as a permanent meas
ora and have made calculations for
freight transportation in accord with
that view, and it Is an injury to this
city and people who have freely avsiled
themselves of il as means of connec-
ton with the Northern Pacific. Were
this railroad mot profitable, had IL not
shown itself capable Of earning good
net income, in short, II il could not be
operated save at a loss, there would
perhaps. be Justification for hauling Oh
its trains. As the case stands, what
ever may be the true reason for the issu-
ance Of the order, Its effect Is unjust
and hurtful.
That this section OF railroad will be
eventually operated, that il will be one
Of the best paying sections OF equal
length between Seattle and St. Paul, Ii
undoubted. We regard the present
situation merely AZ temporary incl
dent growing ont Of the mixed oondi-
ton OF affairs relating TO the owner
ship and control OF the various trans
portation properties In this section OF
the Northwest. The non operation OF
this or any other portion Of railroad on
the line Of the Northern Pacific, be-
tween this city and the East, cannot be
permanent, and although 10 may change
existing business contracts and be tenn
porarily embarrassing to some, cannot
interfere to gny very great extent with
the future OF Seattle. We have said
before, and now repeat the assertion
that the dependence Of our city lies In
its natural location and contiguous re-
sources that of the first We cannot be
deprived, and that the benefits TO be
derived from the latter must depend
solely upon our energy and united eff
forts. It has been said that this city
has not been Disseminated against by
the Northern Pacific that we are re.
ceiving from that company the same
benefits extended to Portland and Tia.
coma. This is not true. but in the very
nature of things it must so eventuate
Passengers from st. Paul pay Sc more
for fret class ticket 10 Seattle than "a
Portland, and although there 10 no diff.
ference In freight tariffs between st
Paul and the three points named, unless
we are 10 be afforded ell rail transport
alton TO this city. there Ia and will be q
practical discrimination. That there /,
no difference in the tariff Is owing no,
TO favor shown rs, but solely to the 10
cation of this city. We face the Pacific
Ocean. the tides rise and fall at ouI
wharves, and We have an open highway
20 and from the trade centers of the
world. No city thus situated can b
oppressed with success or impunity, and
while We may he annoyed in the rear
by such incidents as the stoppage oi
trains, by delay In extending loca
roads TO tap and bring to market sur
rounding resources. We have In front q
weapon Of self-protection and sourcs
Of strength and growth, against which
no railroad can successfully discrimi
nate.
II 10 good once in awhile to pause and
look around TO get our bearings ans
note the tendency OF events elsewhere
We are told nearly every day that TO dar,
70 differ In opinion, 20 antaeonize th,
policy, or 10 object 60 the encroach
ments OF the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company Ia rash and well nigh suicidal
We are. assured by gentlemen who YEA
long faces and speak with blanched lips
that IL we oppose that powerful corpo
ration In It's plans and purposes IL vii
Get mad aud vent its wrath rpon on
defsnseless heads, that 10 has the powe
70 ruin us and will accomplish that rs
salt. We are esjoled. tempted ans
threatened, we are ensreated. ridiculed
scolded and damned eonsecutively an
In the aggregate. All this because o
the opposition Of this people to tA
surrender Of public lands 20 corpora
tion claiming them under broker
contract.
II u sof Are We defenseless, and a
the marcy OF a hostile Railroad monor
DIV ? Do re depend upon tina friandl