Omaha daily bee., 1885-09-23
TIE PUBLIC GRAZING LANDS.

IbE II HtEO bhCNDDs
The government land system, so far as
It applies to grazing lands that are not
adapted to agriculture, Is discussed at
considerable length and In an intelligent
manner Ia the New York Evening Pos
Of . recent date By "a Colorado ranch
man." His attitude Ia against the
monopoly that has been created by the
Seattle bsrons," who have frozen out the
small cattle ~raisers. This result ia due to
the evils OF the present land system. The
settler, who proposes to Engage In cattle
raising on q moderate scale, Is under the
present law deprived of all his rights, or
rather he Is prohibited from acquiring
any rights worth maintaining, or which,
II maintained, would be Of any help to
him in earning q livelihood or supporting
q family. A settler upon the western
grazing lands Is absolutely debarred By
fixed conditions Of soil and climate from
enga cling In any other industry than that
of stock. growing. Neither by home.
stead, presumption, purohare nor lease
can he acquire from the government q
right to sufficient pasturage for the sup
port of enough cattle, sheep, or horses
to furnish him subsistence. He can no
longer fence In enough ''free CEASE" for
his livestock to protect It, and prevent It
from drifting upon the territory of some
monopoly cattle-kipg, or to keep other
cattle from trespaesing upon his limited
patch of grass. He has no remedy what
ever against imposition, and bciug de.
fenseless he becomes the victim of the
m~onopolists. He has no legal rights out
SIDE Of his 160 acre tract. Outside oil thatthe
%monopollst has the same rights that he
has, but being the more powerful
the cattle-baron dictates to him whatever
terms he pleases, The numerous cowboy
troopers Of the cattle-king make 1t 70 un-
pleasant for him that he soon becomes
dlugusted, and sells out his little herd,
together with his pre-empted land or
hOm ss!ead and the improvements, st the
opportunity and at a sscri6cs. The
"heavy" cattle owner, whose herds have
done the mischief, Is the only available
purchaser, for tho r%ettlsr's cattle are
mixed with his and scattered over the
plains for twenty to fifty miles around,
and he alone can gather them with any
economy; and the settlers pre-empted
and would be as worthless to any one
but the owner of the large herds as il was
20 the settler himself. These are some
If the evils that have crushed out the
mall stock-raisers, and caused the trans-
'er of their herds to the Seattle kir -"
Vhonow have q monopoly of the cattle
industry upon the government
ands in the grazing regions of the
vest. These monopolists have made 1t
impossible for poor man
ny more to attempt to embark
n this industry. This profitable business
now only open tc men of wealth. A
apital of 500, 900 Is considered only q
air starter, while half a million Is not
any too much for a cattle raia-
og enterprise.
Instead of the public domain In the
region being occupied by q few
len and syndlcates with their immense
erds IT ought to be taken up by thou
ands upon Thousands of small live stock
but so long as the present sys- !
am Is maintained In regard to
pasture lands go long will
le monopoly continue to gain In {
ealth and power. Among the cattle I
arons are q large number of foreigners, /
9th individually and In syndicate, who
receiving the benefits of free grass
ithout paying a dollar for 1t. This ex- t
the great profits of the busineas, !
shows why so much forsign capital, q
hich was lying Idle at home, has been a
vested in this industry In America.
But what Is the remedy for this evili
t certainly Is q serious problem, and ]
lould invite the early attention of con- 8
'sss. In the opinion of the
Colorado ranchman," who has +
given the subject v
nch careful study, the land laws muat q
. amended In thelr application to Z
richly grazing lauds-thoss that are I
ntlllable-so as to protect the settler, l
ls,our'ge monopoly, and best promote t
10 development and prosperity of this c
eat region. This Is probably the sen. v
'ment of every man who has given the G
any thought. 1t does not seem a
'asonable TO place these pasture lands t
pom the same level With lands that are
in every way to the raising of
orn, wheat, cats, and other staple /
rops. Where 160 acres of the latter is =
nple for a homestead, the same quantity I
grazing lands would be entirely made. r
uate for the purpose of stook-raising II
Is su ggested by the Colorado ranch
an" that 1t BIO made possible for the il
tiler In the grazing region to acquire, a
virtue of his homestead and pre-
nption rights, "holdipgs somewhat ap-
'oximate In value to those acquired BIZ