The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-08-23


- hDsn II session IT Olympia since
1ely I. last ffty days, exsneissfed lss
nhers yesterday. and re Tssas sssIay
- fniI assd complete t<rt n the in-
nesumsnt which Il has prepared OF
- work 81 this convention a. .
Ulbo1e. u uuss be ssia that sisii~ nos
oe1ecs Il IL more than fairly god
~ nss<bod has been earssus ard de-
besa1e. and entirely fses from the
1onat ~ snap 5adgmsni' TOO com
non in legislative bodies. Every iss-
forrest vs. given leave 70 present is
views. and every point OF
eontest sas gone over fully
end fnt<iIiesnsly. While Ia -eFne par.
ueuisrs the jadgnegs 81 the eonyen-
ten HIS not been ia line wish shas
ehis journal, In common xifh large
oody a citizens. thoufhs 10 D. the
the wtsest polio, there j. no reason 70
doubt that t;,at Judgement a. q
ston<1s framed in TIE provisions o. the
eonstitntion. l. in all respects honest.
rad on the whole il is certainly freer
from the bias Of local and private In
tent. and from tlse vsrs u pure -lsgss-
lstions than might have been ss-
pscssd.
II u nos very mach more ssiffacf1lf
- make state consultation than 10
NJ earlier days Of the repns,IIc. state
government nov finds mach 70 do
Wtth Interests which had 40 exis enee
= hundred or even fyr1y years ago.
1he development Of business in ali
branches and espeeialiy In the line Of
transportation. the almost universal
substitution Of the corporation for the
individual in iargs Affairs. the dsysi-
opm<us Of values pubic and private,
~ Increase Ia the cost OF govern
nent- tnsse things and many more
make state government a thing
vastly more complicated than II
was formerly, when IT rarely came
into conflict with anything IN the
nsture OF Affairs. When there were
no '.inieresfs' seeking advantage or
projection IL vas easy to make con-
stftutton. OF course. the principles
ere precisely the satne nox as hun
dsed years ago, but closer vigilance Is
requiresi 10 protect and preserve them.
The danger In constitution making is
70 pat In too much, to depart from
principles aud e. ista SYSTEMS, bal in
tbe instrument no~ presented 20 the
people Of Washington this has been
fairly we'll, though not entirely,
avoided.
/rThe mistake. OF the conversation, we
believe. lie chiefly ia iis failure TO de-
fine the policy of the state in the nsat
Ter Of is vast tide land property. Ia
~ provision practically eonGeeating
the landed property Of aliens and IN
is failure to establish practical plan
for the control OF railroads. The first
Of these failures. relating 10 the tide
lands. viii. We fear, result in the
hindrsnce of enterprise in many ways
and In great loss % the state. The
second, relative 10 alien land owner
ship. win BE corrected By the courts.
The third. relative 10 railroads.
viii b fruitful source Of
business damage and political corrup-
tion. These matters are. In our iudg-
ment, 10 be seriously regretted. but
they appear only a. biesnishes when
compared with the general excellence
of the constitution Ii IL. In the main. /
broad. liberal and capable OF natural
aud harmonious development; as con.
ditions change II is free from any OF !
the novelties and qnackerses which |
social and political .'resormers"
have endeavofed to impress upon
II. II viii. If accepted as
II should he. and unquestionahly will
Be. involve as In no experiments.
Il h entirely free. this much must be
said for the Republican majority.
from partisan bias. II provides
. liberal and stable state gov
eminent, including Judicial system
Of exceptional excellence Much more
might he said in its communication
but IL IL before the public and will
stand upon its merits. We hope II will
be read by every citizen of the terri
tory and carefully considered in all
Its relations before the day os election
BY provision IT congress this con-
stitution will be Submitted 30 the PEG.
pie Of the territory ON October for
their acceptance as the basic Law 81
the state Ia be. or for rejection. II
accepted by the people IL will be sub
mltted 90 the president. and II APP
proved by him he will proclaim
Washington state.