The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-07-10
70 The Editor o. tle WoaKIEGsAS's ADvoc4rS.
n-r-r-urr-- e. T-r. -. r..

70 che Editor % tie WosEEGsAS's AByoc4rs
C0LUxgUs. Kansas, June I1th. 1859
A a settler upon che Caerok ee Neutral
sand, heai t.iy tlank you fJE the bold stand
you have taken III favor VI these labor nE
men who are resisting the demands No hnt
monopolists. The Chicago Tribune, ~ com
mon With The "iesser lights" (s1me w whom
[ know are hired 20 take Mr. joys side Of
the controversy may can Wy =" lani steal
era, but thank God t.at DIES no- make ID
50. We are law-ab ling citizens, Che ssser-
tons Of newspapers to JIe contrary uJt-
withstsndinE; ami before We are sent % Che
peuitentiary lr grant larceny, We demand
a fair trial before impartial judges, ana
therefore vie put ourselves upo. tue country.
There IS not word Or truth il TIE state
ment put for.h by the hircHng Jly press.
that urders have been Committed here ON
the league. No such men as Kel er ana
Little are known to have lived On CJx's
Greek, let alone being hung. No man has
been driven from this couary because he
proved up,' under MI JOY. Nd officers
have ever been resisted. No warrants have
ever been issued for any member of the
League, and no attempt has been made to have
any issued that am aware Or Our courts are
open ior tie redress VI grievances. ana 7
say let Jey men abide BIZ the law as well ~
other people. This railroad monopoly party
havl a Monitor at Fort Scott, that sends
broadsides into the settlers, while their Sen
tinet az Baxter Springs gives as an occasion
al shot but we have not returned their fire
because We have bal no paper Now We
have an AdUgcGte with the people, Sud I
trust tho true version will be extensively
circulated
Cur position is simply this We are in
posS ss0n OF these lands, not as tresUassers,
hut a. free American citizens We came
here before Mr. Joy pretended To have any
title, 10 wit June 10. 1865. We are here,
as We claim, upon the public lands Of the
United States, and under the protection lf
that Tag for which three-iourIh, OF Us fought
10 uphold during the war; We have our
little homes, humble 70 be sure. yet Il 5
home, let ID be ever I'D hOmely we hay-
our schools, and upon the Sabbath We W9r.
ship God, az people DO IN other countries.
We came here to remain Il Is our adopted
hone We do not believe Mr. JOY has
legal title to our homes, and therefore v are
not willing to buy of Ais,, az ang price The
Tribune need not suggest compromise at
81 50 per acre, for If Mr.. Joy would offer
to sell US our lands az $l.25 per acre, We
would not accept it, because TO has NJ right
TO sell it.
We are willing and expect to pay tb7 gov
eminent Sl.25 per acre, under the pre-emp-
ton laws. II Mr.. Joy Or the r. r. Co, to
whom be has transferred bis interest, really
think that the title derived through the sale
made BY Secretary Browning, 90. U. Brown
ing, Of quincy, H., well known to many Of
us) let them proceed according TO law to OBJ
tain possession. They have been urged to
commence suit against one II Us and test the
title in the United States courts. | don't
see how We have any chance to bring suit
for possession when We are already in peace
able possession. Now, II the II. r. o.. will
"let US alone," las JEFF Davis said) We will
have no qua rel "Let Us have peaoe."
But the "trouble on the neutral lands"
about which 50 much has been said Of late,
was caused by the Z. R. Co. trying to tax
torcible possession Of these lands, and the
settlers nave Tt9hb 10 use just so much
force as may be necessary to prevent this
wrong act Of the X. r. Co., but no more. |
am to- a that some of the "bOys" IL Crawford
county vent a little farther than vas neces-
sary, and burnt wagon, sole baggage, IN
struments &C., belonging 20 the K. X. Co.,
and tel the engineer not to be caught up
ON to seutral land again or be would be
hung Trey, no doubt, were only joking
for they are nearly all Illinois men, and you
know hey are generally heavy on joke /
presume they waited TO learn Mr.. Engineer
to stake joke" However, 90 NOT justify
any violauon Of law; We have right upon
our side as well as law
We do not agree with the Tribune when
it says "Me. joys title TO the lads Is GOO.
in point Of law" What lawyer saws 80 Ii
says also that ''these lands werc owned in