Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-09-05
DAILY -INTELLIGENceR



road organ o. The Territory 10 misrep-
resent the position Of the p~1pss upon
the railroad question and 20 give ou'
false idea Of the issues OF the political
canvass which ended With the election
Of Delegate voorhees,. 10 visw Of this
IL may be xslI to state once more the
position which vas thea. and Il nov
ocsapied By those who we're aesi7e IL
the forfeiture movement and, A. ne De-
lieve, by the great majority Of the peo-
pIe Of the Territory.
First and most important, there - DOS
and there has never been IN this iern
tory a prsiudioe against railroads OF
other corporations. Efsr.s TO make
the contrary appear to be the case can
rssul. in nothing bat injary to our peo-
uIe. Corporations desiring to enter INTO
huxinsss In the Territory san do 10 per
fsetiy confident Of receiving fair and
even generous treatment, both ~ the
hands Of the business men aud ihe PEG
pie 9enerslly and IN the matter OF Iez's-
iation. Especially is this true OF rail-
road companies. 80 far a. we knoT
there IL not man in the Territory who
does not receive most gladly the news
Of each new mile Of track that ~ laid,
without regard 10 shat company osns
II OF in What direction II RUS. Espe-
cialIy would svery one be pleased a, the
construction Of a road across the Cas-
oades. The fzal and complete union
Of Eastern and Western Washington
voula be looked upon 40 an event OF
mos. happy angury. To tse great ma
iority Of the people of the Territory h
makes little difference where the East
esn end Of such line may be and where
the Western end. II would be enough
that the two sections OF the Territory
were united, and under wise aud bust
uess like policy every city and ts~n
would be bsnehtisd by such a union.
No railroad company intending to pur-
sus course Of even ordinary liberaliiy
need have the slightest fear Of coming
into contiioi with the people of Wash
ineton Territory or With any portion of
them. That may a. we'll be thoroughly
understood.
There are, however, some things IN
ths way 10 which railways are managed
in this Territory TO which the people do
object most seriously. They object to
the imposition Of freight rates of such
a nature that the wheat OF Eastern
Washington must be shipped east, and
IA forced from the westward course
which 10 would naturally take. Whether
nhipmepts are made TO Portland, A
toria. Tacoma or Seattle. the people OF
the Northwest would rather have the
grain come west. II there il any money
10 be made by handling 1t, 80 prefer
that Il be made In our own section oil
the country. Further, the people oh
ieet 10 Determinations against ono por-
ton OF the Territory and in favor OF
another, against one city and In favor
Of another. They cannot see that the
country Is benefited. for instance. by
the tearing down of Yakima in order to
build North Yakima. Every such in
cident, and there have been many in
the history OF Washington Territory,
raises no enemies against the railroad
company to which IL is attributable.
II IL impossible that 1t should be other
wise. Railroads. the people think.
should make some return 10 the people
for the enormous privileges which have
been granted them. A corporation Is
not created to be king over the peo-
pie, but 20 be q servant 10 them; u IL
not made strong in order that IL may
tyrsnnize over them. but that It may
the better carry their burdens from
place to place and the better perform
any work which they may call upon II
10 do. IL IL not to move their towns
about on the map as the chess
player moves the pieces on his
board. Again. the people object to
the methods Of railroad manage
ment which the Puget Sound Shore
Line calls fercibly TO mind. IL Is not
right that the people should be led to
believe that railroad will be built in q
certain place. that they sheuld see the
ties laid and the rails spiked down.
that they should make all their ar
rangemenis with the expectation that
the road is 10 be operated in good faith;
aud all this only 10 see the rails rustipR
and the ties rotting month after month,
with no effort aud no intention on the
part Of any one 10 open the road 90
traffic. The Puget Sound Shore Line
10 an expensive piece Of road. Its cost
Was In the neighborhood of three quar-
tiers Of million dollars. iss oil this
capital 10 allowed 70 remain idle, even
after the ssed has demonstrated lie
ability 10 more snau pay iss RAINING en-
psasss. There 10 probably not another
eaas II Me kind in she United States.
II doss not matter whether the North.
eFn PAsidc. the Oregon 4 Transconsi-
mental. the Oregon Improvement all
three. OF none can be regarded As re
sponsible for tAis state OF affairs. IL 10
wrong. and the people do not like il.
Such are some Of the things In railroad
management 10 which our people most
seriously object,
The forfeiture question IL distinct
frem the railroad question proper, and
they should nos be confoandsa. When
. Railroad company operates mines. IL
must be regarded no, only IS railroad
bot as coal mining corporation; whea
II conducts store, IL mus. be regarded
40 q store keeper; when IL buys and
sells town lots. 10 must be regarded as
town site proprietor, when IL owns, sells
and rents vast tracts Of land. II mus, be
regarded - = landed proprietor. Ia
any Of these cases the people are
broaeht in contas, with IL net as q ran