Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-18

courses, aud make it impossible for amy
man OF class OF men To exclude MS
neiphbogs from running wntef. These
amendments would entirely eliminate
the road question and the water qucs-
tion from the fence emitting, and leave
the latter no plausible preteNt for It's
existence.
Fcnce-cutting does exist, however,
TO an alarming extent, where IL mas
had no such provoking cause rs want
of ronds and access TO water, ana IN
such cases ii IL violent distemper,
the origin and cause of which ought To
be sought ont and removed. Fence
cutting is not much To be wondered nj
where IL has in fact arisen from want
of roads and from excluding the people
from the water-eourses. AND IL would
be no difficult problem TO stop the con
tauious disordeY, were those us "hiy
caIlses. The amendments 10 the road
laws which have now been suggested
would be an eiieetual cure and proven
ton wherever it proceeded rom those
causes.
Rut II il that vicious and reckless
fence cutting which fails to distinguish
the rights of property ana proceeds
from a ~
n neichbor's property regardless OF tne
wronG which presents 10 our lcgisla-
ture tile difficult question. The per
snns encagrd i'm this are of a very diff
fpreu, class from the others. ihe one
nInss has been moving for self-prolec,
tiou. The other are actuated by tiiirHt
for gain, and with spifll OF ltW ,''-
nnss rhn cause of this latter phase
If The disorder is TO he sought for and
ran,nved The writer believes us
Grst GOWN IL to be found in the old
fence law of the state, enacted more
than forty years ago, against eFsi3
gardener, farmer or PLANTER tH1'
February j, 1910. 49,, "a
glnck raising was then deemed the
rroJn,ninont interest OF the country,
and gardening, farming anu Pinmiishis
were of minor consequences. L1s''.a.
tor Who lived almost entirely ~
gr,1in0 lands not their own, enacttd
:. 2 c"nct. law upon the idea that no man
ha,, tl,a riTht TO the exclusive use oi
lie lands iii he is able to fence ana
does f,nee them so rs TO debnr all IN
,rms,nn OF stock running at large.
Eron, that fence law the evil OF fence
MIN IL Int n very natural ofispring.
] Instead Oh pIDltetiurl. t"N, -. +, ce,.I.a.l
| free and quiet use Of his land IL lofeeui
linn to protect himself ny iehces
against the cattle which his neiyhDor
might turn loose upon his growing
erop, Nay, until he buiIt those iei is'd
hiyI and strong. he was vouchsa,eh
no snroiectioll at all, however nuch 9is
taxes lad contributed TO TIE puD,tc
treasury: since 70 bis neighbor VINO
neither sowed nor plowcd, nor, PER,
hans. owned spear q Erass. Dnr
owned cattle, the law gaze me poMe ~,
To forage upon him at VIII; SO long .,
i,n either could not or did mol renee
and al lie same time II also gave tla.
n@i,i,,,or a swift remedy for any huil
.hsf ,ui,,ht be ,lonc 10 the tfesphsslilk
herds. The law which tnus 49,
nvervbody tie power 10 Craze uhIll-
closed lands without the coiseni VI 80 -
owners, was soon .constinea !" e'''s
an absolute right. ma
When men had been taught W .'i.5
law 10 tai G their Deighbors' unihsioss'n :,
Grass without permission, they ghn
70 claim the land on which u grew ~
,helr range. My range became ihinli,
lar words with men VINO never wneo
an acre of land. such men coneeifins
!, ami OF proscriptiyc right To me us.
as,i,a lana have ut last assumed tiihI
il Il an imposition upon ine', ,,asn Out.
owners 10 attempt 70 ienos ,hav have
With them, educated ~ l o real
hean by The fence law; utie W ,'ha
es,ate means nothing. Tue ii'Hn 49,