Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-03-26
A Herd Law with a Grass Commits.
sioner Attached 70 Travel Around
and Enforce II.
The Two Methods Of Leasing the School
Lands as Represented by the
House and Senate Bills.
An Enactment Making It o Penal Or
fense TO Turn Cattle Upon
tho Public Commons.


- NeAH -'rAt f'AeN'f'fA 49, tANAl fNt Nv
Houston declares: I'VE are opposed TO
the enactment cf herd law.p
Now, contrast thlg with the follow
ing provisions IN the senate land bill:
"Sec 60 One ofthe clerks provided
for ia this section shall be known a.
state rent agent, whose duty &c Shall
be, under the dir ction OF the cQmmis-
eiouer Of the land Office, TO go IN per-
son and examine all lands embraced
in this act that are being used by any
person, firm or corporation, and make
Il full and complete report Ia each and
every case where such lands are being
used in manner contrary to the pro-
visions OF this act, giving the name OF
the person, firm or corporation, The
location and the amount Of lands
c aimed or used by them as o stock
range for gnzlDg purposes, and the
number Of cattle or other stock being
grazed on said land and Che value
thereof, as neGr SO can he asct Ttsined;
and he shall forwBrd said report. to-
gether Win such other Information as
he may have, to the general land Of
fee, which shall be filed among tie
archives ofsaid Office To be used for the
purpose OF carry lug out the provisions
Of this act.
1T shall no the duty ofsaid rent agent
to demand rent from every uefsnn,
firm or corporation for any lands being
used by them in manner un6uthcT-
lied by HE act, which rent shall be
paid into the state treasury bv such
person firm or corporation aa prCvid-
ed for the payment Of rents 10 tbis act.
Said state rent agent shAll receive for
his services, in addition 90 the salary
herein prescribed, the sum OF twenty
1--we cents for ecch section leased, or
upon which rent ia collected. Ia be
paid annually by the lessee to the com
missioner Of the land Office 10 the
time the rent is due and payable pro-
vtded, his salary and iees shall in no
one year exceed $500, and If there be
an excess it ehall be paid into the state
treasury in Ike manner rs other land.
ofiloe fees; provided farther that said
state rent agent shall pay all his
travelling and other eX enses
"Engrossed rider. Provided that il
any person, firm or corporation who
shall herd, loose herd, or pasture
his stock for the purpo.e Of rrnainr
upon any OF such lands by liue,Ticine.
10 pay rents thereon, 1t shall be the
dut6 OF the Encouragement of this
state TO bring suit In the name Of the
STATE against said person, firm or cor.
poratiOn To recover from them tho
value Of the use and occupation of such
land aa provided by the terms Of This
ac..n
Here we have an enactment MAKING
10 q penal on nse to turn cattle loose
upon the rublic commons. Rndin order
to enforce 1.-THE 6 ate sends out spv.
whose activity is stimulated by com.
mission oD ali be may recover Thcye
is no concea)ment about the purposes
Of this act ~ Is q herd law, With a
grass commissioner attached to travel
around and enforce il.
For mouths TEE GAZETTE hos de.
olared that any system OF forced less.
ing involved aherd law, aud the lease
organs said IL was injecting false is.
sue into the campaign HIRE is a
verliicati0h Of THE GAHsrrE's att
tude ia the matter that no seueible
man can question.
Two methods of leasing the school
lands have boon proposed one Is the
voluntary system, which is framed
Win the Intention Of making It to the
interests Of tho cstIlrmen 10 lease.
The other would force them Ia
lease. Eh9 house land bill
represents one, tho senate bill the
other. There IL but one direction In
which force can he employed, AMI thoe
~ 20 prevent the occupancy at the
lands, except by leasing, a herd Law
- the only alternative. THE GA
IETrE said It twelve months ugo, the
ieN-a Sc nate reps II now: III any
person, trm or corporation, shall herd,
loose herd or pasture his stock for the
purpose OF grazing upon any Of such
lands, 10y lino riding, fencing or other
wise, etc
The oilense Is created by simp,v
'grsnng" ones stock upon the school
lands, and mind on, IL applies 10
amy person. as well rs COMPILATION. -
The moment this law goes into effect
every settler in the Weai becomes
violat0r Of law, and liable to its peuaI-
dee. IL may be said thst The grass
commissioners would overlook them
OUT 20 the contrary they would be ths
greatest, and, ia fact the only suf.
lerlF's from the law, III there we've
any virtue in II et ell, the pas 'ure men
would hasten 10 secure their RAM es
ana thus exempt theuselves from SUI.
out the poor man unable 10 leDse ia
compelled 90 let his stock
run at large, and &C once
falls a prey 10 his more powerful
neighbors They fife mplaints with
the grass commissioner thu, his stock
IRE trespessiug upon the sch0ol lands,
and straightway he Is lerked INTO
court Tue result Is that he must
oi'htr lease lands oH which 10 pasture
hia Few head Of cattle, or abandon the
country. The proposed law Offers an
etloetual lever to the biz pasture men
10 depopalate the West OF their invsf.
crate enemy, the settler, aud tbus oh.
tain a monopoly on that section for
pasture purposes
Tho people of Eastern Texas can
now mediate upon tho question az 10
whether or not they ere ready for a
hgrd law. Surely, they do not eon.
celve 4 possible to enact herd law for
the Wcsl, and maintain the much
despised system OF "flve grassu I'm tha
Esst. II 50, they are playing ,ieoen.
lion upon theme e,vcs which IA das.
tined 20 react With terrible forss