, 1873-06-19
4uoet Sound 1ispateh


cowarflly conspirators who have been
seeking to rob Mr.. Webster of his pos
sessions by secret false representations,
now try TO di ert public attention from
their nefarious scheme. by the snaaking
device of assalling Mr.. Webster and his
defenders in anonymous and irresponsi-
BILE communications through then news
paper organ. An article of this charac-
ter appears in the Courier of the 9th.
which is entitled to no consideration
bnt as manifesto of the ''ring." and
an indication of the miserable shifts to
which they are driven. This ano, nous
illumination contains no fact or denial
material to the issue. 1t opens with
the stale and often refuted calumny,
that the editor of this paper was " com
PEELED to make a sudden exit through
the roof of building to escape the just
Indignation of the people, incurred by
his vile attacks upon the government;
lie in detail, with no other foundation
in fact than by attributing to the people
the felOn acts of mob gathered flom
the slums of city, with which the
anonymous author is manifestly iii sym
pathy; the chief difference between him
and his felon proteges being. that they
committed the crime openly which he
commends covertly.
This writer speaks of 'ths long-stand-
ing disagreement between H. A. Web
ster and other squatters on the Neeah
Bay Reservation and the Indian De-
partment. Many Years ago certain
eastern politicians. jealous of the grow
ing influence of the west, characterized
the pioneer settlers upon the public do
main rs "squatters" and "land-p pi
rates" The popular sense of Justice
effectually rebuked these foul aspersions
by turning the odium upon tfeir oriqi
stors; and these epithets We're not re-
newed by any politician until revived
by the insolsnt and beggarly carpet
baggers quartered upon this Territory
to rob and insult the settlers.
Nr. Webster was in no sense squat
ter or trespasser upon any Government
reservation. He settled upon unreserv-
ed and unappropriated public lands
upon the invitation of the Government
10 all citizens to occupy and improve,
under the guarantee of law to protect
his possessory rights. He held by the
same tenule of other settlers upon the
unsurveyed public lands. Zabriskie'
"Land Laws of the United States says
of the settler of this class: g He secures
a preference right to that land against
all the world. including Congress. MIR
Webster has not been dispossessed by
any act Of Congress, any statute law,
any Judicial decree, any legal authority
whatever, but solely by the exercise oi
arbitrary power, authorized only as d
necessity of the war power under press
ing exigencies which civil law cannot
reach. Under representations known
to be false, the President issued de
cree extending the Indian reservation
over Mr.. Webster's possessions, and
authorized the use of military force tt
dlspossess him, taking no mt asures t.
indemnify him for the loss of large
and valuable property, or affording any
opportunity-for adjudicating his rights
OF property. This is a naked state
ment of the proceedings against an ole
settler which our carpet-bag Fedora
officials, aideo by faithless Delegate
now attempt to Justify by false repre-
sentations, or mystify by false issues.
This nameless champion of the car
pet baggers sneers a, the pretenslon'
of the residents oe the Territory who
believe that the people are capable q
self government. He speaks of this a
Ian insult to all those Territorial Off
GERS who have not been directly appoint
ed from amorg the employees of tn
saw mills and logging-camps of Puge
Sound, arguing that the latter class ar
better fitted for those positions becaus
they are better acquainted with the hab
its of the natives, How foolish is thi
weak and egotistical arrrt alton Thi
arrogant and insolent assumption of tn
superiority of the dead-beat politician
and partisan hacks who are from time t.
time qnarteredupon the Territory atGov
ernment expense over the enterprisin;
and industrious settlers who came her
at their own expense, to make home
for themselves and families, betray
the animns and the motive which actu
ates the whole ring" of imported Fed
eral officials. They came here to rul
and to rob. regarding the settlers a
"sqnatters, having no voice in th
Government, no influence in the ap
pointments. and no rights which the.
are bound to respect.
STEILACooM LAND TITLES. The EI
press learns by what it regards as ''reli
able first class authority" that the Ions
pending claim of John B. Chapman t.
large portion the land covered by th,
town plat of Steilacoom. has been final
ly determined ad, ersely to the claimant
This year will be a prolific one fol
frul's Of all kinds. The crops for the
last three years had led many to believe
that the orchards were failing. but this
crop will undeceive them in that opin.
Ion, as nearly every orchard is loaded
lle CaterDiIlaI 10 ha virry on r,,V cfariourlv