The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-08
AN INJUSTICE TO SETTLERS.

1t is not the state alone which is chief y
concerned in the surveys OF public lands.
There are other interests not less import
ant thar are jeopardized lastingly by the
inaction of the government. The settler
upon the public lands is in position Of
uncertainty and even of lawiessness that
can be removed only by the mediation OF
the government. The man who goes upon
the public area, stakes of his claim, builds
his house, and improves his land, has need
of stout heart and q strong arm. II is
likely to be years before he can be regarded
in any other light than that of q squatter;
and meantime he is liable to the attacks
and wiles of the inscriptions jumper. His
only title is his shotgun. and there Is not
an hour in the day that he may not be
called upon to defend 1t. II is no credit to
the government that settlers upon the un-
surveyed domain do not engage in bloody
and continuous strife for possession of
their homes. It Is simply due to the strong
sense of right and Justice that obtains
amongst the squatters and causes
them to form q society of their own
primitive in many respects, but APP
preciative Of the fact that no
one can stand alone, and that In union
only can they hope to successfully defend
their fresides and finally obtain indisputa-
BILE possession of their homes
The statutes pretend to recognize the
equities of the settler who in good faith
goes upon the public lands and builds q
home. He Is given first right of purchase
when his land is surveyed. But mean
while what recognition does he secure
from the government Who defends his
right but himself and his neighbors, If be
has any7 Is 1t certain that, when the time
comes. he will not have infinite trouble in
proving up, and rightiul possession be de-
layed for months and even for years? And
then perhaps 1t win not be given at all,
through some contemplate bubble or
fathomless technicaiity that no one on
earth but shyster lawyer or a third-rate
clerk in local land Office can discover.
The federal land office has recently re-
stored the deposit" system abo ished by
the brilliant Sparks, who thought every
settler q pirate and all men but himself
thieves and robbers. By this plan, when
any considerable portion of unsurveyed
land has become well filled, the settlers
may secure survey by paying for it them
selves. The money is refunded when the
settlers prove up. The system has advan-
tages, no doubt; but for some reason it is
not generally taken advantage of. Settlers
want the regular survey instituted in the
regular manner, and then there can be no
question of the security OF their possessions.
There are over 5000, 900 acres of unsur-
veyed land in Washington available for
settlement. Newcomers are pouring into
the state in steady stream, anxious to
obtain some of these lands. Is IL any
wonder they hesitate to locate their homes
there2 Would 1t be surprising if they re-
fused altogether to become dependent upon
the pleasure of the government before the
boundaries of their claims can be defined
These people come to Washington with
bona fide intentions of making homes,
and the refusal or neglect OF the govern
ment to look after them is direct imputa-
ton of their good faith and citizenship.
Ii is high time that the wretched policy
of inaction which has heretofore allowed
only u meager fraction of needed surveys
be changed and the government awake to a
sense OF the rights OF large part of its
good citizens