Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-30
THE FARMERS cLUs ANSWERS TIE
LEAGUE.


As we CO.'S slider both sides of this question en-
tialed to a fair and impartial hearing we give
the communication space, granting the same
privilege to those of opposite views who may
wish to reply:
In our communication published on the 18th of
March we mentioned the Musse Slough land trouble
as one poorly understood To this the leagues take
exception. There are always two sides TO story
one Of these only had been told. We then believed,
and believe that the public have been deceived
as to the real facts in the case. True, much mas
been said aud published But usual the ieaguerS
have made the talk sent spes kers abroad, published
their version of the affair and as far as possible
made public opinion, and, as before stated, they
have assumed To speak for and represent the whole
country. They have persistentlS used the WORD
settlers" and often that and some other state
meuts not strictly in the line Of truth that the pub
lie have become accustomed to associate us all 10.
gether the oppressed settlers OF the Mussel
Slough country"
The Chambers letter published first in the Delta,
and then 10 that pamphlet, and a scattered broad
| cast, not only in California, but m every State
in the Union we refer to it. because it is stated
that " no hing that has been written the subject
could more truly set forth the true condition OF
affAits" There be no doubt that the letter was
prepared for the occasion, and with design u
create sympathy. There's method i'll their mad
ness" Ii is a remarkable document-commeneing
with their first settlement their difficulties III max
ing living the water troubles, broken faith Of the
raj road corporation, small crops Talsed nves MT NJ
of ditch stock the high price for railroad land and
an earnest appeal to the public fer sympathy. AT
this point Mrs. {. turns Judge, and says, no IS
to take care Of the widows and orphans they have
made? l. it the railroad company At their door
lies this murder" This is the judgment Of Mrs
c., not statement Of facts, that the public
might Judge who were guilty. statement
like this could have been made with great propretyt
writ of ejectment had been issued from the
United States Court and placed III the hands OF the
United States Marshal for execution; that he was
proceeding in the line, OF his duty that with him
fha
and take possession of the same; that he was inter
fered with while proceeding to execute the writ, and
the tragedy occurred From the above premises
we come TO quite different conclusion from that OF
Mrs. c. that the Marshal and those with him were
in the line of duty; while those interfering we're
an unlawful assembage, and doubtless for an un-
lawful purpose Here, then, the Judgment would
have TO be reversed, and the public, when rightly
understanding the case would most certainly say
thst the crime # murder would rest elsewhere than
at the. door of the railroad company. No good
thing has been said OF the railroad company 1t Is
an app al for sympathy upon very narrow and un
fair statement. Mrs. G. herself says that at the
time they settled here there was plenty OF even
land to take up. Then, why not have settled upon
it? Why not have left the railroad land entirely
alone? Then, probably, crops would have been bet
ter, bitches easier constructed. In fact, as
all the troubles and difficulties attending the
first settlement of the country is laid at
the door OF the railroad company-presumably all
would have been avoided had they settled on even
land. Why did not Mrs. C. say, that while she was
struggling here for Living, Mr.. Chambers was
working much Of his time for the railroad company
for 81 per day, and give them credit for it Why
did she not tell the confiding public that they did
take up land, and for years while so residing
on even land. that they, BY word OF mouth, held
railroad land claim simply because it was railroad
landl Why did she not say that, in 1876, they sold
their decided land, 100 acres, for $4,000, improve.
ments amounting TO very little Why did she not
say that the railroad claim, with comparatively no
improvements could have been sold for nearly or
INIT before the Ian graded 2 This
would have been the ruth, and nothing more than
justice to the railroad company. And when, on
the construction of water bitches, she might have
said that their land, both decided ard railroad, was
wet by the Last Chance Water Ditch Company with.
out any effort or expense to Mr.. Chambers. But
this not to be. The letter was evidently pre-
pared and placed in that pamphlet for the purpose
OF creating sympathy for the leaguers on very
one sided statement, to say the least.
We say again, poorly understood" In further
proof call attention to the interview, as published
in the VisaIia Delta of the 18th Of February 1881,
wherein the editor Of Torn Talk, San Jose, had in
one short interview with those hardy sons OF toll
become satisfied that they were victims Of the
money power In that short interview t was con-
WINGED that the lana OF Patterson, when he first
purchased it, was ga barren desert, Of little no
lue." Hear what he says :" Ii any one doubts,
let him go and spend an hour with the Mussel
Slough martyrs confined in our Jail" Those
'Mussel Slough martyrs" have convinced him that
the land Of Patterson was, when he went to it, a
Hbarren desert" He so published it to the world.
