The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-28
LANDFOR THE COLONY
OFFERED BY RAILROADS AND
LAND sYyDIcATEs.
xs Funds Available From the
state, but Private Owners 0Ger
Heip-social Democrncy's Plan Of

Special DsSpatcs % the Pos.-Inteil.geacer.
OLYMPIA. Sept Z.-Tns Associated
Press dispatch OF September e regarding
the intended visit Of a committee OF the
Social Democracy 20 this state 10 look UP
the Inducements for a colony Is founded
upon a false premise. al least insofar as
Il il founded upon the supposed existence
OF state fund Of so 90 with which TO aid
the colonists 10 reclaim arid land. II Is
true tas last legislature did appropriate.
or Intended % appropriate, $sQo not
1881 for this purpose, but this act Gov.
Rogers declares TO be detective and in
operative Regarding this matter. Gov.
Rogers today said:
Il know nothing whatever Of the deuoc-
Outlined n the newspapers and letter l
awe received from Cyrus Field Willard
I0llfging me tli41 committee would soon
E-s.L th-s state. i an not altogether N
harmony WITH The Ideas Of the Social De-
rnocFaey IN tEsir colonization scheme. My
o@n thoughts along this line have been ex-
pressed IN pamphlet issued ey me when
was q member OF the legislature. sElti-
lied Free Homes for the People and also
II speeches made by me. more particularly
ia ny recent speech a. South Bend.
Tnsge Is neither money nor land that
can be donated BY the state 20 the proposed
colony, except OF course, as any man has
ne privilege Of using bis homestead rights.
However. ! have actual knowledge thai
some % the railroads have offered the pro-
gelt0rs OF the coloDy money and assist
ance 70 induce them 70 settle In Washing
ton. also that special inducements have
been heid Out 70 the colonis;s by Eastern
W Washington land syndicates. Should the
pioneers sent out by the colony be men
Wiling TO work hard and OF practical ideas,
the scheme viii % productive Of good TO
the state In developing its resources, and
adding 70 its farms and commercial enter
pTises."
The letter received by the governor from
Mr. Willard states that the particulars of
the colonization scheme are absolutely un-
known outside the circle of the projectors,
but that one OF the ideas which seemed 10
be the most popular was the formation of
classes in the Eastern states which would
number loo 090 members. Each individual
Of these classes would be taxed a monthly
fee OF - cents. which would 20 into a
common fund TO supper, the pioneers Of
the colony until the enterprise should be
seif-sustaining.
The governor instanced the Greeley coll
ony in Colorado as what had already been
accomplished In the way of a successful
building up OF successful settlement by
what were acknowledged to be visionary
and impr lcticable men. they having SOW
ed the irrigation problem and caused the
desert to blossom like rose. Such. how
ever. the governor readily conceded, has
not been the fate OF the latter-day colo
MES. notably the Kaweah colony. yisalia
county, Cal; the Gray's harbor colony.
the Nehalem colony. of oregon. and. most
disastrous of al, the Topolobsmpo colony,
founded by Marie Rowland and her coll
leagues. The miserable failure OF these
schemes that were so auuring in the
prospectuses and propaganda speeches,
the governor unhesitatingly states to be
due 10 the fact that human nature Is
pretty much the same In the adherents
Of the Social Democracy as elsewhere and
self-interest must ever play the most
pTcmineat part IN mans actions.