, 1865-08-10
THE FENCE QUESTION.
Editors Chic.so Tr'hpne:

| AHAHNs LAC @o- 4ll.. aug z, 1853,
lnotlced IN -Four Issue Of the 1st Inst, a,
article from ''Farmer," pitching into th,
resolutions passed By the grand jury Of thl,
county. to Induce our Legislature tt
make an enactment prohibiting cattle from
the free range Of the prairies. His first OF,
lection Is that he ia '.opposcd to them,n
AM not surprised At "Fasmar'a' being oppos.
ed to = law that would abridge his PASTURE
field, that has cost him uotAIpg. This
"FaTme1" lives in easy access to the Mem.
docla Bottoms, and undoubtedly has q larpe
herd Of cattle, without oua acre of pasture
fence or his OWN; but how stands the cues.
tion with the owners Of tho 1ande They are
pay1ng taxes On his pasture lot and he reap
Ing the benefit, when, II the restraining Law
~e1e In force they could NOV their land, aud
recover small compensation for hcrdinr hfs
stock. But he says, "the poor nan viii ba
prohibited from 1a1sing stock" Is this a
fact! Can man be called "poor man, u that Ia
sans n1,s 70 pareaase 'a aad lenee forty acres Of
those that are wen enough to do, with Of
poor un man, s as 9e. Dqs suppose nea tni; big
10 call him, should keep his stock on lis tsrm
and cultivate eighty Of more acres outside
nelonglng 70 hts nefghbor who has been
fme ~ ftns. !of tanS yss5s to procure the means
another eectaon that he has but indifIaTently
tenced-frorn the fact that 1t costs hIm more
than be can make off it after paying tares
and family expenses and living. Nov WHO
has had The hsnett Of this vacant Or uu.
slrenuously opposed the RESTRAINING OF % ssock &
admits thst fencing On the praisies is costly.
Strange admission. He says 4 There l. a grast
deal Of swamp lands that will not be ennr-
chased or fenced for some Yesre. on tuAieh
cattle can Craze and fattsn with compara-
ta nEe!5 hss1s Or 10 no expense" This no doubt
have large herd, and reside on or Ind ar tl,e
s"amp, that may OF may not own ono loot Of
land Of bis own, but keep a large stocl and
compel his nefghbor to fence aRainst his
atock, that has but, little or no benefits In
m. extensive pasture. This ssamp land
TWO miles OF more, from the fact that it con- con-
7els him to fence against this stock }that
rms on this prairie or swamp.
NoWt gentlemen, kupposlng the State OF |
Illinois should pass the law Under consider
alton, how would 1t attect those residing nea.
nus swamp: IT would require all owning
swamp. It strikes me very forcibly that ills
swamp Or prairie would al once become vaI.
nable, either for meadow or pasture. and
would be an object for farmers or others
% purchase IN and pay the taxes upnn.
Hhelcaa 1t noW benefits but few, and il n7ss
ltiEe annoyance to many. II It were tave3
though but lightly. there is benetIs to ali
b. lessening the burdens Of Government.
Which enters most largely into the con-
the meats Or the cereals and veg
,tablcss There ia three dollars worth the
after, where one Of the former, It ia aweu
Known iact that wheat costs from one to
.hree dollars per bushel under the present
enclng system, Fhi1e It could bo raised on
he open p1hirles for at least one half the
,resent coat. Admitting 1t to be fact that
would rnise the price OF beef 1t would not
nect the price OF pork, but would cheapen
read and vegetables, and greatly lessen the
xptnse ofliving.
It strikes me that If s'Farmern would view
his matter more d!sinterestedly, be would |
: once be one Of Its strongest adyocotes,
le thinks that all farmers should be Heard
lpon this subject. agree With him in this
ut let the grain raisers and pork ani sheep
aiaera be heard also. Don't let the mnle |
nan and the cattle man, constitutinv INT
bout one-thtrd Of the farming commnnity.
ompel the other two-thirds to mako tnces
enormous outlays, to keep their mules
% ~ calls or on those sNamps aua prairies.
MOVING OF the waters cIeanses the pool.
he agitation Of thsught Is the beginning i OF
'lsdom. Al harneBs-makers at tie present
~ know that hold-back straps are al ESSEN
al as d1oW-strapB. Those old mu1e ami cat-
|e foe1es are the very things ne want to ag.
Ale and aMnken,