The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-02-04
The Official Paper Of San Juan County.
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 4th, 1897
POPULIsT DEMANDS.


legislature has disposed of the sena-
torial question by electing a Silver Re-
publican to succeed Senator Squire
there seems to be no reason for further
delay in the enactment of the divers
measures of "refOrm" intended for the
relief of the "common people" to which
the Populist party and it's allies in this
state are pledged by the platform adopt
ed by the Ellensburg convention, from
which we quote as follows;
We demand the enactment into law of
the following propositions:
The material reduction of excessive
salaries of executive, legislative and jul
dicial officers.-Lessened freight, pas
senger, telephone and Geographic rates
Torrents system Of registering land titles.
A general system Of non interest
bearing warrants, receivable for taxes
throughout the State.-That school
books be furnished to the pupils in our
public schools at the expense Of the State.
THAT in case of sale of property under
foreclosure DEGREES the debtor shall re-
out the redemption period, and that the
period of redemption shall be two years
instead of one.--To prohibit deficiency
judgments in mortgage foreclosures
For liberal exemption from taxation OF
personal property and improvements in
or upon lands.-That the next legisla-
ture shall take the necessary legal steps
to submit to the electors of this State to
be voted upon at the next general cleo
ton an amendment to the State COnstitu-
ton comforting the elective franchise
upon women citizens of this State
IL Ia. HILL L..
conformity with our State Constitution
making it felony for any County, City
Or State officer to accept or use a railroad
or other transportation pass and that the
law shall also be made applicable to those
who offer such passes.
OF course the platform does not fail
to reaffirm the party's allegiance to
the initiative and referendum idea,
which is one of the cardinal principles
of the Populist faith.
Some of the demands of the Ellens-
burg convention are certainly merito-
rious and it may reasonably be ex-
pected that the Republican minority
will cordially cooperate with the
fusion majority in securing their prop
er endorsement by the legislature.
For instance, there can be no doubt
that the salaries of executive, legisla-
tive and judicial officers are unneces-
sarily high. In the matter of legisla-
tive expenses, however, the course of
the legislature has been in open dis
regard of the demands of the conven-
ton in which many of its own mem
bers participated as delegates. 1t has
made very little reduction in the num-
Der of legislative employees and SUBJ
stantially none in the salaries paid,
and it took the inexcusable liberty at
the outset of the session to make the
members and employees preferred cred
itors of the state by transferring $780,
900 in cash from the tide land fund for
the payment Of their warrants. Pos
sibly they can reconcile their action in
this respect with their demand for the
abolition of the salary fund in all coun-
ties.
AS to freight, passenger, telephone
and Geographic rates within the state
there can be no doubt that there should
be some reduction and some reasonable
system of regulation.
The TOrrens system of registering
land titles was explained in The
ISLANDER a few weeks ago. 1t is sim:
pie, reduces the danger of errors to a
minimum and effects a material saw
ing to property owners in making
transfers.
The proposition to issue non-interest
bearing warrants: receivable for taxes,
is of doubtful wisdom, to say the least.
In connection with such law for the
collection of taxes as the one now in
force in this state it could hardly fail
to be disastrous, but there would be
much less objection to it with bust
ness-like law in force which would COM
pei the payment OF taxes and put the
state and its counties upon cash basis.
1t is well enough to make the furnish
ing of text books in the public schools a
charge against the state, but there is lit
tie to commend the proposition to pub
lish such books at the state expense.
The inevitable result would be an infer.
ior grade of books without any benefit
to the state that could be sufficient
recOmpense for such inferiority.
There certainly ought to be some
change in the present law relating to
the possession of property sold under
foreclosure, but it is doubtful if the
proposition to make the redemption
period two years instead of one would
afford much relief to debtors if enacted
into law.
The deficiency Judgment law should
be eliminated from the statutes, but
we are not prepared to give such an
unqualified Endorsement to the next
proposition, which embodies, to an in.
definite extent, the single tax idea, OF
TO the proposition to confer the elective
franchise upon women.
As TO the pass question, it appears
that the Populists require a criminal
statute to compel them to respect the
clear provision of the constitution upon
this point, and if they are to be guided
by fear of the law rather than respect
for principle, it would probably be well
TO enact some measure that would en-.
ehle them to restrain their natural in.