The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-08-17
For The Gazette.
FENCES.
Mr.. EDITOR:

The law, whether common
or statuary, which obliges men to fenc,
against the depredatons of the stock o
others, is oppressive in all countries, ane
especially so in Iowa. To secure common
justice and relieve society from this oppres
slon, il is only necessary that the law making
power should declare that all men must tale
care ot their orn stock or be liable for all dam
ages which hey commit. Let it be known
that no animals Of domestic kind are to be
kept as commoaers and the reform is secured
The law which permits As stock to prey
upon the land OF 3, C, d, &C., is unjust
To require A to confne his stock is SO pal
|pably just that no one can reasonably OBJ
'ject. True, some have enjoyed the immu-
nifty of raising cattle ct the expense OF
Others SO long that they may be silly enough
to think they are entitled to it perpetually
The reason why many men have found stock
raising 50 profitable, is because their neigh
bors have been, by an unjust law, compelled
to bear great part of the burden. The
cattle have fed upon the lands Of others who
have also been subjected to the onerous tax
Of fencing their lands to save their cereal
crops.
So soon as the law obligng men to fence
is abolished, and the common interest and
common necessity Of the country will Sc
cure it sooner or later, new impulse will
be given to Improvement and all classes OF
men viii be advantaged. The interest is
direct to the land owners and agricnltarist:
and indirectly extends to society in ali its
ramifcations. Let the reform be adopted
and the waste prairie will soon teen with
settlers and become garden. More steam
boats will be necessary TO bear the increas-
ed products 10 market; more freight ard
passengers wilt pass over the railways;
more carpenters will be wanted to build
houses; more blaclsaths, shoemakefs, cab,
met makers, hatters, tailors, schoolmasters.
preachers, doctors, milers, merchants and
laborers. Inbrief, the whole country would
be largely and speedily benefited.
Why will a reform which promises SO
much be delayedl It is because We have
all grown up under the idea that fencing is
necessary and right and it is not easy TO
change old ideas and old habits. The thing
may be objected to by the old settlers; but
it is no wrong in them. II only changes
the manner Of operations in husbandry,
which we verify believe will eventuate in
good to those who have their farms already
fenced. They will in time have to select
some one branch Of husbandry and pursue
that. Those who raise grain will follow
that exclusively; fruit growers will follow
that: sheep rasers will follow that business;
cattle raisers will give their hole attention
to that, and so of horse raisers. Thus eve
nv man will have his own branch OF bust
ness and Will of course become master OF
that; and the fact OF doing his business bet
ter will secure him more ample compen-
sation.
In our former remarks we stated IN round
numbers about the cost OF enclosing the
lands of the county in quarter sections
To fit it for farming purposes many suDdi-
visions are required; 50 that to fit the land
for rotatory crops twice the amount oi tenc-
inc is necessary that it requires 10 enclose
it in quarter sections. The necessary
fencing will then be made at an expense oil
$40 per acre, or $1,000 per quarter. Now
the fence will be obliged to be renewed
once in, say sixteen years. Now the annual
interest on the amount is 5l6O ana the
wear Sloo per year, so that each iarmel
with 100 acres we'll enclosed is taxed s2UL
per annum to keep up fences for the first
l6 wears, and after that the amount will be
still greater The heavy expense Of ienc
ing. the best policy Of the country and com
mon Justice demand that the fence oPPFes'
sion should be speedily dispensed With.
PMLo.