The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-10-07
'SQUATTER SOVEREl6 MY. !"

In determining whether Kansas
should be a free or a slave State, short
ly after the year 1850, there was a bit
ter conflict between the Northern and
Southern men in Congress over the
policy which Congress ought to pur-
sue on the subject. Stephen A. Douglas.
afterwards Mr. Lincoln's opponent for
the office of President, was a Senator
from Illinois, and as a measure of COM
promise, urged that it was not for Con
gress to determine whether Kansas
should be free or a slave State, but
that 1T should be determined by the
settlers themselves. In this settlement
John Brown took a leading part. This
method of disposing of the matter was
called "Squatter Sovereignty" It was
a lawless way of building up homes on
the prairie, for it was the law of the
rifle, the law of might, which gave to
the man who staked off piece of gov
eminent land the right to hold it with
out any regard to the rights of his fell
low countrymen.
Senator Douglas would have been
surprised, if he had been told that
about fifty years later, band of Or
thodox squatters would suddenly ap-
pear in Hawaii and proclaim the same
sovereignty on the slopes of Mauna
lIOa. This strain of settlers scatter
over the vast area of the public lands
after the manner of the Canada thistle.
They have no right whatever to occupy
any public lands which have not been
surveyed and thrown open to settle
ment, but they trust that good ma
tured Congress will, in providing for
the opening up of such lands for occu-
patton, declare that actual settlers
shall have the first selection This has
been repeatedly done in the new ter
ritories. The Indifference of the public,
the cheapness Of lands, the popular
feeling that every one should have a
home, the fact that the squatters have
votes, has permitted this loose DISPOSE
ton of public lands. During the later
years, however, this practice has been
largely checked, and in some cases, es-
pecially on the Indian lands, the Fede-
raj troops have driven off the squat
tiers.
This is the game that has been open
ed on the island of Hawaii 1t will be
defeated, of course, because the game
il exposed.
The Presidents order, suspending
the sale of LANDS, and asserting the title
Of the United States to all public prop
erty, was made at the instance of the
squatters, who misrepresented the facts
in the case. The local journal which
rejoices in the Presidents order, be-
comes naturally the "Squatters' Bugle,' y
and appears to be pleased with the
movements of these marauders. 1t is
necessary for the local government to
resist any infringement of the local or
Federal laws by these land grabbers
This attitude is quite sufficient to
and make it play the Squatters' march
a tune which will be invariably fol
lowed by the stirring music, Anything
to beat the Dole Government"
Any attempt to defeat a genera
-squatting on the public lands of the isl
and of Oahu, will naturally be de
nOunced as "un-American,' of course
II might even be regarded as patriotic
act if the Squatters' Bugle would itsel
squat on Emma square, and so obtail
a title to it by occupation and use
Water finds it's level. So does journal
ism. Even the thieves Of London hav
an "organ."