Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-03-29
Fencing in or FencIng eur.


The Missouri Legislature has un-
der consideration a bill seeking to
confine stock within the owners en-
closures, instead of letting them, as
now, roam st large. Tennessee
might with propriety. enact simi-
lar law
"The blu now pending in the Leg
islature, "tO prevent domestic ami
mals from running at large,'' has
been made the special order for to-
morrow. Although ii is a matter
IN which the inhabitants of thiekly
settled municipalities have only an
indirect interest, it is, nevertheless,
a question Of great Importance TO
the state, and we hope 1t may have
an earnest consideration, and finally
be posed. BY common consent,
domestic animals-horses, mules.
cattle and sheep-are considered
Iree commoners. They care for no.
oody, and nobody seems to care for
them, at least during the spring.
summer and fall months. The OBJ
Ject Of the bill in contravention to
tnls custom, is TO restrain them
within the enclosures OF their
owners.
On the principle of abstract right.
every man should take care Of his
stock. No man has a right to own
stock which he is unable TO feed.
No one has a right to allow his stock
10 trespass on the lands and destroy
the crops of his neighbors, even
though they are unenclosed. The
courts, however, have taken the no.
sition that custom has established \
law that eYerybOdy's stock has
right TO roam and pasture where il
likes, and that il a farmer does not
want his lands to become a general
common, he must build a "laWful
fence" TO keep the cattle out. This
may be law, but il is neither q lust
nor an equitable law. The cost Of
fences thus imposed is simply enor-
nous. According TO a partial com
PutatiOns made BY Mr.. Murtfeldt.
one of the best posted agriculturists
in this State, the fences in Missouri,
which enclose about nine million
aeres-less than half the arabic land.
but all that was under cultivation
at the last census-cost nearly $780,
rage viii have to be renewed every
ten years. and long experience has
established the fact that they need
ten per cent repairs annually. This
statement is not q romance OF fig
ures, but q positive fact. Nicholas
Biddle, years ago the President of
the United States Bank, made cal
culation that the fences of Pennsyl-
vania cost more than all the build
lngs in the State-city and country
included. This outlay is as useless
as it is enormous. In the thickly
settled countries of the Old World
lin England, France and Germany
there are no fences, and none are
needed. The advocates of the law
affirm that they do not intend to
pull down a single panel OF, fence,
nor hinder any man from building
as much fence as he pleases. They
do Insist, however, that If 4 man is
able to buy forty, eighty or hun
dred acres of land, costing, perhaps,
$500, that he shall not be compelled
by law to expend $500 more to en-
close his property with fence, be-
fore he can enter on the enjoyment
or Improvement of it.
Besides the saving of the immense
capital now invested in fences, there
are other economies that win be
consulted by the proposed law.
Every farmer knows what a great
economy it is to working stock and
mich COWS under constant control,
and how much greater q quantity OF
dairy products can be realized by
having cows t'up," as the cowboys
say, regularly at night at milking
time. The law will also prevent
the annual losses accruing to all who
suffer their stock TO range, and the
frequent quarrels and lawsuits
which must inevitably grow out OF
the present custom, while IL will
permit the Improvement of the
stock by introducing better blood
something that is now entirely out
of the question. Such a law as is
contemplate is working well in the
New England States, Ia New York,
parts OF Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas,
and even in California, and there is
no reason why it should not be a
success. 1t would greatly enhance
the value of real estate and give an
impetus to immigration. 1t should,
however, be a general law, with a
clause providing that counties not
desiring its benefits can exempt
themselves by vote. Let the bill at
least receive the earnest and candid
attention of our General Assembly,
so that it may become a law at the
earliest practicable day. E