The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-08-06
RANGEMEN's RESOLUTIONS.
Legislation to Stop Stock Stealing.
Reduction of Indian Reserva-
tions-The Foot and Mouth
Disease Bug-a-Boo.

to order by Col. w. b. Hundley, who
was chosen temporary chairman. Rus
sell b. Harrison, of the Montana Cattle
company, was chosen secretary.
Eleven counties of the territory were
represented by forty-two stockmen, OF
these only three being accredited to
Choteau county, to-Wit: ID. A. q. Flow
erree, r. b. Harrison and Thomas A.
Ray. While these gentlemen have
large herds in Choteau county, they are
all residents of Helena, showing that
none of our resident stock owners took
sufficient interest in the gathering to at
tend it. This is not creditable to the
enterprise of our cattle kings.
Ex-Gov. Potts called the attention Of
the meeting to the fact that the loss Of
stock by theft in the past year has been
greater than that of the preceding five
years, and he urged that something
must be done to afford better protection
to the stock interests of the territory.
The plan of organization was discuss
ed by several members, when it was de-
cided that the best territorial organlza-
ton would be one in which stockmen
should be members direct, instead of the
delegate plan, as proposed by some.
The following resolution was intro
duced by DR.. Ames and was adopted:
ResOLUed, That it is the sense OF this
convention that its members should at
once resolve themselves into an assocla-
ton for the better protection and fur
therance of the interests of the stock
growers Of this territory. to be called
the Stock Growers Association OF Mon
tana.
At the evening session a constitution
and bylaws were adopted, when the
convention adjourned to meet at 10
o'clock Tuesday. This gathering Of the
stockmen Of the territory promises to be
IN interesting and important one, and
from which good results are sure to fol
low.
In the stock growers convention at
Helena the committee ON resolutions,
consisting of Messrs. B. F. Potts, Azel
Ames, P. H. Pondexter, and A. j..
Seligman, made the following report
which was adopted:
Resolued, That the Montana Stock
association earnestly recommends that
the stock growers throughout the terri
tory attend the primary meetings and
caucuses of the political parties during
the present year and support and firmly
urge the selection of such men for mem
bers of the legislative assembly as will
v odSI 1CS1OloCAOA So =
give the live stock of the territory more
complete protection from the ravages of
thieves.
This was adopted by a unanimous
vote. The committee further reported
as follows:
WHEREAS, The large export of food
products, particularly beef and cattle, to
other countries, the flood of immigra-
ton pouring in upon us, the close feed
ing of our range and the fast settlement
of all grazing sections threaten in the
early future to endanger for our own
country and people the supply and
price Of the beef product of the country,
upon which all must look with concern ;
and
WHEREAS, The policy of the general
government has assigned to the unfruit-
full use of the Indian tribes large areas
of land, which, while accomplishing
little for them, witholds from use great
extents of valuable grazing territory !;
and
WHEREAS, AS an example and in
pursuance of this policy, the Piegan,
A~ssinaboine, Blackfeet and Gros Ventre
tribes Numbering only abont $500 in
alD now occupy in Montana 20, 900. 600
acres of such lands, or about 5000 acres
of land to the individual, in addition to
the lands reserved for the Flathead and
Crow tribes;
Resolved, By the Stockgrowers' AS
ISOLATION of Montana, that the welfare
of the people at large in the grave ques-
ton of the supply and price of food, and
a wise economy and use of our resources
demand that such action of the govern
ment shall be taken as shall reduce the
limits, now SO needlessly large, Of these
reservations. and open the remainder to
occupancy and use.
This was also unanimously adopted.
The committee further reported as fol-
lows:
WHEREAS, The Stockgrowers, Assoc
iation of Montana has heard with indig-
nan surprise that it has been represent
ed to the officials of Manitoba and
throughout the Dominion of Canada,
and that the report has been extended
to leading journals of the United States,
that the foot and mouth disease exists
among the cattle herds Of Montana;
RESOLVED, That this association, COM
prising membership from every portion
of the territory and most intimately and
fully familiar with all the features of it's
stock concerns, declares the report false |
in every particular, and unhesitatingly |
denounces it as a malignant invention
of a person or persons who can only be
actuated by the basest and most selfish
motives.
Resolved, That it seems only necessary
to draw the attention of even the most |
specifically informed as to the wild
nature and habits of our range cattle,
and the total absence at all times of any
animal disease in the territory, and the
unfriendliness of the climate to all dis
eases affecting stock, to expose the utter
absurdity and baselessness Of the canard. |