The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-30

'rNtfcu W tuo pchsity nksinst tho meh
who woald turn his cattle loose upon the
grass OF another man, He proposes 10 make
that which had heretofore been lawful, that
conduct which hal never and does not
Involve any mora turpitude, = felony, 70
place q man who permitted his stock 10
run upon tho range without owning land,
upon the same footing with the fence.cut.
ter who went at lhe dead OF n'Sh.' eloaked
boris property. lie proposes TO
say to tina people of this state that that
conduct that was so harmless to-day, that
violated no law, human or divine, that out
ragged no maze sense Of proprie'y. that was
In accordance vita the customs 81 the
country Tor long period oi lime, should
.e,moriow be denounced BY ,hs statutes $50, Q.
poses In this bill that u shall be made
peni,cn,iary ofsnse, when cattle have
a rif ed during the wint ~ months from one
county TO another unless wiihin cart I'm
period 10 be named In the bill. they are
driven hack by the owner upon hrs own
land or into the county In which he owned
uninclosed lands sufficient 10 support
them. Yet 90 far rs my knowledge ex'
tends have never known arv man con-
trolling large stock ranchs, even
with the exercise OF the greatest caution,
energy, and perseverance 10 b, able to
bring back In the spring upon his own
ranch all the cattle that may havs drilled
away from n. In fact | may say that in
no instance has any stockmaa been success.
full In getting hack every head that had
sirayed away. OF course he does his best
and II 10 to his interest to $50, aud he Is
stimulated by q knowledge OF that fact to
DO all In bis power 10 have them driven
back In the sprihg, but he fails and s'ill
Notwithstanding all that, these commits
sioners OF pssturage may..seiae him, drag
him away from his home, and send him TO
the penitentisry becsuso he does TAIL.
| But who are the advocates OF this bill
Is IL gentlemen who boast that they have
made eight hundred thousand dollars by
raising cattle upon the grass growing upon
the public school lands Of other people OF
the state, or IL IL the msn who owns but
twenty-five head OF cattle? uave you
heard OF one single man owning hut TWEEN
| ~ five or one hundred head o. cattle advo-
| eating the passage OF this bili2 Wha' class
Of stockmen were represented IN the con-
yention that Assem- uled in Austin lew
days ago' Look at their names and you
will ascart ain that IL was not composed of
men who own small stocks OF cattle, but IL
was composed OF men denominated by the
senator from Travis ss cattle kings They
are the men who ara asking for the passage
OF this hill. They have grown rich, haze
accumulated large sums OF money, and they
are able to lease whole counties and fence
/
Won mas, n law that will permit IL. They
Will crush the small stockmen out, bid be
yond them when Il comes to leasing school
lande; force their cattle upon the market a.
q deprecated price, as this bill will do, and
these large Gait emen will buy them up
and grow rich under the operation OF this
class legislation, In many counties in the
dIstrict which have the honor TO represent
share ara no aohool lard, ma, can be leased.
rhsre ara mo lands that arc owned bv indi-
viduals that can be leased-they have been
bought mn and are now held for specula-
ton. How would this force bill operate
unnn ,hese nsoni.9 What else would Il do
hppt conf AGATE their property? IL has been
charged nv senators who support this
hilI that those of ma who oppose IL will
vote srsiust IL because the senator from
T,svis Vas The author of IL. There is no
man who has greater admiration for the
genius and great ability of the senator
| f,op, Tra vis than m yself But assure YOU
thai n has reouired ali of his great ability
IN nn,ain from, this senate a recognition Of
mis- hill containing as IN does so many
sY,rsordinarv ahsnrditjes upon its face:
sf,emndnr rs It does 10 reyolutionize the
habits and customs of the people establish
cd ,or "a long a time. and TO perpe,rate go
,nv on trages II u on the riehts OF the peo-
n'e rrown no under and Cherished by a
iong continued policy If the state No,
tho senators who make this charge a e ms.
taken II this hill had been introduced by
Snv other senator IL would have never
reached tho 90 ate chamber. but would
have tound itsboom In the committee room.
Cbas,evl while admitting that the bill rev.
oIn,ion;zes ali ,he habits and customs of the
neople of this state. saws that IL is argu.
mart o,ainst 4, Tint when the Barnns
and the neoue of England met King J ohm
a. Rnnnyn1sde and demanded from him
the great liberties, they were doubtless
me, with the same argument. But are the
neople of this state borne down by the o..
press,on ID bose who advoca'e the doctrine
~ The divine right of kings. Are they
etrnr,sIlnr AGAINST tvrgnts of constitutional
gnvnrnmen Ara ;nay imprisoned
End denied the right of u
epredy and impartial trial
by a Jury of their peers7 Are assessm nls
made against their property without their
nanseniP Have the customs and habits OF
onr neople for the last fly wears retarded
,he proyytb of the state? Have they en-.
croaehed upon the liberty of the citizen or
in anv manner ipfringed upon his rights OF
nronertyP Then WV should we revise the
whole policy of our laws and institute a
nav rnieP What interssts In this country
demand IL? Who would be benefited by
this biIl If II sbonld pass and receive the
annroval of the poyernor?
pMr Chai,msn. we have donated many
million acres of the pu bic lands of Texas
10 railroads, These lands are being held
by than TODAY for higher prices. The
sfockmen Of western Texas are now and
have mean FOR wears grazing their cattle
unon these lands. The railroad companies
hnve mot complained. They have been
liberal and generous to the people OF the
west. Thew have, until very recently, per-
sisientIv refused 10 lease their lands, They
are not mere askipg this LEGISLATION, Then
tall me vhv should the legislature be so
solicitous to take charge Of their property.
make contracts for them and by the penal
laws of The state force our people to pay
for The privilege of grazing on
their lands. Millions Of acres OF lands
and hs,d f,r speculatiop. They are upin-