Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-06-14
OLYHrA. SiTlGpiY MORNING. JlNE II, 1873.
THE NEAH BAY RESERVATION.

ment, simply because We regarded the
whole matter as a private quarrel OF
rival store-keepers, trading with the
Indians, intensified perhaps Ivy rolit-
ical dissentions between Webster and
the Ring. As long as these parties
used legitimate weapons to carry on
their war, we felt inclined to let them
fight, having no very ardent love for
either party. But because they differ
with us politically, is no reason why
we should look Oh with Indifference and
see one Of our citizens deprived of his
constitutional rights by corrupt ring
of politicians and mercenary Shvlocks.
No. content with using their individ-
ual power to malign and Cypress, the
Ring has petitioned the Government for
aid. and we now see the pitiful specta-
Gle Of this great Government issuing its
edict depriving citizen of home and
property, simply because he had the
enterprise to establish and maintain
trading post which interfered with the
store on the reservation, and the courage
and manhood to refuse obedience to the
party lash of the most corrupt Ring that
ever disSraced any country.
A great wrong against the guaranteed
rights of every citizen has in this in
stance been committed. Wrongs toler-
ated to-day may be cited as prcccdents
tomorrow. The same power which de-
prives Webster of his property to-day,
can deprive any other citizen of his pro-
perry whenever it suits the whim, ca
price or malice of the groveling, ambi-
tious and unconscionable desires of an
irresponsible Office oligarchy
The extension of this reservation finds
justification in the robber who strips his
victim of his earnings that he may lux
uriate upon his ill-gotten booty. Web
ster settled upon unsurveyed lands sub
ject to the pre-emption law, made valu-
able improvements, consisting of clear
ing, fences, warehouses, barns, store
and Westinghouse. The Indian De-
partment suffers trader to keep store
on the reservation, in which it has no
interest, and though goods are sold
there at cost and the Indians are Off
cially warned against leaving the reser-
walton to trade, still Webster thrived,
while the reservation store scarcely paid
expenses. This opposition has contin-
ued for more than year, and it be-
came evident that Webster must be
routed or the reservation store forced
to close. The Agent (having no inter-
est in the store, of course applied for
an extension of the reservation Web
ster before this had put his finger into
McKinney's pie, and the Agent found
but little difficulty in making the Super
intendent perceive the necessity for ex-
tending the reservation and in securing
his aid in making Milroy see it. Web
sterhaving refused to support Garfelde,
that gentleman soon became convinced
of the vital necessity for extending the
reservation. The Government, relying
upon the honesty of its agents and rep
resentatives here, and the knowing,
solemn look of assent from the Dele
gate there, saw it too, extended the res
ervation to take in Webster's all, and
gave him thirty days to leave his home
peaceably or be removed by the military
authorities.
While we recognize the right of the
Government to set these lands apart for
any lawful purpose, when we see the
Governments exercising this power solely
for the purpose of closing up rival
store, we Involuntary exclaim, How
have the mighty falleny' We believe
it would have been in better taste for
our present Superintendent to have as
certained the necessity for this extern
sion, instead of applying the term vag-
abond" to Mr.. Webster, of whom he
knows nothing but from the er parte
statements of his defamers, and who.
despite his faults, stands better morally
and socially where he has lived the past
twenty years, than Superintendent of
Indian Affairs generally do before they
have lived here single year. He should
remember too that this is not the first
instance in which very enterprising
agents have found it necessary" to
extend reservations. A. D. Fisher
owned farm near the Skokomish res
ervation. An agent saw money in it.
he asked to have the reservation ex-
tended. 1t was done, and Fisher or