The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-11-24
NOTE OF WARNING SOUNDED
TOPORTLAND AND ASTORIA
Let Them Bury the Hatchef and Shake Hands
Across the Bloody clasm; They
Are Friends, Not Foes.
CcOpyISfa Reserved,


Portland. Orr. NOV. n--gdstor Abtor-
ian;-I ask space in your pager 20 sound
| ie note OF warning. II Il
Nots Of for the ears Of Portland
warning a. well - Of Astoria.
al F8 These two cities Of the
Columbia should 30 friends-.wsrIn, dear
friends. working IN Vigorous harmony.
Yot they sro foes. Their interests ere
Identical and mptuali yet thsy are eiaaa-
Ing IN 1erce conflict. Each city should
exert its energies IN building up the
other against the common zoe on Puget
sound. Yet those energies arc wasted IN
tearing each other down.
A menaeing tone towards each city
peryades the press Of the other. The
feeling OF animodty is
Hostile being steadily excited
Prsss. where only the deep
friendship Of mutual In
terest In oregons greet seaport and .
common destiny should obtain. Gentle
men may cry, Peace. peace but there
Is no peace" II is deadly war-the war
OF brothers es,rangod by designing per.
sons and by secret In
A Secret teresis hostile TO the
Foe. common weal Of both
And why this frasricidai
sarife7 Why this tocMn OF war and
elang Of Rrms1 Why these hostile
oampsl All because Of mistake A
mistake as 20 thor mutual Interests. A
mistake OF Judgment or OF opinion about
a great economic faet that afects the
prosperity. aye the destiny. OF millions
outside OF our two cities. mistake as
to the effect Of making
All Astoria the chief sea-
Mist'ks. port q the Columbia
basin. Portland believes
the resulting loss OF shipping from hor
wharves would be ruin for her CONNER
eiAl supremacy. she thinks her growth
and prosperity would be hampered. her
trade lessened. her real estate depre-
eiaied. her people ruined. Yet in truth.
Just the opposite effect would follow.
She regards Il as a life and death strug-
gle She deems Astoria her deadly Zoe.
She therefore braces all her energies for
the fsyht she is taught 20 think is on.
Astoria too. shares IN that opinion. and
has glrded on her armor she thinks Il
would be fatal blow TO Portland and
Is eager to strike II. She believes II
would build up her own trade and pop
uiation and wealth (which is clearly
true) on Pertland's downfall. which Is
clearly false. In a word. each city be-
lIeves Il II in deadly conflict for seaport
supremacy. and that Il n war to the
knife. and the kplfe TO the HIT. Yet all
this IL a mlstake-a fatal mistake. that
IL running both cities for the benefit OF
Seattle and for the benefit Of the common
foe, Puget sound.
The plain truth Is THAI Astoria as the
Chief Seaport OF the Columbia basin
would not hurt Portland. |
A Mutual on the. contrary, II would |
Benefit. build up our city as
nothing else on earth |
could possibly do. H would hll our va
cant houses and double their number.
II would still the echoes In silent stores.
II would down Seattle and Tacoma as
seaport rivals. II would quickly double
tho population OF the Columbia basin
tributary TO this natural metropolis. II
would consequently increase Portland's
wealth and population with great ra-
pldity. OF course, Astoria, as the chief
seaport. would grow but its growth
would be In harmony with that OF Port
land.
This great plain truth wish TO get. in
my humble way before the people OF
both cities in clear
No Free tight through series OF
Press. letters which will not be
literary models, but win
tell In plain, simple way what have
learned upon the problem by careful
thought. Judging from the bitter tone
OF tho orcgonlan, II would be folly for
me TO ask hearing in It's columns on
this vital subject II might lead, too, to
my being boyeotted In business by the
o. r. & N. and by the citizens as well,
I have noticed CLEANS OF eonciliation In
your paper. These induce me TO ask an
audience In the Astortan. Since. too.
my views. though repu6iating your city's
hostile attitude, agree II should be the
chief seaport In the common interest.
feel can successfully and safely venture
to offer you that series OF letters which
may set the solid men OF both cities to
studying che situation with a new idea
as the basis OF their thought The TRADE
against Astoria In today's oregonian re-
solves me to offer the letters,
II is a matter OF supreme importance
20 our people and to yours, Brag and
bluster may insist that
seattle's trade Is lively and our
Menace, people prosperous, But
vacant store buildings
and silent stores are eloquent wit
nesses OF vanishing business Every
report that comes from Sc
attic tells OF hustle and stir and trade,
of houses all occupied, Of great prepara-
tions for wheat export, OF travel. and
OF the busy hum of industry In every
quarter
l say, this graveyard silence is due to
the insane hostility between Portland
and Astoria as to sea-
A Fatal port supremacy. 1t is
Enmi,y. dlverting export traffic |
to Puget sound, 1t Is
oheapening the products of Portland's
patrons, II is changing the natural lines
OF commerce from the Columbia basin
to the great inland sea. II is enabling |
"Jlm" Hin to control the policy of the |
o. r., & N against the plain Interests |
of itself and OF Portland. 1t is turning
Portlands greatest agencies Of prosper
ity against st. to the upbuilding of Sc
a, tile. II is making new ruts for COM
merce that, II long used, will become
permanent routes. and may forever down
tho cities OF the Columbia.