The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1876-02-05
HERD LAW.

HERD LAW.
CARLYLE, Kas., Jan. 3lst 1876.
Editor Register:
In your issue of the 2lst inst. Mr.. Cook
has an article on the all-important ques-
ton. in which he compares Neosho and
Wilson counties. He seems to have a
particular penchant for comparing Neo-
sho with other counties, why l cannot
tell unless 1t is the only herd ta,c county
in the State in which the statistics hap.
pen to be on his side. Why don't he
give US 4 comparison in which Cowley,
Sumner or some of those counties in
which the land was sold only to actual
settlers, and not given to railroads, shall
figure? I presume the statistics don't
show fair enough for the opponents Of
a herd law. think / can demonstrate
the unfairuess of comparing Wilson and
Neosho counties in few words. Wilson
county, except a strip of three miles
wide on the Eastern line of the county,
was part of the Usage Trust lands, and
was sold only to actual settlers at $l.25
per acre. Neosho was one of the counties
that was cursed, by having a large
part of he: land granted to railroads.
They held their lands at from $3.50 to
$1,000 per acre. Now is it any wonder
that Wilson county with her equally as
good lands at s1.25 per acre, should out
strip in the increase of population her
sister count v, arhose lands scere held at
$1,000? Is it not surprising rather that
Wilson should, according to Mr.. c.,
only gain 40 more in population each
year, for four years than Neosho =? 1t
looks as though a great many persons
thought the benefits that would accrue
to them from having herd laW, would
'overbalance the difference in the price of
land, which was 81, 10000 per quarter
section. And is it not fair to infer, that
had Neosho county been blessed with
cheap lands, instead Of being 40 be-
hind Wilson county each year, she
would have been 1000 ahead. Looking
at the statistics furnished by Mr.. c. am
compelled to say she would. Mr.. c.
asks me how many pools know Of and
what they cost? As the necessity has
not heretofore arisen for such pools l will
say, that presume there are but few in
the county. certainly know of but few,
some half dozen perhaps, and I have
not had the time to secure statistics as to
cost. The larger part of my experience
with pools has been in Central Missouri,
and there almost every farm has one or
more. Mr.. G. takes me to task because
in my article of Jan. 4th endeayored to
show that herd law would not discour-
age stock raising, and in my last article
stated that did not consider that the
question was, "does the herd law discour-
age stock raising but. is itequal justice?'
I do not see any conflict at all in the
two positions. do not believe such a
law would discourage stock raising nor
do 1 consider that the question. The
question is. is herd law justice? and
the stock raising question is only side
issue. Mr.. G. wants to know if We who
had our cattle herded, herded them on
our own land. Yes, sir, and in. answer
to his other question will say that being
in Rome l did as Rome does. My
neighbors the past year pastured on me,
and on them. Had we had herd law,
presume my cattle would have eaten
my own grass. He talks glibey, about
herd law men knowing when they pur.
chased land in Allen county, that they
must fence it. etc, and that those who
are opposed to it knew they could let
their stock run at large. Has he yet to
learn that unjust laws are sometimes
repealedf We who favor a herd law do
not mean to disobey the law as it now
stands, but we do intend to try and Sc
cure law which will be just to all men,
and which will compel all men to take
care OF their own property, and not let
it prey upon their neighbors. What a
howl would be raised by nearly every
one, herd law, or anti-herd law should we
elect Legislature that would pass a
law allowing hogs to run at large. Yet
sach q law would be as just, and as eqit-
able as our present fence law. Mr.. c.
says that because people differ with him,
(B) il !.:s opinion, or oppose a measure
that he, (B) thinks to his interest it is,
unjust, if il does not correspond with his,