The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-06

% operate with most unjust hardships
upon many sections of the country.
The wires tell US that the bill has
been adopted by the house. 1t has
yet 10 run the gauntlet in the senate
Changed almost immaterially from
The full text presented in the TATEs-
NAN, a few days ago, it stands about
in the same relation to the country as
when first introduced. The bill pro-
vides for one of the most arbitrary
yet known to the politi-
cal history of this country. 1t very
provides for the extirpation |
of pleuro-pneumonia, but otherwise |
it makes unwarrantable attacks upon |
and infringes most directly |
upon the rights of states; takes out of |
the hands of owners of cattle
their management and control,
and gives both to federal
officers, subjecting owners to i'm
prisonment and fine at the will of
federal co1rts. A veterinary surgeon
and two assistants are to have full
power to do whaterer they please to
do in the premises; that all shipments
of cattle shall be governed by the
cattle health bureau, subject to pen
alties and even the loss of liberty. 1t
gives to the bureau the power to de-
clare quarantine against States,
power now belonging to no depart
meLt of the government power
which may be used to declare COM
mercial war against states. The COM
missioner of agriculture, on informa-
from the veterinary surgeon, shall
have power to place the money and
the cattle of any state in the power
of the commissioner. Serious con-
fiicts between federal and state
authority may arise, because no pro-
vision is made for deciding, beyond
the declaration of the veterinary
surgeon, whether disease does or
does not prevail; state authority
may declare no such disease ex-
lists; who is then to decide :?
True. the president is made an UNI
pire, but he must decide, if for the
state authorities, against officers of
his own creation, and this he will
hardly do. But if the state quietly
submit to quarantine-to the right of
the commissioner of agriculture to
arrest, or to prevent, the transporta-
tion of cattle out of one state into
another, such state prepares untold
trouble for itself, for the bill pro-
>vides that the commissioner, at will,
may have stock killed and assess the
loss against the state. Such power is
wonderfully dangerous, infiicting
more damage, probably, to Texas, in
financial way, than fence cutting,
dangerous to the political independ-
ence of any state. Under no provi-
sion of the constitution can property
be taken from any citizen except with
just contemplation, fixed by provi-
sions of law. The commissioner, as
we understand the bill, places the
value on all stock that may be con-
demned and killed. But one of the
most serious objections to
the bill is the proposed
enlargement of the powers of federal
courts. Mr.. Jefferson warned the
country against the encroaching
power of federal courts, and John
Hancock, in his wonderful speech, ar
raigning federal court in this city,
two years ago, showed that such
warning was true. Senator Carpen-
ter, in a memorable speech in the sen
ate, declared that federal courts in
this land had become a menace to the
country, and that trials in these courts
were nothing more than trials by
mar5hals and petty officials, not trials
by jury THE STATESMAN does not
go so Tar as did Mr.. Carpenter, but it
quotes him as political power in
that very quarter which has persist
emily devoted itself to enlag1ng tho
scope of federal cn4YJs. Why Should
the cattle interests of the UpXted States
of angyState, of Texas, besflaced under
the tender care of theTederal cod /?
The system woulds instigate cruel and
unjust practices for advantage in
trade. For instance: Drovers of
Montana or Dakota might be taking
large numbers of beeves to market;
they would hear that immense herds
of cheaper raised Texans were also on
the way to thesame destination; they
would complain as to the health of the
Texans, stop them in transit and
themselves go on and secure, through
injustice dealt out by federal court,
the profits arising from scantily SUI J.
piled market.
No wonder some of the Texas con-
gressmen have been reported as max
ing strenuous opposition to this bill.
Its practical operation, as We under
stand it from the reading of the bill
already published in these columns,
would work destruction and bank
ruptcy to the cattle interest.
There is no such law needed in this
country, for diseases among cattle,
though known In limited localities, by
no means prevails throughout tie
country. In the west, contagious
diseases are unknown. We have no
diseased cattle in Texas.
1t is hoped the bill, which has passed
the house, will be so modified in the
senate as to make it less dangerous; if
not, it ought to be killed.
Our good governor is in quandary.
He is pressed by two very doubtful
democrats for the appointment as
commissioner. His excellency cannot
find enough pure unadulterated DEM