The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-02-24
uNREAsoNABLE DEMANDS

our population with the truth that this is
destined some day. not for distant, to be-
come nothing more than minor enterprise
with us. The outside world and the stock
men, however, still seem to think that
Texas is fit only and designed only for cat
tic herding and stock purposes, and the late
convention held in Austin OF the stock men
of the state so Enthusiastically operated upon
this principle that We cannot refrain from
calling attention to some of the suggestions
and resolutions there made and adopted, In
the first place the members of the cOnyen-
ton in the resolutions adopted indirectly
insisted upon a fixed dividing line between
agriculture and stock-raising and resolved
that such line should be most carefully adj
iustcd. Now we do not feel any enmity at
all toward the stock-raising interest of this
state, but on the other hand desire as a
matter OF course to see it grow and improve
annually, but we do most heartily object to
any effort ON the part of the stock men to
draw a line overwhich agriculture shall not
dare to venture under penalty Of the
law. In other words we deprecate
disposition in any one line Of business
to crcumscribe or cripple another.
Particularly is this the case, whcnitis sought
to curtal the operations and lessen the field
of agriculture. Upon the latter of course, as
every intelligent citizen knows, the state {
Texas must depend for population, wealth
and general development, by breaking the
immense tracts of land, both public and
private property, into small farms, and
| thus placing the masses in Il position to ac-
| quire homestcads and develop the sol!
the state may fulfill its destiny as one OF
the grandest commonwealth on earth, but,
If contrary policy is adopted, if vast tracts
of land are to be turned over to the cattle
king and the cowboy, and a
wall built up against the encroach.
monts and growth of agriculture ii will be
many year before TeXGs assumes that sta
extent and increasing population entitle
her. There is not under the sun a more fer.
tile soil than that of Texas, or one more ca
pable of supporting dense population,
and producing remarkable returns. But il
we would get out of it its most generous
production or richest fruition, every acre
of it must feel the hand of labor
must, in other words, be worked for all
| it is worth. OF far more signif-
canoe, financially, to us than cattle, to
say nothing of the matter Of supplying inn
migrants with homes and cmiching the
masses, and thus present an attractive field
| Tor the poor of other states and all lands, is
| cotton sugar, wheat etc. Upon these
products We must depend for future wealth
and slowly, but steadily, are the tillers OF
the SOIL taking up the immense wastes
which have heretofore been the home only
of the cowboy and the Texas longhorn.
| Under such circumstances il seems to us
not simply an unreasonable, but an ex-
trcmely absurd and unjust demand
that the machinery of the state
government should be set in mo.
ton for the special protec-
ton and fostering Of the cattle interest.
The men who handle cattle, like all others,
must be governed by the laws of trade and
the march of events, and if the majority
of the people of this state prefer to OWN
and till the soil rather than herd great
numbers of cattle thereon there the matter
ends, and it is more than folly to ask the
state to set q boundarJ to agriculture OF
build q bulwark for the stock men. Then
again, this convention, among other things
resolved that IL should be an oilense, pun
ishable by fine, to take up an cstray, if rang,
stock, before ii had run on the lands of an
individual two years, and ono year II a work
animal This is n most remarkable propo
sition and is merely another way of feedinl
range stock for two years on the lands o
individuals. Indeed, there were man,
other equally Objectionable and absur,
suggestions and resolutions, but it woul,
be too tedious to refer to them, While W,
want TO see stock and stock raising pro
tccted rs all other property and interests
we cannot but protest against Legislation
especially enacted in behalf of one elias
of men or kind of business, to the pos
tive injury of another. The stockmcn
of course, are not to be blamed no
criticised too severely for their action, n
they simply did, and will continue to do
what the high tariff men, or the ship build
crs, or the iron manufacturers, or any othe
special class representing distinct brancI
of trade are doing constantly-seoking sp,
cial iayors from government. But we trus
that our state will take no step calculate
to cripple one interest at the expense of NJ
other. If, however, without injury I
others, the stock men can secure legislatio
f which will build up to greater dimension
c and greater profits their line of business
4 all well, and success to them.
,
! TnE following special to the Cincinnati
= Commercial discloscs how costly ut last OF
= rev capitol is to be, 1t does look as il III
, state could just as easily have sold its 3
! 100000 acres and made the profit ms |
, throw it away rccklcSsly upon the COZ
" Tractors for tho Cnniinl huilliny M,