WILLAMETTE FARMER: PORTLAND, OREGON, FEBRUARY 24, 1882
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Issued tvery Wek by the
WILLAMETTE FA Km It riBLlSIIIM'
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7 S stron? well rooted, hardy and beautiful roe.
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act and requesting them to renew.
Some interesting communications are crowd
ed out of this issue, but will appear next week.
We have written a paper on "The Tariff, "
(a accordance with the request of Elder
Sweeney, but have not room for it this week.
The only excuse we can make for the un
fairness of some of our editorial brethren
it, that they are running a political game just
new, and riding anti-monoply as a hobby.
So they abuse any one who takes reasonable
tad conservative ground. We hope they will
11 be as reliably anti-monopoly after the elec
tion, but we calmly predict that when their
fame hall have been played out they will
eool off amazingly, while the Farmer will
be the most reliable friend the good cause will
bare to depend upon.
Speculation co.nxer.vi.vc the world's pros
pect for bretdstutfi in 18S2 seem to be gener
ally made by those interested in that line of
business and the general impression seems to
be that there will be abundant supplies from
various sources. The European journals try
(0 make out that supplies from Russia, India,
tad the other regions that produce surplus
grain will hold American wheat in check, but
when the time comes we expect to see the
United States take the lead as usual. It is
far too long before harvest to say with any
certainty what the world's supply will be, but
0 far indications are favorable to good harvests.
The world is horrified to know that perse
cution of the Jews in Ruisia has been carried
to for months, atter a fashion that a Sioux
Indian could not make more barbarous. In
trer forty cities the Jewish quarters have been
pillaged and often burned; hundreds, if not
thousands of murders have been perpetrated
Mid everywhere women have been outraged
and often have died in consequence. These
fact are published in detail by responsible
journals and the charge is made that Russian I
soldiers have often assisted the rioter, while
their officers and the government refuse to
interfere to protect the despised Jews. These
atrocities carry the world back to the age of
burbaris m .
The Editor of the Farmer believes he can
beat satisfy the minds of anti-monopolists by
jNtetiug them, and will be glad to do so on
any occasion when they hold county or gen
oral gatherings. He stands ready for the fierc-
at inquisition and will sustain on the rostrum
what he has written in his office. His inter
Mtl are identified with the producers of
the North West. While he does not fr
Tor undue excitement or thn unreason
able assertions of Elliott, he always has and
always will uphold the right of the people to
Ojptrol the franchises they grant. The cor
porations arc necessary to us and have rights,
but our business is to sustain the rights of
the people. A fair mind will consider the
rights of both.
TV! IjO not understand that the most ultra
anti-monopolist expects to do anything more
than regulate fares and freights by proper
legislation. That has always been our posi
tion and no man can show a single line in the
Farmer to the contrary. To support that
yiew it is not necessary to make out that Vil
Jard is a swindler or to tell lies about his pro
ject. Such excitement disgusts reasonable
men and does no good. A legislative inquiry
can call out all the facts necessary and legis
lative action can control all such franchises.
This region wants roads and must have them.
We have waited thirty-two years to seo such
development as now is in progress and the
Wjllauktti Farmer doesn't hesitate to Bay
that it is glad the time has'come, "If that is
reason, make tho most of it,"
IS COMPETITION POSSIBLE?
Chicago has four outlets to (he Atlan'ic in
shape of as many railroad lines, and as these
could not agrvo how they would divide the
spoil, they have lately been at "war" with
each other, and freights have been as low as
five cents a huslicl, on wheat and corn, for one
thousand miles' carriage. Now the belligcr
cut lines havo made peace and formed "a
pool" that is to la t for five years, which
means that they agree to carry for 'JO cents a
hundred pounds to New York, IS cents to
Philadelphia, and IT cents to Raltiniore, but
the interesting feature comes in, that illus
trates the fertility of expecting competition
from railroads, that during the next five years
these thtvc great lines are to liiake montly ad
justment of their business and their profits
are U be divided pro nita. It looks as if l'Jc
a bushel was cheap ttinugh for carrying corn
from Chicago to New York, but the railroads
have fixed it to suit themselves.
