, 1886-08-26
The Washington Territory Democratic
Convention.
Hr Voorhees, RcnGminated

A4Nll VI - II. 1-l1JlA. Vi NONlllL. CuHl1
man, and j. X. Rutherford, secretary.
Committee on credentials, order of
business and permanent organization
were appointed. The attendance was
full from all parts of the territory.
AN ORGANIZATION EFFECTED.
The convention organized in the
afternoon by the election of j. b. Met
calte, OF Seattle, as permanent chair
man. lie complimented Voorhees,
for ms gallent victory two years ago,
and said the party was now abreast
OF live progressive Issues. He comes
before the people with no broken
promises. Two grave questions are
presented for determination by the
party this time. The great question
OF the criminal waste of public lands
by the republican party hurled it
from power two years ago. The IS
sue ls the same now as then. He
.Hkened the republican robbery to the
Norman invasion, parcehng to barons
the land of the old landhollerF. The
colossal corporations We're modern
barons. The other question was
labor reform. The mutterings of
discomfort throughout the land has
been intensified on the Pacific Coast
by the presence of Chinese. and labor
looked to the democracy for relief
The speech was frequently and en-
Enthusiastically applauded.
+. X, Hanna moved the appoint
ment of a committee on platform and
resolution, to consist of one member
from each of the council districts,
and that the separate delegations
present to the chair the name of such
gentleman from their respective dis
tricts. The chair announced as the
committee the following:
John T. Judson, Pierce; j. +. Parks,
Spokane and Stevens; i. f. Smith,
Whitman; 4. l.. Teele, Jefferson; ID.
E. Hedger, Walla Walla; j. B.
Reavis, Yakima; NJ Gose, Garfield;
J. NJ Murphy, Thurston; j. b. LaDu,
Cowlitz; II. Dustin, Klickitat; Luke
ATcRedmond, King; and E. Blackman,
Snohomish.
At $40, p. H., the committee on
resolutions and platform submitted
their report which was as follows:
PLATFORM:
To the democratic party of Wash
ington Territory in convention as
sembled: Your committee on plat
form and resolutions beg leave to
report as follows:
We, the democratic convention of
Washington Territory in convention
assembled do present the following
declaration of principles:
I've endorse the administration
Of President Cleveland.
1.-THE public lands are the her
itage of the people, and should be
held by the government a sacred
sacred trust, to be disposed of to set
tiers in small holdings. The govern
ment having heretofore, under repub-
lican rule, made unwise and improvi-
dents grants of large tracts of public
lands to corporations for the pur-
pose of aiding in the construction OF
important lines of railway, and said
corporations having in many instances
failed to construct railways in accor-
dance with the generous conditions
OF said grants, the government should
now avail itself of the breach of con
tract, and resume control of the
granted lands, thereby closing for the
future forever the open gateway
through which system of landlord
ism, now bearing such sorrowful and
calamitous fruit in the fairest por.
tons of Europe, is affecting an en-,
trance into our free republic.
The Northern Pacific Railroad com
pany having more than twenty years
ago been granted lands amounting tc
an empire In extent to aid in the
construction of railroad from Lake
Superior to Puget Sound, upon the
most munificent terms and conditions
which terms and conditions it has
hagrantly violated, it has now nc
legal or equitable claim TO these
lands, and can receive none of then
except as an act of grace on the part
OF the government. We therefore
demand tnat the government shall
resume control of these lands. except
such as have been sold to bona fide
purchasers, and in such case thc
purchasers title should be confirmed
The title of settlers and bona fidt
purchasers, should be confirmed. ano
The company should be compelled t.
account to the government for the
proceeds Of such sales. All Other
parts OF the company's enormous
grant should be restored to the pub
lie domain 10 be opened to settlement
under the existing land laws of the
United States.
1II-That we believe the control o.
large areas of land by individuals ol
corporations is wrong In principl,
and dangerous to the public welfare
N-We favor the enactment by
congress and the territorial legisla-
ture of laws regulating freights anC
fares upon railways, so as to prevent
extortionate charges and unjust dis
elimination.
We favor the enactment of laws
imposing severe fines and penaltie:
upon any railway company, or its
agents, that shall give or offer to give
directly or Indirectly, any passes
tickets or other transportation 10 any
member OF the les islature or any off
Ger thereof, or to any delegate to any
political convention.
fI-That We condemn the course
of the Northern Pacific railroad. in
ats departure from the policy oi
charging equal freights to the inter
ior and terminal points of the road
as an unjust violation of sacred
promises made; that the compelling
OF inter-mountain shippers to pag
freight charges upon their shipments
of merchandise from the EAST equal
to the amount charged to the Pacific
terminal and back to their respective
points over hundreds of miles, is an
imposition that should not be borne
by consumers along the line without
seeking every possible means of re
dress; and that until this great wrong
Is righted and they are assured
against the possibility of its repeti
tion, the whole people Of Washing
ton Territory should regard with
jealous suspicion all unfounded
Promises of this company. and unite
IN demanding equal and exact jnssire
III all matters pertaining TO ire .sht