The Chamber of Commerce vs. The People
Citizens are mobilizing to protest the Chamber of Commerce’s support for the Northern Pacific Railroad’s controversial land grant.
The Chamber of Commerce of Seattle met on the 11th of last month and adopted resolutions protesting the forfeiture of land granted to the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. However, these resolutions did not express the wishes of the people of Seattle or King County. On the contrary, there is universal condemnation of the position taken. The press of the Territory unites in demanding that the unearned land grant be declared forfeited. A forfeiture of land claimed by this company, which has been withdrawn from settlement for fourteen years, would open to purchase, pre-emption, and homestead entry millions of acres. A public mass meeting should be promptly called to voice this desire and demand honest representation.
“The people of Western Washington have had their fill of bulldosing, tomfoolery and injustice from this soliciting and non-taxpaying gang of public plunderers.”
This story highlights a classic 19th-century conflict between powerful railroad monopolies and the public interest regarding land use. It parallels contemporary debates in Seattle over corporate control of public resources and land-use policy.
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