The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-23


Il cannot b. Arbitrarily or caprfctousiy De-
strcyed or impaired II IL = right Of which,
when once vessed, the owner ear only be Do
privsd IN accordance with established lar.
and Il necessary THAI Il b taken for the pub 10
good, upon due compensation" This decision
position above STATED. and with my subsequent
stasemenss in regard 70 the action Of she harbof
line commission. Il does mot controvert that
sction in the slightest possible degree. and yes
with unsurpassed GOODNESS and impudence you
charge the commission with IN attempt to over
rule decision Of the supreme court Of tho
United 6tateA You then proceed 70 tell me
that '4or more than quarter Of . century there
was . lay upon the statute books Of the terri.
tory authorizing the building OF wharyes, ETC.
By private persona Law not repealed 20 this
day." II you know anything Of the subject
whatever. which you certainly must do. you
know perfectly well that the territorial legisla.
ture could neither give nor take away
any rights whstever In the premises
any more than the same body could give
the tide lands Of Elliott bay
to the Seattle 4 Wsla walla Railroad Company.
which, IS you we'll know. It undertook to 40
without authority or jurisdiction. the npar-
ian owner mad the right to wharf ont to deep
water before thxt act was passed, and ne has II
Still, unless the state shall take It away inde-
pendent Of that act Ia any way whatever. You
know perfect wei tnat the tide lands Of the
state were held ia trust for the state BY the gem
eral government. and that there was no power
or authority 70 dt pose Of those lands until they
were disposed of BY the state its II. You ask
me where can d:ld more merifori0us or de-
serving class of ttzsus than are those of Seat
tie, who have buist up its wharves and docks"
10 one questions their merit or their enterprise
la this matter, nor does anr one. as far IS
know, wish to d.pr.v them of any thing to
which they msy Be entitled in this connection.
Your testimony IN that respect Is unnecessary.
and that you should constitute yourself their
champion is, on your part, simply unwarranted
arrogance and presumption. BY way Of further
reply you say that / am sa csrpes-fag
odice-holder, who came to the territory
with . commission in my pocket"
/ presume the only reason why
you did not have one when you came was
because you could not get it earned the COM
mission held ct that time, sucn a. it was.
When the war Of the rebellion broke out in 1861,
left my home in Northern California. travelled
1000 miles Ut my Cwn expense and enlisted -
private soldier In the armies Of the United
states, u $1S per month. Subsequently my SER
vices were considered worthy Of many promo
tonss until was Jmmissoned a. the colonel
OF regiment and for considerable time en-
trusted with the command Of Z brigade II ID
not strange that acts Of patriotic devotion ale
uncomfortable TO man whose patriotism rises
doubt hut that you have today more respect for
Judas Iscariot. because, when he betrayed his
master. he had thirty pieces of silver to put in
his packct, than you have for any man. no mat
ter who he might be, who would deliberately and
from purely patriotic mo ives, offer to lay life
and health and ell pecuniary considerations
upon the altar Of his country You have seen
proper in your letter to refer to warren Hast
ingA II 10 but natural that you should look
nj - rnn oar ipahl
characters In history. Your reference TO
him is fitting aud appropriate. To use your
own language. comparing small things with
grcat," your highest ambition, In all probable
iiy. IL to follow in the footsteps Of that rapa-
caous character and pfuuder cities aud states,
individuals and corporations. for your own per-
sonal benefit and that Of your clients, the cor
poratons, whom you are protesting to serve SO
faithfully. In further reply to the propositions
submitted - the conclusions agreed to by the
harbor line commission. you 90 on to state, with
malice in y0ur heart ana falsehood upon your
tongue, that / shave continually, ever since
came 70 the territory. held Office or been seek
ing it" This 10 deliberate and unblushIng
falseho0d for which you are absolutely without
excuse. It IL true ! have held variety OF ON
cial Positions some of them By election, others
BY appointment That you have not been 30
honored to any great extent ID not my fault,
and for that fact should not be held response
bic. Though I have held number OF these
positions can furnish the proof that in every
single. solitary instance, whether of election or
appointment, the Omco mas sought me before
sought the once. During . residence
OF nearly Twelve years la the territory
you have never once heard my name
mentioned Is . can iidate for any Office what
ever, with my consent prior to my domination
els ction or appointment / am entirely wiling
that my record n . public officer should be
fully Investigated. con6d ut that 1t will prove
that have faithfully endeavored to discharge
properly every public trust whicnhas ever been
committed to my charge. II your lack of con-
science, your moral obliquity, aud your avari-
cious disposition have better dttod you to serve
the interests OF grasping home and foreign cor
p0rarfons, then you are poorly qualified TO die
tate to me now / shall discharge my duties to
the state. TO Seattle or TO North Yakima The
charge that !. a. a member of the haroor line
commission, am proposing 70 commit one Of
the greatest public thefts on record" comes with
poor grace from one who has not hesitsted to
utter and publish the most unbiushing fase-
hoods, and TO attempt the most miserab acts
OF fraud and deception. for the purpose of ac-
complaining an outrageous and stup- ndous
scheme OF public RIB berry. You charge me with
"co0liy proposing ~ conficate every dollar or
the improvements which have been placed upon
the land which it Is proposed to include within
the harbor lines. You knew this stat .ment
to be q lie out of whole cloth When you made IL
You know that we never proposed to ,onfscate
any mans property. You say almost i'm.
medistely afterward thar "there IL no warrant
in the constitution or laws OF this state for the
taking Of private property without compensa-
ton. How then can this harbor line commits
sion con6scste any mans property" You say
'rhe state must be just" That is probab y
what you least desire and are most AFRAID Of
have sad not only that tue state must, but that
il would be just aud because nave said so /
am denouncei by you for undertaking 10 SAY
what would probably be done by the leg sla-
ture. There is not member of the harbor line
commission who would knowingly do an iniary
10 the city OF Seattle. o. the contrary they be-
lieve that the best interests of the city present
and future, will be promoted in the highest de-
gree by the course which they propose to adopt
You say this course will result in an increase
of wharfage and docKage and in steady deter
ioration of the character of the wharves and
docks" This statement. as are your statements
generally, 10 just the reverse of the truth.
The course proposed by the commission,
as 10 shown by the history Of every
citv. where the same course has bee d
pursued, will result in much lower Charges d
in Improvements of q much more substantial
and permanent character. because the status oil
the property 10 defiaIeiy fixed and determined
WHAT solid and systematic scheme OF improve
ment could ever De expected III the Seattle har.
Dor, II its present coadid,n and management,
were TO be continued indefinitely? You make
Il long and ponder us argument, the sum aai
substance OF which Is thAt every city should
controiits own hsrbor." OF course. this arrange
ment would very much better suit your scheme.
oi public pluLder than state c ntrol o. the
hsrbors on the various citi > OF the sound The
fsclity with which you secured the passage OF
Illegal ordinances approprating prope ~ which
] a il not belong the civ of Seattle nd ha