The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-26
9grirnlture.
STOCK LAW AGAIN.

MAJ. WALL i will give nv reas
ons for wanting a stock law enacted.
compelling every man to keep his own
stock on his own premises. ANY law
that compels me to pasture other
peoples stock on my land, that | paw
my money for, is, to say the least o,f
IT, unjust, and taking authority over
my private property. AS long as the
lands belong to the State or General
Government, they have perfect
right to make them public pasture.
but when they sell the lands they have
no further control over them, and any
law that compels me to allow other
peoples stock to run over nv land IS
an assumption of power. ask no
fence law, because | don't think any
law should compel me to make fences
unless have stock, and not then if / /
keep my stock off other peoples lands.
Every man ought to be allowed to do
as ne pleases with his own land. But
ne should not be allowed to trespass
on his neighbor, by or with his stock.
Let there be general law passed,
compelling every man to keep his.
stock on his own land; it makes no
difference how he does it, whether by
fence or otherwise. There are many
persons who could more easily fence
their wood lands than thew could
their farms, having much less wood (
land than they have land in cultiva- {
ton. Besides, if we fence our wood (
lands we would save vast amount Of {
hauling rails. The same authority q
hat compels me to fence my farm t
'ould as easily compel me to fence nv 9
wood lands. Why not? Ii
The stock law is objected to by those Il
Who own no lands. The cry is, eve 0
lave stock, but have no land That 81
no excuse. Can the law-making h
over pass laws compelling those who al
wn the lands to pasture the stock Of y
hose who own no land? IF they can, el
len the same power can take anv Of ty
\ Of our lands, and give them to the th
ndless. This is certainly an as ca
lmption Of power. In few more if
ears that class will own more cattle &c
ian the land owners, especially in or
e farming portion of the State. kr
ley rarely ever kill one of their sh
En. On my farm the freedmen
IN more cattle than do. As soon GU
the crops are gathered they will off
We every one Of them in my farm, ric
lmping the land and eating off on
that should go to manure the
'ery farmer in the State would. be ser
re than willing to give every ten spr
he might need on his premises a wei
ce of land to keep his stock on !. eat
Try farmer would be compelled to to i
this, or he would get no hands to thr
rk on his farm. 1t is right that he SOW
uld do so. kno
Another important reason why this SOW
should be passed is, that rail tim don
is getting very scarce in all the any
sr portions of the State. We have eros
xed and culled over our timber do
il we have used up all of the best. The
rd timber is now almost out of the wert
stion. We are now using the re- spril
d timber, that we can scarcely get crop
into rails by paying two prices. of Il
" portions of the State are desti- oats
of timber. There are now thou. the
Z Of acres of old sedge fields living not
for want of timber to fence them. thou
would be cultivated if it was not the I
he stock running at large; and it is
g are thousands Of acres in the trees
Is, in small lots, that would be I'll
eu up ana cultivated, If it was eoun
OF tne Iencing. fhere are thou the 5
Oh collars worth OF corn, cotton work