Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-22
A SALTY MESS.

hts punishment is juet. 5
A SALTY MESS.
Causes OF tho Troubles on the Texas
Border.
Chicago Inter Ocean.
In the present state of public feeling it is
necessary that the people should have =
clear understanding Of the troubles on the
Rio Grande, and that they allow no special
Interpretation Of fact, nor distorted reports
of occurrences, and no confusion of incidents
and circumstances to influence them in
forming hasty judgment.
For some time incursions have been made
into Texas by cattle thieves faom the Mexi..
can states OH the lower Rio Grande. These
raids received the attention Of both the
American and the Mexican governments,
and mutual efforts were made to suppress
them. The efforts, in 81 great meas.
ure, were successful the American
troops pursuing the Mexican and Indian
thieves and desperadoes into Mexican terri
tory. 1t was feared, when General Ord ives
instructed to send troops across the river,
that q collision with Mexican troops was
inevitable; but there was no collision, and
the significant fact is that the raids from
the Mexican states Of Tamaulipas and
almost ceased, and the Indian raiders from
the states of Cahulia and Chihuahu, have
been held in subiection by handful of
troops
These raids, it was feared, would cause
irritation on both sides of the Rio
Grande that would result in
complications which would te
made pretext for war. Just rs it IL an
nounced that the troubles are in fair way
for settlement, and that with their settlement
will end all chance for war between the two
republics, another difficulty of different
nature arises.
Five hundred miles above where the cat
tie raiders crossed the Rio Grande is Ell Paso,
the scene of more recent troubles. The irri-
tation at Ell Paso is not about invasion, or
threats of invasion, and is not caused by
cattle-thieves or horse-thieves. In the terse
language of General Sheridan, it is quar-
rel about salt-pond, and has no connec-
tion with the border troubles of the lower
Rio Grande.
There are in Texas, some distance from
the Rio Grande, extensive salt lakes which
have been, ever since the settlement of the
country, considered common property to
the people living in the Rio Grande Valley,
on both sides of the river. After the salt
lake district was included in Texas several
attempts were made BY Americans to get
possession of the lakes and levy toll upon all
salt taken away. The people of the county
opposed this, and the lakes have been free
to Mexican and American alike.
Recently an attempt was made to levy toll
upon the salt, manufactured at the lakes or
ponds, that touched the interests ofthe people
of Ell Paso, name given to settlements
that extend on the Mexican side of the Rio
Grande for ten or fifteen miles, and the peo.
Pile of San Elizario, town on the America an
side. The Mexican population on the
American side is largely in the ascendant
and all opposed to interference with the salt
business. There grew out of this new at.
tempt to levy toll feud between the Mexi-
can or native residents of the Texas county
and the American residents of the same
county. Judge Howard, an American resi-
dent, was leader on one side, and an Ital
ian, named Cards, leader on the other. A
few months ago Howard, acting as the agent
of persons claiming to be the owners of the
salt ponds, became involved in difficulty
with Cards and shot him. This caused 50
much indignatian against Howard that he
was compelled to leave the county and take
refuge at Presidio. The killiog of Cards
intensified the antagonism between the two
parties in Ell Paso County, and the COVER
nor of Texas sent . squad of twenty state
troops to San Elizario to preserve the peace.
After the arrival of the state troop Judge
Howard returned to his home, and delivered
himself to the civil authorities. The anti
Howard, or anti-toll party made an attempt
to lynch Howard, ana the state troops, in an
attempt to defend him, were surrounded and
fight ensued. The state troops were ove--
powered, and the dispatches state that How
ard and others were lynched.
This is bad state of affairs, but it must
be remembered that people who DEFY the au.
thority of the state are residents of the
states I; it is not . conflict between Ameri-
cans and Mexicans, but is defiance of the
state law by lawless men of the border.
The governor of Texas asked for United
States troops to suppress the trouble, and
the few troops now hurrying to the point
will, without doubt, be able to keep the
peace.
The salt pond or salt pit difficulty should
have received the attention of the last Tex
as legislature, and there should have been
no question IS to the ownership or 90 to
the rights and privileges of the people
of that section of the state. The
simple truth is that the Texas state gov
ernment is in q acrare, and asks the
United States government to get it out
But all this is no reason why the govern
ment should telegraph for troops to repel
invasion" and no reason at all why this
LEGAL trouble should be made prete1t for
war with Mexico.