Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-12-02
A QUEER RULE.
1t Works Both Ways-Democrats Have No
Right for Property Appropriated to Pub
lie Use.

knowing your bulldog tenacity
for the rights of man and yonr stick
toitiveness for justice and your alb
horrence for all kinds of inJustices.
| have concluded to show up ii tie
of the cuSsedness of some of our Of
ticials. Our Superintendent of
Schools, Mr.. Parker, in consequence
of the inequality of funds in the sew
eral districts, recommended the con-
solidatiOn of 10 districts in our To-
cality for the purpose of equalizing
the funds, guaranteeing nine
months school in each district every
II mont tbs, with a tax not exceeding
3 mills for the whole consolidation,
besides the appropriation from the
State. A petition was circulated
among the people of the several dis
tricts, and, Notwithstanding the pre-
ponderance of signers for consolida-
ton and the preponderance of votes
at meeting called by the Superin-
teDdent for the ratification for con-
solidation, the opposition having a
lawyer t. handle their case. the op-
position headed by Mr.. Mckenzie ap-
pealed to the commissioners and
they, ignoring the wish of a large
majority of the people wilfully and
deliberately, for reasons unknown,
trampled on every principle of JUS
tice, and ignoring the welfare of the
children and our schools, decided
against the majority. Why they did
it l don't know. Some one must
have had a pull" On the perpet-
uity of our government depends the
education of our children, not a few;
all of 'em, and every man, whether
he has children or not is morally
bound to uphold our public school
system and contribute his share
toward the education of the children.
The laws of our State presupposes
that every child shall have an equal
chance with every other. Where
one or two districts in q township or
community derive all their funds
from the State, while the others have
to vote a 10 mill tax every year to
support their schools, it don t take a
lawyer to see The injustice, when it
can be readily adjusted by consolida-
ton, and yet a few narrow-minded
bigots are unwilling thro' selfish mo-
tives to concede it. The taxable
value Of the one or two districts
above mentioned was not, as the
lawyer said in his pleadings. the re-
suit of superior intelligence or econ
omy, or good management on the
part of the citizens of that district,
but in consequence of the accident OF
two railroads running thro' the one
and vast timber interests in the
other.
Another instance of cussedness q
can't think of a better wordD con-
Germs myself. Road District No.
got 300 loads of gravel off my place
for the public road, hauling it across
my bottom land, part of the time
when the ground was soft. cutting it
up fearfully. Iput in bill of only 5
cents per load. or $40, to the Super
visor, Mr.. Mckenzie. He referred it
to the commissioners. l have just
received the following from the Aud
itOr, all Republicans notice, while
am Democrat:
In the matter of your claim OF
SIS for gravel taken from your place
for road improvement, beg to advise
you that same has been disallowed
by the Board for the reason shat il
was distinctly understood between
the Supervisor and your son. Lee
Conine, that there would be nc
charge for this gravel and also for the
reason that Lee Conine was the fore.
man in charge of the work, having
full supervision. and also having
charge of the farm and having made
the agreement with the Supervisor,
it is evident that he did not expect
the gravel to be paid for. 1t also ap.
pears that the gravel was used di.
rectly in front of your place much &c
your advantage. am therefore di.
rected by the Board to advise you Of
the disallowance of your claim.
Yours very truly,
L. ]. MORRISON.
The above is as I anticipated, as ]
haven't q "pull." and | don't want
any. It simply shows the bias Of Of
ficials. If it had been a good d. o. p
the bill would not have been reject
ed, and all the sophistry of any d. o
p. party man couldn't change my
mind. have been here longer thar
Mr.. Mckenzie and have done as
much toward building up the coun
try and q great deal more for schools
and / never put in a claim for any
thing didn't deserve, and l defy
any one to dispute it. The bill is
absolutely just and they know it.
/ never authorized any one to take
300 loads of gravel off my place MOI
to haul it across my bottom LAND
when it was wet. If Mr.. Mckenzie
wanted the gravel he should have
come to me. own the land and moi
the tenant. No tenant has any right
to take or authorize any one to take
anything off the place he occupies in
the shape of real estate, and if grave
is not real estate what is it? AS tc
my son being foreman on the board
or the gravel being placed in front Of
my place. even if true, which is not
as to the latter. what difference
does that make The road is public
as much in front of my place as any.
where else and just as necessary,
The county got the gravel, it got
value received, better than could be
gotten anywhere else and with less
trouble. If Mr.. Mckenzie was as
generous with his own money as he
is with other peoples he would come
nearer living up to the golden rule.
He would be exceedingly careful that
nothing was taken off his place with.
out an equivalent or else people don I
know him. Some people strain at 9
gnat and swallow a camel. MY
neighbors were paid for their gravel
Why not I? The answer is easy. /
am a Democrat, and the Board is Re
publican.
would not have written this, but
7 didn't want the nuhlic n think