Many are deceived with the idea that rail
road competition is pnsime. loitiuuiation is
possible, but competition will prove a delu
sion. We have Untight over this subject
freely of late, and taking this action of thf
Eastern trunk lines and the combination of
the three trunk lines to the Pacific, that has
lately been effected as we have before stated,
we arrive at the conclusion that no good re
sults are to lc expected from railroad compe
tition under ordinary circumstances, and the
question arrives: now can any country or
region be lest benefitted by railroad construc
tion ? We answer as follows:
If a harmonioui railroad system can be
made to answer the needs of this region, it
will be better for us than to have conflicting
and competing lines that will right ahile,
and then combine and "pool their earnings,"
as those great Eastern roads have done. Rut
those roads lead to different points and rail-
...3. A.l...l - 1l f .1 . 1 M I
luuus Hit; uc-ucu iu an ui wicin, wnue nere ue
have the natural port of the Columbia river
that invites the commerce of the interior. If a
perfect railroad system is made to concentrate
here, and is built and operated in an econom
ical roanuer, no one will deny that it can do
the business cheaper than two competing lines
can do it. If two great systems should center
at Portland they would eventually make a
combination and pool their earning? on the
basis of at least paying interest in the cost of
both, and the expense of managing, operating
and repairing two lines will be more than for
one system so planned as to reach every pro
ductive region to best advantage.
Take the position of the most advanced anti-monopolists;
thit eventually government
shall own the roads. If that time comes, we
uill hae to buy all these lines at their cost,
and that will be an unnecessary tax. Take
the more conservative ground, that National
and State laws should reeulate fares and
freights. Even then the rates will have to bo
assessed with a view to paying interest on
cost of all these roads, and on the expense of
repairing and operating them, uhich will cost
producers and consumers more than one sys
tem would, well planned, built at reasonable
cost, and operated under one capable manage
ment. Six different corporations are talked of aB
competing for the trade of the Columbia re
gion j let us suppose they have made no com
bination, and that each is reaching out for
business. The North Pacific has its main line
down the north bank of the Columbia and its
road over the mountains from the Sound ; the
O. R. 4 N. Co. controls the south bank of the
Columbia and has wide reaching branches; the
Oregon Short line crosres Middle Oregon, and
enters the Willamette valley, and comes to
Portland by the Minto pass ; the Oregon Pa
cific comes from Boise, enters Linn county by
the Sweet Home pass, and goes to Yaquina ;
the Central Pacific sends up its branch road
from Nevada. All of these corporations strive
to build branches to reach the productive
regions east of the mountaias and of this val
ley. Is it for our good to have all these en
terprises carried through to completion !
Submit this question to the popular vote
and the majority of people will say ; "Let's
have them all. If they can afford to build
them we can stand it." Let us see whether
we can "stand it." Suppose these six systems
to be all competing under different manage
ments. Is it not evident that there would 1
at least two or three times as much money ex
pended in tmildinij roads as would be necessa
ry ! If these opposing interests finally agre
to combine and "pool their earnings," will
not each one insist on making dividends on
its full cost? To operate these roads efficient
ly, will it not require a very unnecessary out
lay ! In brief, if more'roads are built than we
need, will we not, in one wav or another
have to pay for building them and tor keep
ing them running when built?
At the present timo the Villard interest
controls the Northern Pacific, the 0. R. & N,
Co., the Oregon and California, and the nar
row gaugo roads. If that or any other combi
nation of capital will construct such roads as
the country needs and can support, and will
be satisfied to make a fair profit on their in
vestments, it will be of more benefit to us,
and cost us less, than if all these lines shall
build their roads and afterwards combine as
they inevitably will to make tho people sup
port them. Even the Legislature could not
ask them to take less than interett on the
money expended, and that would he more
than we could pay.
