The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-23


themselves 10 4 weEe aE ereasing ard
building up sha exsas s1sAuerca and ex-
iensive notwithstanding snssssstsles which
now cover the waSess znsz cot fSSe shores of
Puget SQUAD frona TIE straits al FRaca 70
0iympS=. To thu srsaE ~uxk many Of the
MEN now living an Puget sound devoted
the best and s.raasest parts OF their lives.
The Legislature of the tervitcry sanctioned
their work AS sooa ~ they had thus
created property upon the shores Of the
Sound. the seTTissry received revenue from
il In the shape OF iaxssion. The wealth Of
the entire comEeassalsn was thereby
vastly increased Crest sawnaills that send
their products 10 "a parts et the world
weFe buill on tae shores OF Puget sound.
ard the wharves, the docks. the mills and
the factories built upon this ground now
clasmed By the state, have for . gen
erati0n given employ merit to thousands Of
men and hare given 70 the state great
> ezlth.
Nov, mr. contention Is that in justice,
ia equity ard in fair dealing the upland
proprietor. Or the person claiming title
under him. should be given ly the state
the first or prior right--a sort ri pre-emp-
sion slgsst--to purchase from the state
whatever right i may hare 10 the shore
lying IN front Of TIE upland ard between
high tide anss ths hzrbor line 10 be estah-
iisaed under the state constitution. Wher-
ever men. IN perfect good faith snd with the
consent 81 The upland proprietor or those
claiming title under him. have gone Oh the
shores oil the Sound aud bniit factories or
warehouses in aid Of commerce and man
niaeloTies, they should be given q similar
F4rfS faefs fssf es
dsiiaTsce OF everybcdy's right goes on there
merely TO grab the land, Is not entitled in
either Law or equity to an- consideration.
THE state cannot afford any more than
an individual can 10 be @ajust. ana it can
not without paipahle and = AnifeSt injustice
now at this late day deprive the upland
proprietorS. or those claiming under them.
OF the prior privilege at least Of purchasing
the shore N front of the upland, nor can
the state in justice extort fancy prices for
this shore, because the chief value Of the
shore has been derived from the improve
ments OF the very men, or those claiming
under them, who now contend that they
should have pre-emptive right Of the pur-
chase of the shore. Al know what a
storm of indignation there was from one
end Of this state to the other. few years
10 charge the settler not only FOR the value
of the land when he settled upon il, but
TOR the value of the land as 1t was made
BY his Improvements. II has happened in
different parts of the country that before a
land-grant railway company was in posi-
ton to convey lands claimed by il the sell
tiers came In and found an uninhabited
prairie. and by tacit or express consent Of
he Id IL
lands. There was an implied II not an ex-
press, understanding that when the rail-
road company acquired title so that the
company could convey it to the purchaser,
that the purchase price should not be
raised 10 the settler by reason OF cny inn
provement that he put npon it, but that
the land should be charged for at the price
it ,yas worth at the time he settled upon IT,
A few years passed BY, and, under the
magic, toiiing hand of the farmer. the
waste prairie was suddenly transformed
into cultivated fields. comfortable houses
and barns were erected, and the land rose
in value from $3.50 to $40, SIS and $50 an
acre. and when the railroad company pro-
posed 70 charge not only for the value OF
the lands bur also for the value of the inn
proveInent that he put upon Ii. the terrible
Indignation. Such conduct vas univer-
sally condemned. and rightfully con-
demned.
Now, the state today stands in relation
10 the shoSe-owners as the railroad COM
pany did TO the settlers few years ago on
the prairie. The predecessor of the state.
!. e.. the territory, encouraged the early
settlers on Puget Sound to believe that
sl.fs< - a.. ~.
shore gave TO the owner certain exclusive
rights and privileges TO the sea-shore in
front OF his land On the faith of that
encouragement and the implied obligation
arising ihe-efrom, the hardy pioneers
spent The best part OF their lives in hard
labor Ia building up a noble commerce
and great manufacturing interests that
now enrich the state as we'll as the indi-
viduai Now, shall the state descend 50
low as 10 initiate the had example OF the
land-grant companies, an example that
waS long held up to public execrafion?
The state may have power 10 do il. bat it
is 90 be hoped that its sense OF justice and
sense Of honor are sufficient to restrain
IL from the exercise Of any such power.
The state cannot afford 70 be unjust,
nor can ii afford to be unfair in is dealings
rsco snisiug in this limited way the claims
OF the upland psoprietors and those claim
ii.g undgg thsni the state will not lose any
thing. 4. the long run the state viii get
more nsagey sn Its treasury By adopting
that method thsu by pursuing the high.
handed course OF plumber that is recon-
mended IN some quarters Bat ! repeat,
whether il gets more or whether il gets
less the duty Of the state Is plain, and
that il, so sst an example Of Just and fair
dealing towards IS citizens. However We
NAV differ IN matters Of detail, surely there
can re 40 differences between rnen as 10 the
principles ahleh should govern she state In
dealing With this matter
orHER WITNESSES.
Following Judge Burke, Mr.. George II.
Helllaen. Dr. II. a. Smith. Ct smiths
cove. Mr. Charles Hopkins. Mr.. J. w
kenyoE and Judge Orange Jacobs talked
Ia the comm ties. Their remarks we're ia
terestsng and we're attentiyely hesrd By
the committee.
The werk Of the com mittee IN this city
was completed aho1f 5 p m, hat they did
i.ssS Fave the hotel fer their steamer untsi
tstsg. Al 1up. n. the Washington east OF
her isres and started for Port Townsend,
where sae cafamister will bold session to-
day From, there tbey 50 70 Whateon,
aad ether UPPER sound ports. They expeet
10 reaeA civ mPis Sunday night
THE TWIN STEAMERS