Year: 1878

W. T. 1t claims to be the exponent of
the wisdom and movement of the North.
ern Pacific Railroad Company. The
Oregonian says that VIM. Pickett is The
responsible man of the Times. The
paper is well written and contains much
valuable matter pertaining to the rail-
road and other interests of Washington
Territory But it starts off in opposi-
ton to the Constitution of Washington
and general principles, claiming the old
objection of the older States, that we
have not the requisite population. The


Times attacks the Constitution on the
ground that it makes all railroads in the
State 'free public highways" and in
connection says:


ain the new State it makes all rail
roads ''free public highways" open to
the public at large for transportation
Ike other State or county roads on terms
to be fixed from time to time by the
Legislature the Interpretation being to
allow anybody to build cars and run
them on the tracks in competition with
any and all other trains, ignoring time
tables, n,dispatching. or any other
railroad regulations emanating from
cooperative source"


Conceding to the Times higher de.
gree Of intelligence upon the meaning
of this portion Of the Constitution, than
what is given in its Interpretation
above, we are led to the belief that the
purpose is to make the Constitution
odious by misrepresentation of its in
tent. Considering the general interest
which the people of Washington have
manifested in the early construction of
the Northern Pacific road, and the
patience which they have manifested in
waiting, with millions of acres of their
best lands tied up by the railroad with
drawal, for period often or twelve years,
and but a small prospect before them
for the completion of railroad to us it
appears that it i'll becomes the Northern


Pacific Company, or any party in their
interest to attack the movements of the
people of Washington looking to the


n


formation of State government. But
if we consider the time of the advent of
this new sheet claiming to speak by the
authority of the company, its tone and
temper towards the Constitution, it may
easily be inferred that its main purpose
is to use its influence to defeat the will
of the people to have State govern.
ment. Another objection urged by the
Times is an appeal to the religionists on
account OF taxation of church property.
Now these two objections are too thin
as grounds of objection for that COM
pany TO ever make. IF that company
have anything to do with this opposition
to State government, their objection
lies in another direction. IF they op-
pose, they seek delay on account of
their land grant, which gives only ten
square miles Of land to each mile in
length of constructed road through
States, while it gives twenty in Terrific
ries. Hence they don't want US to be-
come State till they can construct
their road and secure their twenty
square miles instead of ten. Another
objection is they have hope that the
necessity Of the people for railroad will
induce the people to instruct their rep
resentatives in the Territorial Legislature
to pass an act cxempting said road from
taxation for term of years when built.
But under the State government they
expect to obtain no such exemption.
Again prominent members of that com.
pany have acquired large tracts Of land
in the vicinity of the Sound, which i'm
mediafely on the admission of the State
Will be subject to taxation like other
lands, while under the present Terrific
rial government they evade the payment
OF taxes, and leave the balance of the
people to pay all the taxes to support
the government. We don't think that
when the people are made to understand
'aa true grounds Of opposition to the
Constitution which influence the Times
as the exponent of tke Northern Pacific