The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-20

in.degnaeT OF the public hishss Is at
tsibusa5se 70 the failure 70 adopt and sup
port them rs public institutions OF primal
inpsrtsnce 10 the several states The
turapike trials Of the colonial wars. and
the irnperseetioas of the oldest colonial
roads. established and maintained largely
under the township system. inspired the
clarnor in congress during the earliest days
Of our national existence for the adoption
Of some general plan Of improving the m
teries Of commerce. Hence IL came TO
pass that waen Ohio was admitted in 1S02
her compact provided for the construction
OF what was subseqentiy known
a. the Cumberland rcad. reaching
from the national capital TO her
frontier. How vastly better OF would the
entire West not have been today had con-
gress promoted the wise policy outlined
for q national departure In this Ohio COM
Pact. For herein Is Was agreed that the
cost Of building the road, the remnants OF
which are still preserved ike many OF It's
Roman models. should be betrayed out of
the moneys realized from the sale Of pub
lie lands in the admitted state Although
the advocates OF the projeet are described
20 latter-day political students a. chief
among the earliest loose constructionisrs,
the fact remains thai this plan Of eo-opera-
tion between nation and state neither ex-
pressed nor implied any future collision -
TO rights or contention a. TO sovereignty.
Had this policy been pursued respecting
the states subsequently submitted Ne
would enjoy TODAY. radiating from the ma
fionai capital, Q system Of roads touching
Texas at the south and Puget sound at
the north, the whole intersected with
lateral commercial avenues through the
several states.
1.-THE merit Of the primary plan. adopted
in the admission Of Ohio, was soon
eclipsed By the kindred public improve
ment theories 20 which il gave birth. and
finally e6aeed from memory by the poiiti-
cal discussions growing out of the increas-
Ing tendency TO vote Federal aid TO all in
ternai works. For many years the great
est statesmen Of the country adhered to
the policy of constructing roads and ca
nails by Federal appropriation and under
Federal management. Until Monros
vetoed the bull which 20 provided for the
repair and preservation OF public roads as
to assume for the national government all
the powers essential to general system,
embodying his opinion in Q paper which
Is still an object of reference and admira-
ton TO strict constructionists. the nation
seemed to have been permanently at
tached to the purpose OF establishing inter-
state and national roads. The objects OF
jurisdiction and control apprehended By
Monroe proved to have been phan-
toms of states rights reasoning.
They have been encountered and
overcome in the name of corporate rights,
throughout the rapid advance Of railroad
construction, from the Atlantic to the Pa
ciiic. What Monroe feared the states
would not do in harmony with Federal
laws. for the operation and protection OF
public roads, the state has done for cor
poration roads. In the light of the past,
and in fun view of the present attitude of
the nation and state towards incorporated
highways, We have no reason TO doubt
that the Federal government, serving as
donor and director at the inception of the
work, could have successfully executed
the policy of the Ohio compact with every
other incoming state. We should be all
the more impressed with this fact, since
we discover that congress. in the exercise
OF Its control over the territories, has be-
queathed to associations of individuals in
esiimably valuable highway grants IN pub.
lie land subsidies, which were more wisely
reserved for partition and apportionment
when the states entered into the Union.
The theory of the power and interest
OF the nation In the construction OF public
roads underwent q rapid reversion. Be
ginning with the principle of appropriat-
ing TO the roads OF the state, as the ma
ton appropriates in the case of schools,
the proceeds OF lands donated TO the state
for that purpose, congress advanced in its
propositions until, by large majorities in
both parties, it was contentsd that the
government should invest from the treas
ury direct in the construction of public
highways and establish general system
OF maintenance. Previous to Monroe's
veto bill had passed both houses APP
propriating $50. 600 for surveys Of national
roads and canals, and he signed il. How.
ever, when il became the design practi-
caliy to found . national department. for
the construction and conservation Of turn
pixies and canals, he refused to approve
the act OF congress, and sustained his posi-
ton in such gloomy predictions OF the
conflicts which must ensue between the
state and national powers IN the event this
system was adopted, that congress took
alarm and sustained his veto. That was
the death knell TO the admirable plan upon
which the nation set out in the Ohio COM
pact of 1892
subsequently Jackson vetoed similar
measures. and eventually the Cumberland
road was abandoned 10 the states The
inception OF the idea of the national gov
eminent fathering the construction of
public roads was the origin of the policy of
internal Improvements upon which SO
many political campaigns have been
fought in the past and with respect TO
which so many will be decided in the fu-
ture. Never since the day OF Jacksoa's
initial pocket veto" when he suppressed
ton bill, and decided once for ali that the
national government would contr butte no
part OF its tax revenue 10 the maintenance
OF pubic roads, have the states grappled
with the subject as one of vital Importance
10 their commercial development.
This task, this duty, is still left TO the
states to perform; and see in your ardor
and enthusiasm, gentlemen. an earnest of
the intention that upon the scroll of COM
monsealths IN which this great reform is
To be instituted through the agency of
suffrage and the las. Washington will not
be permitted TO take an obscure place.
Ladies and gentleman, l thank you"
The address Vas received with great en-
thusiasm and favorably commented upon
by many delegates. ]. Hannum Jones
was elected temporary chairman, receiv-
ing 81 votes To Amasa Mil.er's
:. Frank Mussetter was elected
temporary secretary. A committee on
permanent organization and order of
business was appointed, which reported in
favor OF the temporary officers being de-
clared permanent. and the report was
adopted. Ed {. Suffer. of Skagit, was
elected assistant secretary. committee
of one from each county was appointed to
consider the plans placed before the cor
venuou and prepare from them a report.
The following gentlemen were named:
Chehalis. Edmund Croft. ClaIlam.
George Lamb; Clarke. John H. Fletcher:
Columbia. VI. NJ. Goldman; Cnw!iiz. ]. y.
fesrcy; Island. W. r. ixet,; Jefferson,
James Mcknight; King. Amasa Nil
ter; hittitas. ;. T. Packwood;
Lewis, W. : Bowen; Mason. L.
G. shelton: Pacific. Marion II.
kgbeFl; Pierce. A ]. Ciobe; Skaglt.
Isaac Dunlap sksman.a, James Nevins;
>rnhNrtfah ~