We aruue from the standpoint that the peo
ple, through the Legislature, have tne power
to regulate the franchises they have granted.
If we are to pay a fair piofit on investments, it
will permanently and unjustly tax us to have
such investments made on an extravagant
basis.
Rut you say : Villard will not build roads
where ho h not interested j ho will not build
the road to Yaquina ?
If any short line needs to bo ijuilt. it will
bo easy for thoso intcreatcd to get it built. If
nicatis raiso money or plrdpo their credit for
enough to constitute a margin, to cnhlo tlirm
tn licirrott mnnm' inftt as liltint .Inra fn
build anv road that cmim-rco need. And I nM" wll k"'l' "!' tho "Mwilion to irk on
.. l .1 1 be e.vinl anil locks at tho (JimciiIch oi tnu ka
ovule, if I . . . I
IMPnOVlNQ RIVER NAVIGATION.
Wo rauuotseo the object of Pnttlnml Jour
when built, State Legislation can prov
necessary, fot interchange of commerce !
tweeu such needed branch or short lines and
the trunk lines of the country, on a fair kiiis:
but wo understand that railroad are always
willing to make Mich interchange in other
States and would naturally do so here.
We need railroads, but only such as we
have use for. They should bo built not on
speculation but on business principles. If the
Oregon Pacific can connect Middlo Oregon
with the East and with the Willamette val
ley, and open a new port on the coast, it will
offer manifest advantages. Wo aro not depre
cating the building of any ro.vls that are
nreded, but putting before the people a sut'
gisticn that we may get "too much of a good
thing," more than we can afford to pay for;
for, when all is said and dour, whatever com
pany kocs through the formality of buildu g
railroads, the peoplo will have to pay fur
them, or they never 'Till bo paid for.
FACTS ABOUT WHEAT AND TONNAGE-
The opinion waa freely expressed, last Fall,
that freights would be lower in the Spring,
perhaps in February, and that was induce
ment for many farmers and otheis to hold
their wheat, expectini; that prices abroad
would hold up and perhaps improve later in
the seasou. Some features of the situation
are especially interesting, and we mil pro
ceed to sum them up that all interested can
draw their own conclusions.
Oregon and Washington prove to have less
wheat for export than we all figured last Fall.
The common estimate placed the whole surplus
from the Columbia river at 300,000 tous, and
some figured that we should have .'IV.'O.OOO
tons to export this season, but we now
only '250,000 tons as tho probable exact stir
plus duiing the current harvest year. So we
come out of the "little end of the horn' in our
figuring, that too when we had left over about
1,500,000 bushels from 1SS0.
California went the other way. It was as
serted that she would not have over one mil
lion tons of wheat to ship, but tho wheat sur
plus, including the quantity held oier fiom
1S&0, which waa nearly as much as the sur
plus from the last crop, will average I,."00,000
tons, and the entire surplus from the Pacific
States will not fall much short of l.'JoO.OOO
tons, or ."iO.OOO.OOO bushels of heat. Tim
is sixty per cent moie than was shipped from
San Francisco and tho Columbia river lat
year, and that year our tonnage was largely in
excess of any former year.
Last Fall it was impossible to believe that
we could get shipping to carry off the sup
posed surplus, and already we seo abundance
of freighting at our command, and that too,
when the surplus of California is largely more
than was expected.
Freights hare lately declined contiderably
and will probably come down still lower.
Wheat was worth 82 J cents a bushel at Salem
at one time last Fall, when freights were one
half higher than they are to-day and if Eng
lish prices had remained at their highest fig
ure in the Fall, wheat would now be worth
$1.00 to 1.12 per bushel through the Wil
lamette Valley.
This last item shows how near we came to
having a good market at this time. All that
we anticipated concerning freights is being
realized, but the decline in breadstuff comes
very unpleasantly to disturb our hopes.
