The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-23
THE LEGISLATURE AND THE CATTLE
INTERESTS.

The legislature has only short time yet
to sit, and yet but little has been done.
Day by day time is being consumed Ia tho
senate ON hs TEEElLI bill, which will never
become law. The sooner this shall lie
legislation providing what has already been
indicated ia these columns, that IL, IN
cn6ctm,nt that will make fenoe.cultng,
! plgturs-burniuF, etc., to be ielonies, aud
these 20 be assessed with adequate penal.
ties Of fine or penitentiarv, ALSO an enact.
msnt that will prevent the enclosing OF
lands, the property OF some other person or
corporation, without authority. Also an
enactment providing FOR payment OF grass,
etc. used from the public lands, school
and others. Also providing for a
liberal lease system. Also provid'
lug for a convenient system Of
highways and Eateways. whether this be
done by spscifc and direct state require.
men,s or through requirements upon coun'
! ty commissioners. How all this could be
incorporated into one bill, II seems strange
that SENATOR TkRRELL should ever have
supposed. The bill, introduced by SEEA-
TOR GBBs come nearer the true methods of
reaching the results. A herd law is not
wanted Just now. 1t would work u hard
ship upon a class of our people that are Of
too much service to the state, who have
been invited into their present occupations
by the policy OF the state in the past. That
the free rage Is doomed is patent to the
reader OF events. SO ere high protective
tariffs, and FREQ trade is the
DRIFT. But suddss springing OF
vastly changed conditions upon people
is wrong and detrimental. But the
live stock owners are willing TO pay for the
uss OF the grass for the benefit OF the treas
ury, or the school children, or the railroads
or others who own It. A reasonable figure
for such purpose is not Objectionable to them
The proposition pending is cents perscre
per aunum. This Just 10 per cent on 40
cents per acre valuation. This is better
thsn buying the land, perhaps, to the cat
tie owner and at the same time fair in.
terest for the schools, etc. III the school
lands can be well sold in the interim, let
the sale be subject to the lease under the
TERIpLL bill, the immense slock.raiser has
only one year OF lease.
In this connection 1t may be well to state
that there is some misapprehension of Gov.
ERHoR lRELAsD's position on the herd law
and the lien expressions used
by him. His positive position
is that above taken by US. He is not in
favor OF herd law, and he has SO unequivo.
c.lly announced himself In the matter Of
| liens, his view is not that lien shall exist
on stock that may happen 10 drift and Craze
upon the land of another. but on stock as
may be driven for the purpose Of grazing on
such lands or on stock that are destroying
the grass or property thereon against the
will of the land owner and with the knovl-
edge and assent of the owner OF the stock.
| This il the language Of his message to the
| legislature now in session, and his explana-
ton of It In his speech nj the Live Stock
convention held in Austin some two weeks
ago,
Il ITO be hoped that thelegislature will
AZ the very earliest moment show C recog-
milton Of these views and embody them
into statutes. They are such as
conform to reason, the general policy, to
ius,ice to all parties interested. 1t Is use.
less 10 be lrittering away time in PROPOSE
tons that will never amount to anything
definite and practical. And it is worse
than useless to seek to put upon the state
law that If it shall be sought to have en-.
forced would create rebellion and revolu
ton worse than that the fencs.cuiters have
threatened the country with. The house
so understanding it, will never pass the
TERRELL bill, even If the senate should.
Therefore lot us have practical and fruit
resulting direction OF legislative effort.