The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-08

by one of the really great newspapers
of the country, the Portland Oregonian.
It's people rightfully considered that
their future was secure against any
dangerous rivalry.
The city of Portland is today prac-
tically at standstill. It's present de-
velopment has been checked and it's
future, except as a center for local bus
mess, is absolutely destroyed. 1t viii
continue to grow slowly. because it has
a great, wealthy state back Of it, but
it will participate no more in the bene-
fits of a larger development. We are
making no assumptions of our own,
but quoting from innumerable articles
in the Portland Oregonian within the
last two years in attributing this total
of prosperity, to the policy of the
Union Pacific railroad in diverting bus
mess from Portland to San Francisco.
The Oregonian is still a great and fear
less paper, and it has over and over
again within the past twelve months as
sailed Mr.. Hartman as the destroyer
of the city,
The parallel between the situation CT
Portland and that of our own cities is
close enough to be interesting. Port
land enjoys the same alleged advantage
of competition" because the Northern
Pacific line now has access to the city,
as well as the Union Pacific. What
has it availed Portland? The interests
of the Northern Pacific and Great
Northern are on Puget sound. They
will not drag trade away from there to
share it at Portland with rival. The
interests of the Union Pacific and the
Oregon Short Line are at San Fran
cisco. They will not drag trade away
from there to share it with a rival
With its two railroad systems meeting
there, but each chiefly interested in
another and rival port, Portland has
fallen to the ground. 1t is today prac-
tically stationary in population, grow
ing little in wealth, and Is losing it's
business and it's prosperity to Puget
sound on the north and San Francisco
on the south. 1t attributes this terrible
setback to the policy of the railroad
line controlled by the Hartman inter-
ests, and there is not voice in Port
land today which is not raised In de-
nunciation against them.
This is not a matter for loose words
or vague opinions. unsupported by evil
dence of facts. The course of railroad
development in this country and it's eff
feet upon allied centers is we'll defined.
We might search the country over and
find no apter comparison than that be-
tween the city of Portland, crushed be-
tween the upper and the neither mill
stones, and the cities of st. Paul and
Minneapolis were the Hartman forces.
intent upon maintaining the interests
of Chicago and Omaha, to obtain con-
troll Of the Northern Pacific. That
competition" so loosely appealed to
would grind us to powder.
We do not think that the newspapers
of the Northwest who are foulfng their
own nest by pleading the cause Of it's
enemies are as witless as they seem.
They are driven to this shameful ne
cessity because they have not the
courage or the honesty to acknowledge
their terrible plumbers in the past.
Having through ignorance, mistake or
malice fought on the side of an enemy
to the best interests of the Northwest,
they dare not now refuse, when the
temporary elevation of their own mis-
taken cause bids them apply the knife
to the throat Of their own section and
their own business interests.