Tho man who holds wheat says : "Will
wheat go higher or lower ?" Thit is what no
human foresight can anticipate, but it is not
very dangerous to hold wheat a month or two
longer.
It is for the purpose of answering such
questions that we recite all these conditions
the present year, so that every man can un-
derttand the full situation and judge for himself.
lumbia. It puU them under iinpiitat.oii of
wishing to defeat any poisihln competition in
freights, which ii probably not the object they
have in view. Portland ii desirous of having
the water way from the ocian to her hare
made as iH-rfectHs human ellort can do it, and
it is vcrv evident that people lino oppose
outlay by government on the upper river,
hopinir to havu more means placed by (.'(in
gress tv tho credit of tho lower ricr im
provement fund and the improvement of the
Columbia Kir. It wou'd look better if the
tnattt r wero put in that shape as if it were
more necessary just now to improve the Iwr
than to work on the canal at tho Cascades.
Hut tho people of the Upper Columbia are
impatient of opposition to tho only project
that can ultimately give them competition in
freights. They c.itct tho canal and locks at
the Cascades first, and the cuial and locks at
the Dalles afterwards. They know that the
government is able to accomplish it all, and
expect it all to bo done. Any public man w ho
will tako tlio poaition that work nt tho Cas
cade is a waste of money, will find his caret r
ended iu a summary way. We do not expect
ever to see the benefits of the Columbia river
improvement, but our young men, and thoae
in life's prime ought to seo it, and a wise K1
ley looks forward for generations. The work
could le all doun in a few years if Congress
could be mado to sec its ncceiwity.
Portland must not stand in tho way and
use its millions to ag-r-iudi70 judf at thn ex
pense of tho rest vt tho Columbia region.
When Mr. Villard addressed the Hoard o(
Trade he said that Portland was able lo make
the liver navigable for lU own benefit. Major
Thompson w rites to the Hoard of Trade that
ho is working for a large appropriation for the
improvement of tho bar, because that Is too
Lig a job for Portland to undertake, and he
doesn't care so much about an appropriation
to improve tho river bars, because that is
within thu means of Portland to tecoinplish.
Mr. Villard anil Mayor Thompson are cor
net in demanding that Portland shall work
out its own saKation to a certain extent.
ine minions acquired lieie have in great
measure come from tho producers of this
region, and capital can afford to protect itself
by such improvements of the river as com
merce needs. Production looks on the shallow
and dangerous liar as a tax it must pay; the
same it true of tho obstructions of tho Upper
Columbia. Tho good ro.ults that have fol
lowed the opening of navigation on tho Wil-
lamette answer all that can bo -uid ai-ainst
opening theColuiiilita ni the same manner.
TIIE DUTY Of CITIZENBHIP.
PROGRESS OF DEVELOPMENT.
THE DOOM OP POLYQAMY.
opening Yaquina to commerce will benefit the
After all these year, snd after the evils
and horrors of Mormonism have shocked the
world beyond forbearance, there seems a
probability that a law will pass Congress suf
ficiently strict and full enough in its powers
to deal a death blow to polvgamy. We hear
already that the Mormon delegate, the many
married Cannon, is in despair because this bill
passed the Senate, and the rest of us can
congratulate ourselves that having passed the
Senate and received the plaudits of the nation
and the world, it cannot fail to pass the House.
The bill seems to meet every possiblo re
quirement to be effective; all men who are
guilty of polvgamy, or who cohabit with more
than one woman, are not only punished as
criminals, but are disfranchised and incapable
of holding office. The political existence of
Utah is abolished the instant the act goes into
effect, as the ulective offices are all declared
vacant and the government of the territory is
vested in a commission of five persons, to be
appointed by the President, with tho consent
of the Senate. This commission shall ap
point to minor positions and administer the
laws until a Legislature shall bo elected under
this act by voters who are not polygamists.
Polygamy or bigamy is also mado punishable
as a criminal offense, and polygamists are not
eligible to (it as jurors.
