The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-01-29
STOCK RUNNING AT LARGE.

corresponden, Of the nelair .Eyis, speaking
Of the injustice and iegality Of allowing stock to
run at large upon the public roads, says:
"wcre We able to estimate the full amount Of
the tax placed upon the thousands Of landowners
In Hartford county by the few individuals In every
neighboThood who habituaiiy allow their cows
and hogs to wander At large along the public
roads, In search of food. the figures would prove
alike startling to the tTespassec. T. Keep Up an
outside fence, perhaps half mile, Of mile In
length, in condition TO be proof against hungry
hogs and half-starvcd cows, costs moro than any
farmer or trespasser has ever calculated. Ger
tainiy, the money thus annually used Ia fencing,
that would be unnecessary except as a protection
against the few comparatively worthless cows and
hogs that run at large. in violation of the laws Of
the state, would be sufficient 10 pay the entire
amount levied for taxes in Hartford county"
What Is said Of Hartford IL equally applicable
to many other counties, and the people should
poadcr these facts, and should devise means for
their protection from this oncrous and most un-
just tax. The writer says:
"Thcrc Is now sufficient law for the protection
OF land owners against the trespass of road stock
IL they see proper to put 1, into execution. But,
in thus throwing the responsibility for the cxccu-
ton of the Law upon tho injured party he is there
by placed in position where he mus, suffer the
greater injury, possibly, Of mourning the III will
Of his neishbor. This is not ~ Il should be and
1t is for this reason that the laws of the land with
regard to stock trespassing upon the public roads
are very rarely appealed TO for the protection of
those whose fences are broken down, anl whose
crops are ruined. Instead Il compelling the pub.
lie 10 depend upon negative laws for their pro-
lection, oas lawmakers. whom we send 10 Annnp-
oils. to look after Interest," should at the very
next session Of the Legislature proceed to cnac,
positive law on the subject. The lcviscment Of
such law We consider n very simple procedure.
For example. in all cities there l. n law against
vagrancy. II is the duty Of officers Of the law to
arrest and incarccratc all persons who have no
visible means Of substance" Now n law should
be enacted making Il the duty Of the law officers
OF the counties to arrest and imlound all cows,
horses and hogs, found upon tho public highways
without visible means of subsistence" or without
their owners accompanying. Such a law, when
once promulgated, could be as readily and easily
enforced andcxeeutcd as the iaw against the owner
- ~" N""'1 "e " he were seen 10 20 into his
neighbor's corn-feli and take the same corn that
his COW would consume if shc were there. The
loss, In either case Is exactly the same and SINH
lar penalties should be inflicted"
The writer then refers 10 tho decision Of
the Circuit Court for Talbot county, which
VIC have before published, and then concludes
By saying:
This is so plain that the 'wayfaring man,
though fool. may understand" but all the trou-
bic Of the prosecution by this law, anil the odium
resulting. falls upon the injured party. who, IL
should be presumed. suffered efficiently from the
damage to his property without being compelled
to enter the arena of the law militant. Tho sim
PIE enforcement Of the law against stock running
ut large, or of Of the premises Of the owner would
remove all those difficulties and vcxa,ous lawsuits
from oil the hands Of the land owners: and what
IL Of moro importance t. the social and Christian
liTcs Of men, would avert the ill., feeling and bit
terncss Of spirit which naturally fellows legal PRO.
ecedings for damage. lie; tho cause of the dam
ages be removed, and then the enforcement, Of the
law Is no longer required. Let our law gycrs
give US law which will mako Il the duty, under
penalty Of all sherifTs aad constabIcs TO remove.
on sight, all stray stock from the public roads.
and thus relieve the people Of the cnormou. fenc-
Ing tax, and Of prolific source Of vcxation Of
spirit
These are sensible views and suggestion. and
IL Ia hoped the next Legislature will take action
upon matter Of So much Importance to the in
tcrcsts Of the farmers