Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-13
OiIlr POST INTEluGENCER.
TEE sEATTDE IDEA

declaring IcllSASSo 9A~
,nbl;. domain. a vast area Of issd II
this Territory, nov and for mere to2n
SO. osnerstior, withdrawn from sale
IL, +. Gran, 70 the northern Pasine
Ra;Iroad Company. the sbessors OF ssio
.o,un.ny. IN its sttenps N defeat tnfs
w,-thv rnsvsu1ent snesrIns3y refer 70
:. a,bs Seattle idea Had tie idea
Of promp. and unconditional iofle's9fs
p, dis upearnsd land grant originated
in this ciiy, IL would have been iof 81
So. % oooe a rnoaumsns u psosic
sDiri,. patriotism. inst sppreoastaon OF
r,rs~spt conditions and clear insaghi
into the fufurs relations that NUS M
eyi,sb.y arise between the people OF tbs
Territory and poxsrfui raiirosd COZ
uor.fi<n-doing basins~s within Der u
risdicsiop and claiming The proseetson OF
ssr lazs-cf which any people and @Hy
.i,v MIGHT Justly be prO1d- IL ~o0id
stamp this people - united. free. intel
liesut, unsvsd. joss. deteraEned sno
progressive, Is citizens Who -kno~ ihs
night and knowing dare maintain III
would shov tia; II this free HAND Of oars
there are not only eit.zsns. boi whose
communities, Who a. the beck 81 pos
erful corporation gill NOS crook SIC
urexusni hinges Of the knee that thriit
may follow fzwHing.
wha; u the underlying pTlneipae in
this demand which y heard DOT alone 10
this CITY, nor alone in this TERRITORY,
bat which il % uids spread and nDivrr-
sal thai IN every National Convention
Of every political party whos~ I-s0aoef-
ship, numerically Considered entities u
TO serious consideration. il has teen re-
itersted and emphasized Z Why -
that all over this Territory, IN COuyen- |
tions. and in the Congress Of the United
states. are 20 De found earnest, honest, |
and intel Hgent advocates OF profnpt |
and unconditional restoration 70 public |
ownership Of tAai portion OF the PEG
pies dsmaiu improsidently granted 70
eailroad corporations. noS forfeited oy
nos compliance With the several grant
ing acts Why il il that men and jour
mails without fear or favor. without hope |
of individual benefit, with neither prom
iss nor expectation Of personal reward
ar 10 be found incorporating advo-
Gates OF this alleged "Seaitle dear
II is easy to reply. A movement so
extensive, 30 long continued. - earnest;
a movement that ELECTS SO hearty unity
of action; that commands support 20
loyal aud answering that draws 10
itself and retains 10 much Of the intel
ligenee, honesty and patriotic impulse
Of the people, cannot be born OF local
rivalries, of prejudice, Of seifishness.
nor Of vindictiveness- IL il not malov-
client, nor is il sporadic. IL is the move
rnent Of mighty river. 10, food
caused by a summer shower. IL Is
demand by the people that justice be
done ~ between them and corporations,
favored far beyond their deserts by
too generous Government. The under
lying principle. the motive power Of
this earnest and widespread demand. .
demand that ~ daily becoming more
imperative, 10 justice. IL - a move
ment 10 support snd for the enforce
neut Of one of she cardinal principles
of representative Rovernment-eqaaiity
before the law.
Thus far IL has made progress. IL
will eventually attain the object sought.
The Seattle idss--an idea AZ old as Law
itself-is that laws should be uniform
that favors should not be extended 10
the few 10 the inconyenirnoe and injury
of the many or, 20 bring the question
home. that there should not be one law
and one method Of constituting laws
Ia the case Of corporations. and another
law o. method of constituting laws for
the masses of the people. The Seattle
idea is that corporation is. in the eye
Of the Law. q person. and. ~ such,
equally bound by contracts and equally
Liable for the non-fulfiIment thereof
that grant By the State or Nation 90 a
corporation is Identical in principle and
in legal effect with grant 10 a private
individual that, as IN the latter case,
the rule Of Law In that all such grants
are 10 be construed strictly as against
the grantee 30 it should be. aud of
right Ia, ~ TO the former that grant
Of lands upon condition 10 corpora
ton ID 10 be construed exactly as though
such grant had been made 10 q private
citizen that. in short, corporations
should not be permitted to acquire, in
defiancs Of Law. what would be- for
fsited by citizen under identsed or
analogous cenditions.
Upon this principle we demand Of
Congress the promp, and unconditional
forfeiture of ell public lands granted
20 railroad corporations no; earned in
strict compliance With the conditions Of
the granting act. This demsnd is made
not AS OF favor. bat rs of right. The
homestead settler is held to strict
accounting under The law. he must
bring himself withiR its conditions,
must perform the s,ipalations Of the act
under which the grant 10 him 10 made
before title can be obtained. The home.
stead Law is grant 10 the general pab-
lic upon conditions specified in the act
itself. In principle Il does not vary
ESSENTIALLY from q land grant 10 rail.
road corporation. One Is special. the
other II eenerai. but both are based
upon certain conditions to be performed
by the grantee. 10 the CASE Of home
stead sestier these conditions must be
strictly met. By what powers Of rea-
soninQ 10 the rule made 10 vary in the
csse Of . railroad corporation
The Seattle idea il thA, confirmation
10 railroad company Of q land grant
long sinos forfeitshle. IL nos absolutely
forfeited BY brssch Of the conditions