It is not believed that Mormonism can out
last polygamy and the lots of political power.
This bill is intended to deal with it firmly
and show to the world that Mormonism is no
loncer to defy all law and propriety. We
shall hear of wailing and gnashim of teeth at
Utah, but the situation will admit of no
equivocation. With tho full intent ond force
of the government to aid them, tho "Gen
tiles" will assert themselves, and tho nou
polygamous Mormons will ho more independ
ent. This act will also encourage a good class
of people to ftcttlo in Utah. It is to bo hoped
that the passage of this bill will check the
growth of Mormonism in New Mexico, No
Willamette valley, Villard cannot prevent its vada, Arizona, Idaho and elsewhere, whero it
being done, and it only requires that men of ha been gaiuing a frothold.
We announced in last issue news received
just as we were going to press, that the Sound
region was to be advantaged by the building
of a railroad from Tacoma to Seattle, a dis
tance of forty rniUs along the shore. The
attorney for tho Northern Pacific road, Mr.
James McNaught, of Seattle, was in this city
last week and showed us tho evidence that
the work is to bo pushed through immediate
ly by the Oregon and Trans-continental Com
pany. It seems to bo tho object of this cor
poration to own the controlling interest in the
Northern Pacific, Railway and Navigation
and Oregon Improvement Companies, ard to
build such branch roads and extensions of the
Northern Pacific as that Company is not
authorized to construct under its charter. It
it a question whether the Northern Pacific
can build further down the Sound after mak
ing a terminus at Tacoma.
Although it is mid winter, the work ot rail
road construction is being pushed in every
direction. Hundreds of hands and a great
outfit of munitions and tools have been sent
south and work is now being done beyond
Roseburg. We also learn that the Central
Pacific is working north from Redding. We
may look for connection with California by
the end of IsS.i, though no promises are made.
Tho Northern Pacific has had 1,500 men at
work all Winter, on tho Clarke's Fork divis
ion, in Northern Mantana, and we learn that
tho samo company has arranged to get im
mense supplies by the Utah Northern road to
usu in the construction of work in Central
Montana. All that human energy can do will
be done to push work at both ends.
Contracts have been let by the Railway and
Navigation Company for (-railing the road
over the Kluo Mountains to ('rand Ronde
Valley, which will require heavy work. It
has been asserted that the Oregon Short Line,
to connect 1 laker City with the Union Pacific
road at Granger, in Wyoming, would be com
pleted this season, but that will not be ac
complished as neither of the corporations seem
ablo to reach Ilaker City in 1882.
It remains to be seen what the Oregon Pa
cific will accomplish in 1S82. We do not
understand that they have definite plans fur
ther than to connect tide water on Yaquina
Ray with the railroad system of the Wil
lamette Valley as soon as possible. This
should bo accomplished by September, if the
work is pushed as the other companies are
pushing their lines. Tho farmers of Linn,
Lano and Benton counties aro looking with
much expectation to the furnishing of another
outlet for their products, and also hope the
Oregon Pacific will carry out tho promise of
building a line through Middlo Orcpon, with
Eastern connection via Iioise City, It seems
that tho topography of Middle Oregon is not
unfavorable to such a lino of railroad.
Unless some great financial crush comes to
destroy confidence, wo may expect all these
great enterprises to succeed within two years.
Tho most reasonable opponents of monopoly
seem to ngreu that wo need theso roads and
should do nothing to embarrass their con
struction, and when they aro completed wo
can talco whatever steps aro necessary to pro
tect ourcelvcs against iiiiduu exact! -.nu. It
will bo pciftctly safo, however, to elect a
Legislature that can bo depended on to meet
any emergency that may ariso.
