Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-02-08

nefdsmsn on the vass poasessions a,
suess foreign lords, nader ounty.e,s
nsoe and entered into before thev saii
Tor our shore<.~ eeu
Toe acquisition of sueh xass ,,..,,
nas ONLY been possible through ,h.. re
oIatn OF tue railroad Iand Rrauts- Tns
poblie land laws, when honesfIv a.
Naturally administered. do not sffar5
facilities for sach acquisition. Wo,ld
not Mr.. OATES, whs b as d. en- ssronr,I !
suspected of too friendly an Interest IN
tne land grant corporations. do VII ~
bend has energies to emitting "a the an,
plies upon which this q .erazt evil oyo1s
sud which kis bill wholly fails 10 rrsna,
dyl American landlords, inst AZ rirh
and ldst - unscrupulous As the for.ic1n.
ers, may still acquire all thew ehooz--- :
and the American imitator Of the FOR.
siRn snob Is known to be much rD.ans,
aud more contemptible than the oen1ioe
artl lie himself. Besides, the alien vanId
ssiii md ways Of eyadinQ the lav throuOh
American dummies. Better 90 to az
root OF the evil; and We make this sro-
enssion for the benefit Of Mr.. Oatss
While such sweepine measure A. tins
Henley bill might cot be upiast 10 tha
company. which richly deserves punish
ment for its many shorteornin0s IL
might work some hardship ta bond.
holders; and though il is true that the
mortgagee takes no better title than the
snortgsRor had 10 give. still q sound oub-
lie policy would seen 10 demand that
thsif interests be protected. And vhiIe
nearly all of onr eitizens would hail with
delight the passage of the Henley bill.
becauss it woaid give relief from this
odion. land monopoly, We think the
spirit Uf resentment aR4inst the com
pany u not 20 strong that another mea-
sure which gave the same relief, and at
the same time worked less hsrdshiu 10
the company. would not be lust az W 4
come.
Upon q careful examination of the
whOls subject We bslieve ii will be found
that tbs true interests OF the Govern
neni, the company's bondholders, and
also the Interests Of the great mass OF
stock holders, would be better subserved
by the adoption Of the pllicy Of the
Territorial Democratic pl .tfor an than in
any other way.
Tbs freedom of the lands from mo-
nOpoiy control is Of 90 muah more i'm
portanee than their mere money value.
that few would probably fight very
strennously against the proceeds OF even
the Cascade division lands being turned
over to the Company u il should appear
that the enfranchlsement OF the lands
could be secured in no other way, unjust
and inequitable as such course voaid
be 10 the Government.
Itere can be no reasonable doubt that
the lands would sell better aAd the
0 'uniry be more rapidly settled up under
Government control, and that the bond.
holders would be more secure by the
proceeds of such lands being held in
trust by the Government for, first, their
benefit; aud second, after that, for the
benefit OF the stock. The company
would be benefited by its energies being
directed solely 20 tbs management of its
business as & common carrier, and TO the
bailding up Of its traffic. instead Of their
being, as now, frittered away in the
management Of the complex business
OF railroad, land, tOvnsite, tax svad-
ing. polities- -meddiiug and general jack
a,-ali-srades eompaoy Is would remove
the constant source of irritation which
its control OF the land Is to the people
IN the country Il serves. IL woaid tend
Il bring back to II the cjntdsnos aud
good Will OF the people, which Is worth
= great deal 10 any transportation com
pany. The Continued control of the
lands by the company will almost iney
ltably be attended BY 81 many abuses,
sxsctions and oonteDtiOns that friendly
relations between the company aud the
people will he out OF the question. II
would seem that the NoFtAsru Pacific
Company would oonsalt its own inter
ests. should all forfeiture bills RELAXING
to u fail In this Congress, by unitiag
with Mr.. VOORHEES, and asking from the
next Oong gress the adoption of the policy
outlined IN the platform which met the
approval of the people Of this Territory
ai the polls last November. BY so loiug
u woald retain the equitable aud bene-
heiai interest in its land grant, which
otherwise 10 10 almost certain to eventu-
ally lose. This measure would remedy
present and avert threatened evils
would satisfy the people and benefit all
concsrpsd. fhe only Interested party
ont tiled 10 consider ition that would
suffer aay peeuniary loss by the nea sure
is tue United States Government, and IL
Is rich and can afford TO be generous.
The only opposition the scheme would
be likely 10 meet with. when properly
understood, would be from few inside
managers who might thlnk their oppos
tunities for profitable private spsanla-
tions in lands and townsites would be
leesened. This class, though entitled 20
no consider alton, would find, II they
could only broaden their vision little.
thai the bestermeni of the conpany's
securities through better and more Ell
eient management, and the removal of
elements by che settlement
OF this land question. and In other ways.
q much easier and less objection ,hle
70 ld 10 fortune.