The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-12-09
THE HERD Law.
A Farmer in Stranger Township,
Gives His Views on the
Subject.
'Give US First q Grain Zarket,
and thena Herd Law"
LEAyEswoRrH. December 3, 1875.

IEAyESw0RTH, December 3, 1919.
EDITOR TINES :-You ask for an ex-
preston of opinion" on . general herd
Law, and your correspondent from Stranger
seems to kick-up on the subject. His civic
mind conceives it n equitable, and not al
together impracticable )" but the rural mind
mot his) is apt to take selfish, rather than
equitable, view of the case. and 30 he has
no doubts but that . heavy majority would
black-ball the herd-law in this province.
This is the groundwork of the disputed
question, and your correspondent Loves
equity not less. but ssl6shness more. Or,
like the prince of Lilliput, he has one heel
high and the other low; while no one can
tell which will be the fashion when he be-
comes king. ~
Now, your correspondent should point
out the equity and the sel6shness also who
would vote for it and Who against it; then,
perhaps rural sel6shness would become
virtue, and universal equity vice.
To my mind, what is most beneficial to
the farmer 10 must equitable, and surely .
"heavy majority" of the farmers will best
declare the general interest. But who will
vote for, and who against it? The Legisla-
ture can find the answer to this, without
mathematical formula. Individual inter-
eft will call forth the opposing votes. Land
holders, Spectators and men in railroad in
terests will vote for the Law. The trouble
that cattle give along the railroad, the de-
sire to sell or rent lands for pasture, and
the profit that will accrue TO the speculstor
by renting and re-rentine these lands, form
an open book, in which you may read the
votes for the law.
On the other side you will find the great
body of the poor and middle claa farmers,
who can now afford to keep cattle, and who
will be forced to abandon stock raising, or
leave the State on the passage of the law.
The hay crop Of this season will give q
fair idea OF what form the herd-law will
assume. The railroad companies leased
the hzy-crop to speculators, for p and 80
cents per acre. These speculators in their
turn, wanted from $l.5O to $500 per acre.
They had no mercy, demanded their pay
before the hay was touched, and, were it
not for the fruitful hay-crop of this year,
many farmers would be wOrse of, than
when the grasshoppsrs swept over the land.
1t Is evident then, that the herd laW-f
added to this speculation would crush out
two thirds OF the stockholders. The cost Of
raising cattle will prove this. The gener-
atty Of farmers villa not be able to pro-
cure hay from the spectators for each crit
ter At less than $500 per winter. The
summer pasturage under the herd law will
not be les then $500 per head. Add to
this the amount of corn that must be fed,
and zee if the cost will not far acceeded the
profit of cattle raising.
Besides the herd Law u at present mop
perfume. Land-holders. merchants and
railroaden must first give % market for
grain throughout the State, 20 that farmers
can turn from stock raising without ser
ious loss; then they may vote their lands
and their grass on to US. But to pass this
law. without grain market, would involve
q majority OF the farmers. On one hand
they will not be able to raise cattle, on the
other they cannot live by raising grain.
Give us then first a grain market and after
wards the herd Law. Then your correspon-
dent may talk about equity and selfishness.
c. At.
GROCERJrs at Ieayenworfh prices al