The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-01-21


ALEX. ANDERSON.
state Herd Law.
EDITORS NEWS: AS, in my last
communication, stated several
propositions, 1 now, with your per-
mission, propose to submit some
thoughts and experiences in sup
port thereof.
Firstly-I assumed that this is not
emphatically, a grain-growing re-
gion. To be such it is essential the
soil be well adapted, and the climate
ordinarily free from extremes. 1t
cannot be truthfully denied that our
creek and river bottoms are second
to none in the Great West and our
uplands, too, under congenial cir
cumstances, produce abundantly.
But it is no less true that our cli-
mate is, more or less, subject to ex-
tremes of wet and dry thereby rem
dering it inexpedient to rely entire
ly, or mainly. upon grain-growing
for livelihood. For proof of this
l refer you to the frequent freshets
from 1859 to 1873, inclusive, and the
droughts of 1860 and 1874, besides
several of less severity intervening.
But the climate is admirably adapt
ed to the culture of stock, and "Ven-
tilatOr," the Agnes City herd law
champion, admits that "there il
more money in stock than in grain
raising" In the last seven years we
have had but four good crops Of
corn on the uplands, and in wheat
we have been less successful.
Messrs. Lambert and Manson have
been referred to as favOriDg q hero
law. 1 recently heard Mr.. l.. say
eve have all the herd law we
want" Mr.. NJ, am informed, il
no advocate of a general herd law
L presume all will readily concede
the truth of my second, third, and
fourth propositions.
Fifth-"A herd law would com.
pei all small farmers to sell their
limited herds" SC. It is evident q
person cannot afford to spend his
whole time in herding a few cattle
and colts. He must, then, of neces.
sity, either fence them, sell them OF
combine with his neighbors and hire
a herder. 1t is admitted by our op.
ponents that stock-raising, in Kan.
sas, is more profitable than grain.
raising; therefore we must not sell
them. "Ventilator," a few week.
since, proposed to pen them, bu
now he prefers to combine and hero
them. This plan Eas already beer
sufficiently ventilated" by ga. p
My sixth will be conceded.
Seventh-"It would tend to pro
duce greater supply of farm pro
ducts, when the supply is create
than the demand" Why is corr
worth but 20 cents here and 6S cent
in New York City? Because her
are many producers and but few
consumers there it is Vice cersd
Here, again, we see the effects of tn
omnipotent and universal law o
supply and depand. More produ
GERS of food are not what we desire
but more consumers. An idea pre-
walls, to some extent, that our town
have outgrown the surroundin,
country. Nonsense! Iwould hav
the city of Emporia as large as 81
Louis or Chicago. We could fee,
either of them, and it would max
us rich. The city and country ar
for each other-are twin sisters
One answers to the other as the sep
arate blades of the scissors to eac
other. They are mutually depend
emit; and yet, strange as it may az
pear, there are those among U
whose "meat and drink" seems t
be to array the city and count
against each other. We need NOR
manufactures, not more farmers.
! Eighthly-"It would throw q pa
per fence around every acre of uu
occupied prairie land" The court
have decided that, though q perso
has a right to the products of b
own soil, yet, to avail himself {
this right, he is under obligation I
protect it by means of q fence G
some "barrier." Else, why have "
statutes defining what constitute
q lawful fence, &C.? Why is q pc
SON compelled, by the law, to bull
one-half OF q partition fence, onl
in cases in which his property
enclosed?
; Ninthly-Tt would be q fruitfu
, source of endless litigation" &
,, In a newspaper article it would I
improper to ask the space necessaI
to enumerate all the particular CT
3 cumstances which would inevitabl
lead to lawsuits between neighbor
! under the operation of a herd Ia,
! will, therefore, refer to but q fey
9 and leave it to your readers to &
out the black list. A wise man on
, said, ave can only judge the futu
: by the past" Judging by our pa
experience, we conclude there won