Only four mouths, and even Ica-i time, will
iiitrtumo lief oio thu hii'iiliUI election of thu
Statu of Oregon. Already wo lit ur thu x)lit'
lo .il win uhoon in thu distance!. Not thu war
cues of thu embattled people, but thn an
iioiiucpiiu'iitt of thu politicians who uoiiliilcut
ly proe t run thu political machine to suit
thrmselvis. Go to thu Kilitical center nf any
county in tint Statu and rrmaiii quietly ob
servant a short while, and you will perccivs
that a set of old political hacks aro talking up
matters in thu intercut of some ring oi clique,
who imagine they own this or that party,
.Tins uo mo is thu casu in Marion county,
where wo occasionally go, ami whero wn na
turally havu know lidgu of rings and clique,
and where wo have always fought thrill.
When there thn other day wo heard tho names
of people of that county talked of lor nllico,
who could never bu nominated for position by
tho intelligent inassrs of voters, but who aru
intriguing to got a nomination by any means,
believing that party fueling and macliliiu drill
will elect them if so nominated. Thu sninn is
trim here in Portland, whero men nru puttini;
up their game for ollico as co lly ns they bar
ter for leal catatu, mid expect to get a clean
titlu from thu peoplu if they can run their
wires, so as to manipulate thu conventions.
Eight years ago, tho Wn.iaMi.TTK Fahmku
ted thu van of an liidecndcut (Militical move
ment that wis ctedltaulo to the pi-opln. Good
men of all putlc jollied It, and nitli a littlo
cat her start it would h.xvo swept tho State.
As it was, it controlled tho Igislaturu and
thwarted many schemes. Ih.it movement
hrnucht reasonable men, who had differed
lHilitically, into harmony, and cooled and re
freshed thu jtolitical atmosphere for years af
terwards. This ear theru la much less indit.
ical rancor in thu popular mind than usual,
but there is no talk of Independence. Then
is no piohahility that men will break loose
from political organizations, ami the political
games must all bo pUvd for what tlu-y aro
worth.
Tho Wu.HMirrTK PauMr.u doc not pro
wo to be jurtisan. It has faith in thn peo
ple but not in H)htlcal artlt-s. It Is disposed
to freely discuss any situation that ansrs, and
seek for a rwncdy for existing uvilt. Political
parties, as they aro constituted, arti "evil, wnl
that continually." Parties are a nrcrasily,
but the moment onu is nrganiz! wilitical
sharpers step to tho front and manipulate
them in the interest of sellislmess. There aro
always leading minds who control popular fa
vor, and whoso control is not alwsya honest.
Tho great majority of tho people gtt their
politics as they do their groceries ami other
warr, on trust. They are swayed t.y stronirtr
minds; men of opuUr manners, who cultivate
public favor as a trade, take all tho respon.
hility of thinking ami acting off thu minds ot
their adlu-rmt; lead thciii to thu tulitical
contest in organized battalion and vntc them
solidly, in phalanx form, dead against their
own best interests.
Tho truth is, that American liberty i oftnn
a tremendous farce. A wise a.ul paternal
despotism is comfortable alongside of it, and a
respectable constitutional monarchy shin's by
comparison. England holds lur railroad and
telegraph system iu check, owns tho tele
graphs and controls thu railroads, but in tho
United States thu railroad and Udegraph mo
nopolies are more powerful than thu English
monarchy and twrliament combined. In Eng
land tho evils of a depraved civil service wero
reformed by one administration- yes, by one
of the greatest aristocrats who ever governed
England whilu to-dav our own country is
cursed with the most despicable, civil service
known outside of Turkey. Spain and Austria
and Russia havo a better system, and Franco
and Germany are vastly superior.
Theru ru ten minions of voter in thn Uni
ted States who imagine thoy are thu "sov
ereign people," but they are only puppet in
tho hands of ten thousand demagogues who
rule tho laud. Theso demagogues havo their
willing, and perhaps: hired agents in every
neighborhood, who managa tho primaries, and
having owu the seed they know what the
harvet will bu. If a ring is formed, it is in
the interest of machinations that aro past
finding out by tho honest and credulous voter.
