Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-29

THE FENCE pRnBLEa.
kcricw Of the Proposed Herd Law.
Suggestions 10 Members or the
legislature aud Stoekmen.

Swoetwater, November s5.-,Publi,
men are being daily interviewed b,
the score 10 ascertain sonic solution, /
such be possible, of the troubles thai
exist IN many parts OF oar state bear
Ing dircctlyupon the fencing aud graz
ing interests. Some of these outsDOkci
men are members of our legislature
These interviews are well enough IN
their why, as sort of leelcrs after th,
truth, but Us rule they do not touch
the root of evil. and only foreshadow
personal interest aud self aggrandige
lneni. 1t these men desire Ia be pub
lie beneiactors why do they not ilisI
ascertain what the great majority need
III the sections of couhtry which they
ato'supposod 10 represent, having been
elected for that purpose?
one representative who was reccntly
interviewed advocates the "herdn law
which requires every man To keen his
cattle upon land owned or controlled
ny him. Now il Is a well known fact
that there would not be corpnrnl's
guard of cown,en who would support
any man advocating the passage of
such law, which would be the great
est calamity that ever heicll n frontier
country. The question naturally
comes w. Why does he advocate this
law We are at u loss for an answer,
unless IL be that he owns some land,
aud is DESTROYS of controlling more
that he does not own. This controlling
lnnd admits of much explanation, ny
Its occupancy Is by furCo or superior
numbers In n great many cases, When
q man succeeds in on closing u tract of
land. only small portion of which he
really owns, and then deliberately pas.
lures his cattle outside on the public
domain until the FREQ grass " an cN.
haustsd, saving his enclosure for win
ter use, such u man by his acts Ia
wholly disqualified TO represent the
stock Interests generally in this West
ern country. Why? Because his public
acts Will he guided, not 10y what the
pc pie want, but hv wha. he himself
wants, This is why we see "self In
tercst' standing In ihc doorway Of ain
wholesome legislation, We have had
too much of this kind of law-making
IN the past, aud II has given rise TO all
our troubles, and We are now ronping
the harvest NJ q natural consequence.
This herd law would arouse greater
opposition than has yet been shown to
this wholesale policy, with no public
thoroughlaros running through. II
would he requiring Il service that could
not be performed, aud would needless
ly impose untold hardshlps upon all,
except the millionaire man, standing
silently and alone IN the center OF his
vast domain, securely cutrenched he
hind his barbod-vire fence.
The men who fought their way into
this Western Wild years ago and stood
oil the Indign are entitled 10 our graf
itude instead of our opposition. But
for them this country would bc a will
derncss to-day, paying not "a dollar of
revenue To the state, They beat down
the brush, making IL easy for clvilizi-
tion to foil W with its bag of gold To
buy and fence whole counties of this
ncwly-acquiud domain.
II is to bc hoped that every legislator
who owes alley nnce 10 tie stockmel
who elected him viii study carefully
he Interests of all, forgetting self aud |
bend all his energies towards securing
he best laws possible for the general |
public, and no one man in particular. |
The laws heretofore enacted touching |
he sale Of lands aud prescribing, how |
hey may be fenced, were largely, IL
lot entirely IN the interest ofn select |
ew who might, have been the law
makers or very near relatives. If they |
we're laws intended to benefit who'll
they would command
e-peci to-day.
We believe these fence troubles
viii never cease until our Legislature
'uts n stop 10 this Wholesale fencing of
lnds, with no public roads through
hem. Let us profit lay what has been
one ia other states, and make see
ional lines public rond- ways. and give
access to all water
CURSES, This will solve the difficult
rs that moss exist. aud render general
ABSTRACTION. This Il what the people
re- clamoFirg for aud If iGsiiot Is not
Jst sight of, our law-makcrs will sure
Y meet this new dcmnnd.
II rs asking too much of whole
opnunity 10 require them to travel
~ days out of their direct course IN
rdcr that they may not trespass upon
Ne rights OF some supposed "DabObn
raj lac may enjoy undlsturbad n
hole county. III these millionaire
zen are to control our luw-maker., II
III! not be long ere II will be sure
aih 10 even wing bird anywhere
pom their vast POSSESSIONS ALLOW |
lly sections to be enclosed and u pub
& road around each and there viii be
. more fenee.cntting. Such enclos-
res would be respected by stoclSnen
Il agricultural men dixie. But
lould the country be fenced up by ,
aud no highways giving free
'ctl.8 10 water courses be allowed, IL
but fnir 10 conclude that such ~
'uree will meet with public indigna-
ON, and be treated very much az II
rs been. Let the stocsInen call !,
ectiUg nj some accessible polnl, aud
lite Dpon some general plan. aud 70
strnct lheir representatives. In
liDn therei, strength. How can our j
w-makers know What we want or 4
wv legInlate for Us unless we In !,
rip them? !,
-
Fire nj Leadyille.