, 1890-03-06
IT ALL DEPENDS.

Speaking OF the tide land fight in
the Legislature, the Olympia CORE
spondent OF the Seattle Press points
out the greedy Inconsistency of the
advocates of the measure. This
sudden change Of base assurcdly
bears an ugly look. When the
school lands are under consideration
the tide land people are quick to
protect the states interest against
the poor settlers. But when it comes
10 the tide lands, coveted by rich
and powerful corporations and com
binations, they view the states
heritage in quite n different light.
Here is the way the Press CORE
spondent looks at the matter. 1t
will strike others In about the same
way:
Both sides are confident of final sue
cess. The bunch-grassers and their
| Western allies think they will succeed
| in knocking out the riparianists and
their supporters. ON the other hand,
the latter have tie advantage of weeks
time in which TO make trades and COM
binations in favor Of their measure, and
TO take such other steps as may be
deemed advisable With halfway good
management they ought to win
The start out by milking mistake.
They are assisting the huueh-grassers
to take ont of the school land bill all
recognition of the prior right of occu
pants and improyers to purchase, Tho
| least reflection should show them that
the most liberal terms which hayo been
proposed in behalf of the school land
improvers arc far less liberal than those
they ask ior themselves. Yet ON Thurs
day they deliberately helped to strike
from the school land bill the following
provision;
Whenever tho appraisers shall find any
portion OF the schoollnnds under ultiyation
aud ia the actual occupancy OF any person
the said occupant shall be entitled
to retain the possession and occupancy OF
such and until the tlEe of It's being offered
for sale, as provided by this act.
And they helped to make the bill de-
clnro;
All persons arc hereby prohibited from
tnk!ug possession OF or entering upon, for
the purpose OF settlement or use. any school
lands belonging 70 this state. except as
purchaser or lessee. under penalty OF 800:
and every person entering upon school
uniawfuliy, shall be deemed guilty Of a mis-
dc,neanor, and upon conviction thereof
shall pay a iine not exceeding $500 nor less
| than 800.
Now. Just look at the folly of this. A
poor devil who settles upon school land,
without irst SECURING lease from the
county commissioners, Is TO be prose
cuted. fined, perhaps imprisoned II he
can not pay the fine, and eyictod, The
tide land forces help TO declare his act
! misdcmeanor, and to make him liable TO
n fine of $500, because he uses the land
.'wiilfuily and unlawfully." In exactly
the same way the tide land men are
'.wil.fully and unlawiully" occupying
and using land belonging to the
state. They say they are willing TO
buy their land at a fair price. So do the
school land men. They say they have
equitable rights. So do the school land
men. 1.-THE tide land people stand In
| to put the school land occupants in the
position of mere squatters, trespassers
! aud outlaws, can they not sec that they
are helping to fashion club that will
soon be whacking their own heads ?
| What equitable or moral right has the
bank owner or the tide land squatter
which is not equally possessed by the
men who In good faith have made
| improvements on school land?
None at all. Yet one class
of squatters turns on another class
and strikes from the bill provision that
amy person actually occupying and eul.
ilvnting school land shall be allowed to
retain IL until he is given by the state
chance 10 bny 81 and votes that any per.
son who has entered on such cultivation
and improvement without paying rent
10 the county shall be eyicsed and pun.