The village ring has wide ramifications ; somo
Senatorial or Gubcrnatiorial ospuaut is tho
Paul who plants, and soinu political ring
or monopoly combination is thu Axdloa who
waters and sprouts thu sued. The county
convention follow ; tho Statu convention and
National convention aro simply the result of
the village primaries through tho land, and
our liberties are a mockery, because the best
citizen despises thu tricks that rulu tho pri
maries, anil so stays away, and lets tho trick-
iters "run tho machine."
Ono of our sweetest poet has pictured the
effect of tho ballot iu thu hands of freemen,
that falls as silently
"As snowllak't falls upon tho sod,
nut executes tho ireumans will
As lightning docs thu will of God."
Itut unhappily for American liberty, too of
ton the ballot goes astray and forges lightning
that is destructive to thu rights of tho people.
Our Statu is not yet in thu condition that
California is placed by a monopoly thot brooks
no criticism, and which, as Judge Hoisu says.
takes nnu-fifth of its yearly profits of g'J-J .
000,000 from thu truflic of thu North Pacific.
Wo havo independent minds among us, and
no power can imposu upon us if tho peoplu of
both political organizations will attend tho
primaries, and put only honest ami competent
men up for office. It is nioro important to at
tend tho primaries than to voto on election
day, just as it is more important to put your
seed iu well than to harvest it. Thcro is no
recourse, after thu nominations aiu iniulo,
One ounco of prevention is worth a pound of
cure. So our advico is, that in uve'iy precinct
in Urcgon nil tho voters uinliu it n conscien
tious duty to attend tho piimuiica, M jf y(m
find that any suspijioiis "slatu" ha boon
Hindu, don't liusitato to "smash" it. If any
man wants nllico, nominato soum onu nlso,
It has always licen our principle that all tho
capahlii mid disinterested men at tlio prima,
lies, nnd that will bo death to nil rings ,n,i
monopolies. Keep all nspirnntn in t tin hack..
giouiidt don't let any candidate for ollico show
hi hum! without liresklng it. If honest ,i
capnblii representative of tho peoplu mntn
convention and select good mini for .lci, not t
becan so they want ollico, but because the pro.
pie choose them, wo need Imvu no fear of tU
consequence. If a competent liiisltnr,
mints next Fall, elected to rupirscnt the po,
pie, and not known a thn representative ol
ring and demagogue and ollleoseokers, )),
will havu no trouble in choosing somo good
man to repromnt Oregon in thn United Ktstti
Sunoto. Such men can go to work deliberate,
ly tn frnmu all iifcessary law to protect tlia
people.
Thn long and thu short of it Is, that tlit
pcgplo of Oregon are master of their own
ilestliiie. If they exercise their privilege a
voter wisely, thuy can csta'ilislt hero as good
government a thu world know. During
many year wo havu continually tt theso
fact biifora our render, and endeavored to
impress iihjii their mind thu importaiica of a
pi-jper exercise nf thu duty of cltlrenslilp,
THE 0UE00H PAClt'lO RAILROAD.
Wn learn, through iixchsuge at Albany
and Corvalll, that the Oregon Pacific Rail,
road Comaiiy I making all picparatlon to
put their road through as soon as pnssililo
from Yaquina Hay to this valliy, and that
material and equipment arc laing provided for
thu ua of thu road when constructed Tho
company u also lookinu up thu Ut location
for a bridgo acioaa thu Willamette river at or
mar Albany, and making proposition U the
county authorities to construct a doubln
bndgu acros that ner, we suppose (or the
accommodation of ordinary travel a well a
railroad tram. Thu same, authority say the
company is already looking to tho construc
tion of it road across thn mountains toward
Middlo Oregon. It really teem a if those
who doubted tho intention of this compan
to push its nterprine, a ha been talktd of,
am to be agreeably disappointed, for many
who wuh th project will havo felt douht
alxiut It tin-celt.
