, 1885-02-06
THE ROWDY WEST.
An Eastern Writer Gives His Opinion
of Cattlemen.
"Wrangles Among the Desperate
Without Order or Justice"
The Leasing Question as II Is Con-
sidered in Colorado.

Hon. J. b. Grinnell, of Iowa, in a con
tribution to the Breeders Gazette on the
land leasing problem, says many cattle
men would welcome both restriction as
to territory under a limit Of time and taxa-
ton, rather than the present and pros
pective wrangling among the desperate,
without order and far removed from
courts Of Justice
Cattlemen have protested for a num-
Der of years past against such remarks
as that Of Mr.. Grinnell. which con-
vey the idea that they are desperate men,
ready to spill human blood upon the
slightest provocation, and that they live
in a region without order, and governed
by force instead Of law. That idea pre-
walls to a great extent in theeast, and is
due largely to such writings as those
quoted. 1t seems as though men were
determined to be blind to the fact that
great changes have taken place during
the past few years, in the methods Of con-
Quoting the cattle business, and hat the
days Of force and violence have well-nigh
passed. It is only in n few isolated
regions, and but seldom in them, deeds
of violence are committed by cowmen.
The old style of cowboy has passad on to
the Indian region, turned his toes up to
the daisies" or been forced off the range.
The great majority of cattlemen discount
tenance the carrying of arms, and most
of the cattle growers associations have
adopted resolutions against the practice.
VIII Eastern men never learn the facts,
but continue to base arguments upon a
condition of things that no longer exist,
except in their imaginations2
Mr.. Grinnell says ''the present system
is yearly becoming moro prolific of IN
tention and is attended with great local
losses"
1t is not exactly apparent where those
great local losses are to be found, as
any result of the present system, which
would not be found under a leasing sys-
tenn. Is it true that the present system
is yearly becoming more prolific Of con-
tention2'' Looking over the progress Of
the business during the past few years,
and comparing its present condition with
what it wa ten years ago, and noting the
constantly decreasing acts of violence
among cattlemen. it seems as though Mr..
Grinnell's statement was deficient in the
essential particular that it is not correct.
The old occupants have learned how to
settle all difficulties that arise among
themselves in a ~peaceable manner They
do not fear any contentious except from
new corners on the ranges that are fully
stocked, and they are satisfied hat they
can avoid these without a resort to force
or the leasing system.
Referring to the leasing system the
Denver TriBme-R Republican says
THE cattlemen, almost universally, fear
the introduction Of a leasing system. They
believe that it will lead to contentious in
stead Of prevent them, and thereby intcn-
sify the evils that well meaning, but not
the best informed, men claim they will
prevent. 1t is a significant fact that the
articles which appear in the public press
advocating leasing, are not written BY men
who are engaged, and have had much ex-
pericnce, in the cattle business on the
plains. So long as reasons are given for
leasing which are based upon the condi-
tions of the business, and the practical
methods Of conducting it, We submit that
they should be given by men who possess
a more thorough and accurate knowledge
than Eastern writers have yet shown that
they possess.
The charge of having legislated away
the public domain into the greedy grasp
of the bullock barons'' would make any
politician tremble. And yet some strong
reasons in favor of a leasing system occur
to the intelligent man who reflects upon
the situation. The fact is our great and
growing cattle industry has no substantial
basis and can not have any until some
secure tenure of the land it occupies a
be had. There is no legal way to fence
the ranges and consequently no method
of preventing them from being ruinously
overstocked. In Colorado most of the
water fronts are owned by the sheep men
and for this reason large cattlemen oppose
the leasing plan"