Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-01
FENCE CUTTING.
What Large Pasture Owner Has To
Say About II.
\ BaselcsS Hue aud Cry 10 Excite
Public sympathy.

ansas county, is n wealthy gentleman,
and his money has been made out OF
live stock, in which he Is largely inter.
estod, He Is also n large pasture own
err aud, having great deal Involved
lin the satisfactory disposition of this
question, he has paid great deal Of
attention to il. OG course his views
ae those Ola large pasture owner, ar
rived NJ after n great deal OF study,
and show him to hea man OF consider
able thought, The Times may not
endorse all he has to shy, but II Is we'll
To hear all sides OF the subject before a
verdict is rendered. Upon being
asked to give his ideas upon the situn-
ton, he ropliod
"Wcll, sir, these 'nesters,' as they
are called, are actuatca by Il
connnuuistic spirit, and their prompt
ing sentiment can he gwen no better
name. They desire to reap where
they have sown not, and, If the COM
ing sessioa OF the legislature fails to
make laws, the spirit of which take
this view OF the matter, then will the
| session have been in vain. Legisla-
ton Of a different character may give
temporary relief but II viii soon
4 prove aburtiVe.N
y Nt AtNsa 10 liltlts AiihN iilNHt tNltl~
| munists, as you term them, have no
rights TO contend form other words,
] their wrongs are immaginarym
"Thcy have no sufficient cause 10
modest people in guaranteed rights,
aud are certainly violating the very
fundamental principles of law when
they destroy other mems property.
They ARE of that class from which the
people seek protection when they
unite themselves together to establish
agovernmeut, and the IN activity ofthc
officers Is very reprehensible.N
Granting that this Is true, still do
you think that the large pasture own
crs are in great measure responsible
for the present state of affairs by the
many advantages they have taken OF
the small land owners..sn
why, how can they be, when as
is well known, they have used their
best endeavors to suppress it, not Only
for their own good, but for the benefit
of the entire state This matter
has not been thoroughly investigated
by great many who have advanced
opinions ON the subject, or else thcS
would have discovered that the lurg,
pasture owner Is the man who hns
/ been imposed upon, aud Is now sui
! lering the destruction of his propert,
e because lac has dared TO maintain hi
2 rights. They would have discovers
4 further that all this hue and cry raise
e about the pecuniary loss sustained ~
= small land owners, in consequence q
the depreciation in value of their traC
when surrounded by some large pas
turc man, is originated for the nurpp-
of exciting sympathy. The law guar
antees to the poor man the right Il
have as many stock in that enclosure
= as the land will support, and they
I have Il free range through all the pas
/ lure. the wealthy man has sun
g piled water the poor MANS cattle hnV,
as much right to drink OFF az his own
aud il this law was followed To the let
ter there would be no cause for MI tlii
feeling. But the poor man takes ad
$ vantages of this privilege guarantee,
10 him, and it Is the objection of th
rich man to being thus wronged
that is the great reason io
7 this trouble. Some of these smnl
. landed proprintors have a great man,
cattle; in fact, nearly all Of them EnV,
a more then their land will support; We
I i'm view of their meagre possession
/. within This large pasture, they cSpec
TO reap the same benefit therefor
that the man who paid for the fence
9 does; and they keep turning In cattl'
/ to the great annoyance of the owner
Instead of beng a detItncnt 90 th'
small land owner 10 he surrounded bl
IA fence, it has positively been an ad
vantage, and the facts in the case vii
. bear me out in the assertion
"Well, if this be the underlying
= cause of this trouble, how doy0u thinl
: Il should be remedied?"
ain all instances that have come uu
!. der my personal observation wher
this matter has tried TO be settled be
tween contendIg parties, the pasttlr
: owners have always, TO use slam
= term, "got the worst of IL, ana hay
, had to pay more than the highes
market piice for his laud IN order l.
get rid of the annoyance referred ia
= But think II satisfactory la% can u
= enacted In the first place, max,
. fence cutting felony with severe pun
ishment in view of its Nervousness
!, Then make 1t necessary, when hqueS
ton arises between aslnnll land owne
!, and the man who has enclosed hin
: To settle their differences by arbitnl
. ton. If found most available let TIA
law declare who the arbitrntorg sha
y Judges. II the small owner desires I
$ sell, the judges will appraise the yalu
> of his property as if situated under tn
| most favorable and reasonable circun
g stances. This the pasture man ahnl
u pay, or else allow as many cattle II
! liis pasture as the money hc woul
a have 10 pay his neighbor coul
g buy land for them o
q the outside. If the enclosed
!. man does not want 10 sell, let ia
n Judges estimate how many cattle hi
d land would support, and he shall b
G allowed no more inside of his pasture
s This, think, would be fair way I
y settle this matter"
y The gentleman advanced severt
g ideas, but those recited are the mai
features of conversation. Alr. Mathl
= looks upon fence cutting as a Grim
c equal IN enOrmity 10 arson, and shoul
g be dealt with rs severely. lie es
k pressed much surprise at the propos
il lion advanced by some men that Oh
= range ard water were free, when ia
q law gives the same rights TO invest |
e them that il does IN any other pro-