He believes it. Yet il is not true. Some one has
evidently undertaken to gain sympathy upon false
statement. Mr. Pattersons land was wet by the
Last Chance Water Ditch Company long before Mr..
P. came to the country, consequently is not desert
land. Land at that time in that neighborhood and
similarly situated worth, to say tie least S25
per acre Now for its productions Mr. Patterson
has stated, time and again, that he raised fifty
bushels of wheat to the acre, the first crop; the
second, ffty-fve bushels to the acre; and one of
his crops brought him fifty dollars to the acre A
most excellent showing for a 'barren desert"
This is the way It has been done all along the line
an honest statement published by an honest man
under false impressions, made at that interview"
with those tbrave and hardy of toll" We
again assert that the subject has been but poorly
understood.
The committee say that they have 'never assert
ed that the people here generally eaguers."
Perhaps not but it has been the studied aim of the
leaders OF the league to give the world to under
stand. These false impressions, and making believe
what is not true, IS what we object to. Railroad
DO Sc of nineteen" That is the way they have con-
tipued to do. If there is honest opinion differing
from thers, and independence enough to assert it,
the cry of railroad hireling, railroad posse" is
taken up by Doyle passed along, and IT asserted at
the other end of the line by the committee Of
leaguers. That is the favori'e " argument OF
Doyle, and seems to be quite sufficient for the com
mittee.
The committee of les guers again say that &" on all
important questions men viii take sides, some
for the wrong" So it seems; ard we quite
sorry for 1t. The more so as we that
D
leaguers, advising with them, attending their
meetings, and, inclined to think, just now
doing their hard work. OF course he is free do it,
but it hardly looks well for gentleman of tinerant
habits simple passenger by the way, agent for
the several San Francisco papers, as well
spondent for many of them-to give aid and com
fort to organization of doubtful loyalty to the
Government. This is more to be regretted his
statements as such correspondent will be colored to
suit his views and make good a showing for his
unfortunate brethren as possible. The charge that
many of the nineteen brought money here to buy
with has truth in it. 1t would have been
equally true had they charged them with saving
their money, purchasing their lands, and trying to
build up the country, instead of squandering their
money on Doyle, spending their substance in litiga
ton, and living all these long years in suspense.
Again. it is said that ." some of the nineteen have
not always abstained from agitation" True, no
doubt In early days. when the league was consd
cred legitimate organization in which the contest
to be strictly legal they no doubt had the sym-
pathy of mary good men. But when the military
branch OF the league was organized when they put
on masks paraded the streets OF Hanford, inquired
for Crow, Hartt, and Clark the grader when they
limited to Mr.. Parkhurst that 1t would be better fo-
him TO leave Hanford and not to do the work OF his
employers: when Phillips house and corral were
burned By masked men, and the family turned out
in the cold and warned not to occupy railroad land
again, these god people let the leaguers severely
alone. They now have no sympathy IL common
with their unlawful acts, and wi sh it understood
Again, the committee say, that they have never
seen it asserted that 500 miles Of bitches have been
made" Then, look at the Delta of September
IL 1880, taken from the Antioch Ledger, where it
says that these - farmers have built 500 miles Of
irrigating ditches, brought water upon the land"
etc. He speaking OF the Mussel Slough set
tiers and evidently clsssed all settlers as leaguers
The committee deny the expressed belief of the
nineteen when it asserts that said league has been
a school in which the doctrine of revolution has been
taught. The nineteen not only believed what they
said, but stated the grounds for their belief These
grounds they do not deny. nor can they be success
fully controverted. In their answer they have
travelled outside of the matter in controversy and
luggcd in many things that have no reference to the
letter of the nineteen. We will notice one of
these, for the sake of humanity. They, say
"the tive unfortunate victims who accompa
MED Marshal Poole and Clark, the grader
we're armed while the party of settlers
they fred on and butchered in cold blood had alto
gether only six pistols etc. This is, to say the
least very singular and doubtful doctrine-an
armed band of men following the United States
Marshal and other men in their legitimate business
pi essing fight, killing aud getting killed. and then
~ hutch in ,d