Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1873-02-15
The Fence Question.

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fore the Legislature, in which tn
planters of this county may bccom
directly interested, with referenc
to the pasturage Of stock within
enclosed limits. A petition, numer
ously signed by many prominen
men engaged in cultivating the soil
has been presented before the Leg
islature asking them for protection
against the invasion of cattle upor
their crops. 1t is urged that the
old peculiar interests of this State
are antagonistic " tho deyelopn.leni
Of some OF its finest and best pay
ing resources, and that tho more
grazing of cattle should not be tol
Grated as the predominant interest
of our people. That corn, cotton
and the smaller grains can be prof
itably cultivated in those regions
which are now devoted exclusively
to grazing purposes, and that the
results oftillage would yield larg.
er income to the land owner than
is now enjoyed from the sale oi
stock. Beside this, another argu.
ment, which is an innovation upon
the customs of the country, is ad.
vanced, which touches somewhat
upon tho equitable rights of those
who hold title to the plains, and
which questions tho justice of al.
lowing stock to roam at large, tres
passing upon the landed estates Of
every one irrespective of tho wishes
or consent Of the land owners. The
finale of the petition is prayer
for reliefagainst the ravages ofstock
which it is suggested can be
effected in no better manner than
by requiring tho ownors thereof to
keep them enclosed and thus obvi-
ate the necessity of fencing for
farming purposes. There may be
an occasion for this issue betwe cen
the stock raisers and the agricul-
turalists of the State, which should
command the attention of the Leg
islature, but we fear its final dispo-
sition will be of q mixed nature, 80
far as tho satisfaction of those di
rectly interested is concerned. Tho
Legislature will in all probability
pass a general stock law, to be en-
forced by the people themselves ac-
cording to the wishes they may ex-
press thereon ut an election. I'm
migration is constantly seeking the
wide acres of this State and a larg Q
proportion of it represents an agri-
cultural class. The scarcity of tim
Der in many counties and the count
less herds of cattle and horses
which rove over the vast prairies
around the homes they would build
and the farms they would open, un-
der such enterprises absolutely i'm
practicable. The support of any
measure having for its object the
confinement of stock would meet
their heartiest approval and have
their warmest support, but might
it not, in tho western portion Of
the State at least, where expert
ence has demonstrated that stock
prosper most be detrimental to an
established and profitable interest
of the state, to restrict the stock
man to limited and defined boun-
daries in prosecuting his vocation
and thus ultimate in q gradual an
nihilation of an old and character
istic feature of our wealth No
land beneath the heavens can COM
pare with this for stock, and to
wipe out allrights which usage and
custom have conferred upon those
who follow Glowing herds and
bleating folds "at one "fell swoop"
might not bc just the thing the in
terests of our state require. This
whole question should be taken in
to careful consideration by our far
mers so that when the time comes
for them to act upon it they can do
SO advisedly.