Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1886-07-08
LEWISTON IDAHO TERRITORY. THURSDAY, july 8 1856
PORTLAND OUR OPEN ENEMY.

After continued drumming by the
Oregonian and much active labor by
representatives of the o. r. & N. Co., a
special meeting of the Portland Board Of
Trade was held on the evening Of June
29th at which preamble and resolutions
were adopted, by vote of 33 to %,
"quitc number not voting" which de-
clare that the resolutions protesting
against the forfeiture of the Cascade
branch grant, adopted by the board June
Gath, "do not represent the wishes and
feelings of a majority of this board" and
direct the secretary "to expunge said res
olutions and preamble from the records"
These expunging resolutions were Of
fered and supported by Hon. D. P.
Thompson, one of the directors of tho
Oregon Short Line, supported by every
member of the board that that corpora
ton and the 0. r. & N. Co., could in
any manner, influence. They show the
hospitility of Portland to the Inland EN-.
pire, and make public, what we have
long believed, that Portland, the O. r.
IL N. Co. and the Oregon Short Line are
doing all in their power to delay and de-
feat the construction of the Cascade
branch. The expunging resolutions en-.
phas'zc the necessity for Washington
Territory, Northern Idaho and north.
eastern Oregon, to unite in an endeavor
to defeat the schemes of the sea. portion
a-creek.
As late as the 26th Of January 1886,
the Oregonian, claiming to speak for
Portland, said of the Cascade branch:
"Thc country needs it; and, therefore
this paper has at all times opposed the
efforts which have been made to deprive
the company of that portion Of tho land
grant Portland will gain in
exact proportion to the general growth Of
the country, and incidents like the build
ing of the Cascade branch will promote
our interests, because it will help the
conntry.'
Then it secretly believed that the
resolution of the directors of the North
ern Pacific to bore the big tunnel and
finish the Cascade branch, was intended
to gull the people. Now, however, when
it sees the work of boreing the tunnel
vigorously pushed thousands of men at
work on the grade, the shipment Of rails
and every other sign declaring that tho
company intends to finish the road as
early as possible, it comes boldly the to
front, denounces Senator Dolph and
Mitchell as enemies to Portland, declares
all who do not think the Cascade branch
grant should be forfeited are the object
tools of the Northern Pacific and "plays
the devil generally" in its franctic efforts
to prevent the building of the road
which, less than six months ago, it said
will promote the interests of Portland.
The Union is very glad to see the
Oregonian and the Portland Board
of Trade take such public action. An
open encmy is much less dangerous than
a secret foe. We have always thought
Portland was the enemy of the Inland
Empire, but have had some delicacy
about saying SO because we did not
possess the proof to sustain our asser-
tions. They have furnished the proof
and we pro-os to use it. The resident
of Eastern Washington who does not
condemn the action Of tho Oregonion
and the Portland Board of Trade in the
matter of the Cascade Branch is the
friend OF the O. r. & N. Co., and Port
land and the enemy of the people among
whom he resides Onion.