The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-09-10
THE TRUE OBJECTS OF LEGIS-
jATlON.

A writer in the Breeders' Gazette, OF
Chicago, in commenting on the eIecu-
tive order relative to the fencing OF
the public domain, has, among other
things, this to say:
"There are three classes OF illegal
fences which will be affected by this
order. First, enclosures by farmers OF
perhaps q few hundred acres adjoining
their presm ption claims or farms !;
second, enclosures where strips OF
land have been acquired by pur-
chases from + iilroads and by preemp-
tioDs so located as to surround large
body OF public land, the tencos stand
ing upon the land owned i'll lee; thIo,
enclosures Of land in large bodies, OF
which no prstsnse is mads to title TO
any part, The last two classes are Inc
ones OF which there hes been mhcn
complaint, and which have occasione0
Sill Inc trouble, Tho second aud third
class of enclosures should be pre-
vented, but to destroy those described
uuder the first class will work posi-
tive hardship to thousands OF worthy
psople whose operations are OF such
n character as to deserve someWha5
more liberal treatment from the gov
eminent than Is accorded to those who
rive their whole attention to grazing
cattle upon the free lands OF the pubic
domain. These are actual settlers and
farmers, who own small tracts OF
arabic land, of from 40 to o few nun
bred acres, upon which they are re-
siding and attempting to i've by oral-
psry agriculture, of which stock-rais-
ing, in small way, forms part"
The leading live stock Journal of the
Northwest, published at Cheyenne
takes this writer to task, accuses the
farmers of fomenting all the srouble,
thinks that the poor man who owns
only about $500 worth OF property
should be made to retire from the pub
lie domain, rather than tho rich cat
tleman worth 100000, and adds the
time-worn argument, once 80 often
heard in Texas, that the grazing lands
are not fit for agriculture anyway.
Among the many statements OF the
character indicated is the following:
"The small farmer who comes, ana
souats on cattleman's old established
range, where he can scarcely false
white beans, 80 far as crops are coz
cernsd, to be allowed more land than
the stock raisers! 1t Is prepos ferrous.
10 the irst place tne general ia mer
within the section Known a' the
range country cannot make success
of his business, and the more lan1 ne
tres 70 cultivate, the worse OIL ne
is.0
The reasoning by which cattlemen
10 the West would have tho public do
main practically reserved for their
benefit, and theirs alone, has not even
the points to recommend it that the
pampered manufacturers In the East
can urge in a special consideration OF
their business by tho government,
even il the extra cost must be made
good by the general public. Manufac'
lures bring in population, erect towns,
afford employment to thousands and
rut money in circulation. Large
ranches, on the other hand, keep out
people, build no towns and put money
In the vaults OF the cattleman's de-
pository. A country given up to manu-
features is a busy, populous country.
A section abandoned to stock-raising
is desolate and lonely one. There is
40 ne reason, therefore, in the demand
Of the manufacturer for special legts-
l ation In his behalf; in the other cass
none. .
Tne results Of true legislation are
ths building. up Of the country,
peopling Il with : busy, thrifty popu-.