Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-09
DAILY P0ST-INTELuGENcER
RAILR0Ap LEGIsLaTIeS.

RAILROAD LEGISLATION.
There 10 some doubt among the peoS
pie this side of the Cascade range a. 20
whether our representatives, at Olympia
will be guided by their own undoobte@
common sense or be led Away oy we
Seattle idea" 10 regard TO the proposed
legislation on railroads Railroad lee
isiatien IL needed bad enooRh, bot the
question she Si1tssodH would ssk J..
SIS this q proper time 70 hanpsf TIE
corporations with Legislative enset
mentsw Right at hons the Constant
ory IL, "a road 10 hinsworth," aud the
subject 10 be considered nov, before the
spite of Seattle against railroads goes
too far, 10 whether legislation WI or
will no, retard the building Of roads BY
keeping capital ontS Let as get all the
railroads ne can first; let them con pete
with each othsr. and then, and nos nhtu
then, Les a. restrict them TO the e1seht
that our producers shall be protested
from ex,ortionats charges Tor iFeagn''
and be allowed the same privileges re
oeived by our eastern brethren VINO nave
protected themselves IN their several
State Falld WaIIa Statc'-
man.
The S.atesusaH displays an old bot
voefuIly mistaken idea OF the so-calied
Seattle idea. II there ~ any spite OF
Seattle" against railroads, 1t has never
made itself apparent. Certainly neither
the people OF Seattle nor the repressn-
tstiyes from King County have any Pc
culiar idea ia regard to the proposed
LEGISLATION on railrosds,"i indeed, there
10 any such proposed legislation. Ihe
people Of Seattle are extremely friendly
TO railroads. They want a. masy OF
them as they can get. They do not
wish 10 "hamper them by legislative
enaotments." The passage Of wise and
proper laws. defining in fair and sat
isfsc.ory manner the rights OF corpora
t,ops on one hand and Of individuals
ON the other, would probably meet the
approval Of the people Of Seattle as it
would OF the people Of every other city
Of the Territory. bat there is ne demand
for the passage of any laws on the sub
jsos at present, unless it be for Law
forbiddins the acceptance Of free passes
BY legislators, which would scarcely
come under the head Of railroad leRis-
lation."
The Seattle idea, indeed. Is friendly
70 railroads. II wants to see them NAL
tiplied, wants TO sec them built In all
parts Of the Territory, and is firmly
convinced that the more there are the
better ii will be for both people and
railroads. 1t 10 for this reason, among
ethers, that the Seattle idea 10 thorough
ly convinced that IL would be both IN
wise and uuius. 70 hand over to the
Northern Pacific Railroad the vast
quantity of land which 1t never earned,
and on which IL has no claim in Law or
In equity. IL does not believe IN giving
TO one railroad so great an advantage
over other roads that 1t can defy all
competition, and control the transpor-
tation system OF the Territory for all
time TO come. Other roads are willing
and anxious to build into tue Territory
and they should not be barred out by
making one road complete master OF
the situation.
The avowal of the Statesman that 10 i.
In favor Of first getting all the railroad,
We can and then restricting them, Is ex
csedingly frank. II that is the Walls
walla idea, we do not like it. We be
lieve that capitalists who invest in rail
roads In this Territory should know JUS
what they have to expect in the way Of
legislation. IL surely would bs neither
fair nor Just to induce capitalists to in
vest In railroads under the belief thai
they will be regulated In one manneI
and then proceed at once to reRulat,
them in manner entirely different.
The people of the Territory want rail
roads and are willing to grant then
every privilege compatible with
the rights OF individuals. The land
grant question Is as distinct from th.
railroad question generally speaking a,
1t 10 from the question OF silver coinage
A desire TO see unearned lands restored
20 the public domain, which is the sun
and substance Of the Seattle idea. is nc
more spite against railroads" thar
tits spite against farms. II there ii
to BE- any legislation hostile 90 railroads
10 will net originate in Seattle.