Tint importance of Oil enti rprise, simply a
mean of developing another shipping poit,
cannot be overestimated for thu farmer of the
Willamette valley, who dclre to lj ihdepciid- A
cut of thu exaction of Portland and tho ei
crsiivo tax of thn river and luir pilotage and
towagn system that really oppresses our com
merce. Tho construction of thu road to Ya
qtiiua mean tho improvement of that harbor,
so a to accommodate vessels fitted to move
our grain and Dour and other prixlucta, It
will also connect with this valley and with
that port, a largo and productive region in
Southern Wasco and Grant counties that now
i utilized only for grazing purpose, but
which will invite ngriciiltuial development as
soon a it can poasea transportation facllltioi.
During the Fall wu interviewed Mr. Sum
merville, of Pruierville, and gathered from
him many interesting fact concerning that
region, which we gavn to tho publio at that
timo. Wo especially consulted Mr. Summer
villo concerning tho lay of the country with
reect to the construction of a railroad on tho
line proiiotcd by tho Oregon Pacific, ami
learned from him that tlm muting conditions
ant favorable to thn construction of such a
road o far a appearance indicate. Ho say
thn routu will naturally follow around the
southern spur of the Hlue mountain, and
will develop tho Malheur country well as
tho Crooked River country, croMing tho Cas
cade by one of tho Sautlam poaaos.
A yet no other railroad offer to go to the
relief ol that middU region of Oregon, and by
i doing thu Oregon Pacific will not only
make the development of that wide region
possible, but will bring it into friendly oom
mercisl relations with tho Willamette valley.
It trad it will also naturally go to build up the
commercial importaucu of Yaquina a tho
outlet for Its surplus product. We can see
material advantage to follow tho construction
of thu Oregon Pacific, and hnpo to find tho
expectation realized of tho thousands inter
ested iu its completion.
1
A Railroad from Kllckllat to Yakima.
Wo lately had a call from Mr. Wash, editor
ami publisher of thu (ioldemlalo (VoiWif, ono of
thn best local journals in tho UpMtr country.
Ho rays peoplu there look for thu speedy con
struction of a railroad to intersect Yakima
valley and thu Klickitat valley, with terminal
point nt Ainsworth on thn east and Klickitat
Landing on the wet, to reach which the road
will follow tho Klickitat river to its mouth,
ten miles bulow Dalle City. When this road
is built it will open to producer an extensive
region that will swell greatly our export pro
ducts. Surveyor am now in the field locat
ing the proposed line of road.
TllK Albany Democrat ayi
Sam Clarko goes after the Anti- Monopoly
movement by nbiisimz S. G. Elliott. He may
kill oil a doon of Elliott', and the anti - mo
nopoliats will still prosper. Tho organization
in tin county uiimhnr among its members
thu very liest inuii no havu. They oro mini of
avcrugu intellect, good suno, and aro well
enough posted on what I going on in our
country, to that thuy am ablo to conduct the
bilsiuiHs of Ungues mill work for tho object
of their organization without tho help of Mr,
Elliott, or any other single individual.
Thu Democrat is corruot iu its assertions
that tho anti -monopolist of Linn county aro
ablu to conduct the business of the league
without Elliott. It does us gnat wrona in
"aying that wo oppose nnti-nionopoly, anti' wo
requust it to uithor show ono word.stlioro wo
do so, or do us justice in saying'it was mi
takun. Farmer of Linn comity, who mail
this loiirnal, should rocognlzo that out of ro
spnet for thitiii wn havu ox posed Elliott, Wo
bulievu in tho fminurs but not in Elliott.
good citizen has to do, is to ulcct honest and April,
Multnomah Pomona arance.
This (.'rango mot last Saturday at East Port
land Grnngo Hall and officer fr $& wcro
installed by Judgu llohe, Miistor of'tho Htato
Giuiigo. Tho grango ad join nod to "meet iiuxfc
tliiiuitt thu naiiiu plaoo tho third Saturday of