Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-08-15
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skes ssme fnteresiisG ssafene.,.
5sne Of the sessspaperx Of
Terye aanse.

| ferve aaaGe-
ADelszsts voorhees, uas in Terra u.,..
Indiana. bis former bons, on the ao,l
OF Jaly. While there be vas ir,srvisws,
oy q representative of the Eperss.o O.
fefEs, to whom he had much to say q,
sne political, sosial and basinsss coudi
t'ors OF WssAineten Territory. II,
taiEsd muoh Of the curse of the North
sfn Pa'ihe land araRt. ana Of she offci.
oorrupsion Which bad % long 10 awful,
sustained 1t. He spoke very highly OF
Commissioner Sparks. whom he termed
the peoples friend and the ds,sruin.d
ana aggressive enemy Of public and
private plunder." Speaking of the la,s
decision Of the Commissioner. endino
the indemnity land frauds, the reportsr
asked him what would be the effect
Mr.. Voorhees, replied:
"lts effect will be to relieve couutIsss
houiss Of an inenbas placed thereon he
theRai wltedtavsls. szncsiaued by ths
INTERIOR Depertmsnt, for the beuefit Of
the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany.
" In order to cIearlNuuderstapd the
full force Of this decision, is viii be-
necessary TO refer briefly 70 the facts
upon which it 10 based, aud in doug
90 Will eonhne myself 10 Whitman
county, the county IN which reside,
frsin which . full understanding Of the
situation thronRh the Territory can be
obtained.
"OnFebruarY 2lss, 1872, the Northern
Paazna kaIlroad' Oonpsny hled IN she
oftitSs ot the Commissionsr Of sns Cen
efai Land Once at Washington " a map
shosInR the % called general route Of
the road from q poiBt on toe eastern
line Of Washington Territory to WalIulA
Junction, q distance OF l62 miles IN a
scuthsasieriy direction. Upon this map
tie Com oIissioElsr ordered . withdrasal
OF every alternate section Of land within
q distance Of forty miles on each sIde
OF the proposed line. The land thus
Withdrawn vas withheld from settlement
and occupancy antli October 4ih, 1880,
when the eompany, exercisinR the royai
reyAl greroRativs granted 10 By tue In !.
tefior Departmsus to do a. ID pleased.
either within or without the scope Of
the law, In defiance Of the fact that after
it had snce located its line an act uf
Congress- vas necessary TO enable it to
legally change it, hied q map Of 90 called
definite location, upon whleu new line
another withdrIsxal vas ordered Of every
alternate section within simit of fOrty
uailes on each side Of the line TINS Cd
tablished; and all lasds covered by the
hrst withdrawal, and mos embraced With
Ia the new Withdrawal. we're restored 70
the public d"main. A more determined
EVASION Vt the las cannot we'll be con-
ceived- Bot this was not all. Not co.,
tent with this evasion of tbs Law, they
determined that, while they ssre about
tt, like the Rentlemanly fOotpad. while
protesting she utmost sympathy for the
victims, they would take everything in
sight. /.
The Iaw provides shat. vhsnsyer the
oozspany shall have lost any lands with
30 TOE forty naile OF eranfed kimltz, ng
reason Of the same having been
granted, sold, reserved, occupied by
homestead ttlers or pre-empted.' AZ
shs date the grant became effective, IL
mag select lands tn lieu thersof within
ns'E limits extending ten miles beynnd
the outside limits Of the forty 0ile wish
drAwal. The law did rot. under any
circumstances. contemplate that she
hIds embraced within this ten nile
limit should be Withdrawn from settle
meat and occupancy, TO await the
pleasure Of the COMPANY In making its
selections. On the contrary, IL CON
ternplated leaving thea open 70 the
hOae builder, and IL also contemplated
the exercise of proper diligence. on the
al sn.zs. -
tue amount OF lands lost wlBhin the
RrAnted limits, and ID making sslsa-
ions within tie ten mile limits, for
lands thus lost.
! .sN0twiihst Anding this unauthorized
HithdrawAl for indemnisy purposes,
many sestisrs hsye laoarioasly plAnted
their humble homes within It's limits,
and have fer wears been appalling 10
tha Interior Departments for pormissieu
% pesfect their titles thereto in accord
anes with toe fllsnifest provisions of
the law. This permissiou has been
psrsistently denied them, until Mr..
sparks rendered his decision. in which
he holds that this Withdrawal for in
demnity purposes is effective only in
tie limits within which the
company may make selections when
the proper time arrives. and thHt. at all
times prior 20 the date Of actual seiec-
tion BY the company, the land embraced
therehn y suhieet 70 entry by any set
iler e0nnplsing With the pulslic land
laws % sns Daited Sfatee. Suoh . De-
oision canuot fail 70 bring With il wide.
spread blessings 10 the sore hearted
and oppressed settlers Of Washington
Territory.
II have psrsis.sn,ly iabersa Tor sueA
D deoisioa eince January e 1884, and in
the result ! feel that have. though 10
Q very Inadequate degree. requitsd the
eon6aieDce reposed In me by the people
Of my Territory"
"Do yen intend 10 press . measure
looking 10 the forfeiture Of the entire
land grant Of the Northern Paoifie Rail-
road csmpanyY'
al most assaredly do. During my
seFvise IN Congress 1 shall, In season
and out Of season, diligently labor 10
secure the passage Of an act f0rfeitinR
every acre of this land grant which has
NOS been earned by . literal and riGid
bsisnraiance with fhs teruas Of The eon-
treats and within he tisne prescrihed ~
Law. knew no reason Why . poverfaI
and wealthy corporation should be 60
corded any more liberal construction
OF She ias than IL accorded the ham
blest and least innususiAi indigtdnai.
It 10 Q usw ssssatisn fas bhe people -
be 10 Q position 10 snoeessfnliy de-
uanti their pound of aesh from the
c0rporafioa, and ID wili be labor Of
love 20 me 10 assist them In obtain
ing To-"
skhas ss tie population Of Washing
ton Territory
"Tne total vote in 1884, a. ! have
stated. vas &l,6iS. firm which deduct
tha fem sls rate Of Sass. and ws hare Q
n IL sotiHx pspaisfion ef SaksA Tab.
ing this as basis. and rRufing TIE
on Q ratio Of Al, our pop
ulation woaid be I57.ssS The repre-
sentative unit at shis time 10 Is. .&sS,
ffonl unich u appeans snst - have
sRsl muss popalastan tAan is reqatred
10 sntlsle ss 70 full representation IN
ConRrres.n
Yea siiude 10 ths female vote. Have
yoa soman suffrage ia WsshinRton FER
riiosyss Ek SA#S#
sNessana In eonfersine this ri0As on
woman ve have easpe$siRsd car shhcr-
reses of the British docsrins, which it
required seven years Of hioodshed 10
Il. -.