Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-09-27
Seattle's Interest.
EDITOR EVENING OLYMPIAN:

EDITOR ENESlNG OLEMPIAN:
1t is now we'll on towards half a
century that Olympia has done eff
Gent service as the Capital city of
Washington Territory. During all
this time the utmost harmony has pre-
vailed at each recurring session OF our
Legislature. The interests OF both
Eastern and Western Washington
have been duly subscribed without 50
much as a jar or note of discord.
Whenever in former years the
question of the Capital removal has
been discussed by members from OPP
posing sections, the hue and cry in
regard to geographical center" has
ever been silenced by the counter cry
OF "center OF population" This CEN
ter of population is in the Sound
country and until a division of the
Territory is made it will always re-
main SO. Hence it will be seen that
all the talk about a geographical CEN
ter is a snare and 4 cheat to wheedle
simple minded voters. But another
factor in this problem has arisen.
Puget Sound people are just begin
ming to open their eyes as to what
would be the result should the Capt.
tai be located east OF the mountains
in q railroad country governed and
swayed by powerful and grasping
corporation. Let the Capital remain
anywhere on the Sound and the power
of our Legislature will ever be right
Ously vested in the people; but let
that Capital be removed to any city in
so called Eastern Washington, and the
power of our Legislature will ever be
unrighteously vested in the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company. Do the
intelligent people of Puget Sound
cities see the point? Then let them
calmly deliberate and vote according
ly.
In communication to the Post
Intelligencer of the Goth inst, Mr.. j.
f. Aver, a brother of our esteemed
t)wnsman, Mr.. Charles H. Aver, puts
this matter in proper light in a very
few words. That gentleman says:
wish to call the attention of Sc.
attic people to movement which is
sure to have very grave consequences
to this city, if successful, viz, the re-
moval of the State capital to a town
that is, and always must be, under the
complete domination of a great rail-
road power. 1t requires no prophet to
foresee that the Northern Pacific rail-
road must in the very nature of things
always be in conflict with the interests
of this city.
Most legislation is colored by the
local atmosphere, and what must we
expect if our Legislature is held in the
place where every citizen is, and al
ways must be, dependent on single
great company whose present power is
only 1.-THE of what it will become.
The friends and agents of the North
ern Pacific are working with energy
and system throughout the State, not
only to get the Capital to place
where they can control it absolutely,
but to got it away from place which
has always been friendly to Seattle.
and whose people have always had so
many interests in common with us.
In short, the city of Seattle will never
have particle of local influence at the
Capital of the State if it is once moved
from its present site to any other can
didate yet named. So much for the
direct interests Of Seattle: ERE
| 1t has been taken for granted by
many thoughtless people that Ellens-
burgh or Yakima should be selected
because somewhat more central; but
this circumstance is often overbalanced
by other conditions. and so it is here.
The bulk of population already centers
upon the Sound, and it will not be
many years before three-fourths of the
people of the State will reside west OF
the Cascades. Again, the commercial
interests that have use for the Capital
are centered on the Sound, and these
also increase in proportion as time
goes on. .-1 tfEs
The saving in expense of travel by
our cheap water routes will always be
an item Of no mean cash value to the
people of this city. This itself will be
worth thousands of dollars each year
either to Seattle or to the railroad
company.
will only add now that the whole
State has an interest in the fact that
no one would ever have any interest in
going east Of the mountains in winter
when tie legislature and Supreme
Court will be in session, while the
eastern people do have q great deal Of
business to bring them to the Sound
at that season.
So l ask-since we cannot have the
capital hefe-how can any Seattle
man vote to take the seat of govern
ment away from the only place where
we can derive any benefit from it?"