Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-06-26

the Territories are receiving some little
 attention from Congress. but it is more
 in the hne of curtaIling theIr powers
 than in assisting in their progress and
 prosperity. The Territories seem to be
 made a sort of safety-valve to experi-
 mental legislation, and the fresh mem.
 bers of the national Congress give them
 the benefits of their crude efforts in
 statesmanship, reserving their own constituency for their more experienced,
 work. From the widely diversified :ideas
 sown. by embryo statesmen in the prolific
 political soll of Territorial government, it would be strange indeed, if some did not fructify and bloom and bear fruit of of e strange and unclsssifed vsrie- ty. This must first te sampled, tested and its utility demonstrated by
 the people residing in these Territor- ies, like chemical and medicinal experiments are made in some countries upon condemned criminals and if the chance fruit does not poison them, it is pronounced good. Indeed, the idea seems to prevail in the minds of the average congressman that the several territories are only so many gov ernmentsl reservations, upon which people msy trespsss under such limited conditions as may be imposed at will by congress. They are not supposed to be capable of distinguishing right from wrong, and cannot be trusted 10 govern themselves even in the half measure of ordinary statehood. The congressman
 who owns a garden and orchard in a densely populated portion of New
 York or Massachusetts, imagines that the same conditions of cultivation, clI- mate, soil, value and possibilities sur round every foot of the wild terri torisl area in far-off Idaho, in broad Dakota, and ID arid Arizona, and he would have such stringent laws governing the helpless vagabonds and ruifisns who are priyiliged to enjoy in 6 limited manner the blessings of the beautiful and inviting frontier, as are applicable to his blooming garden and shady park.
 The house committee on public lands now have under consideration a meas ure which bears the humorous title of
 bill ''to promote the settlement of the Territories of the United States, and to protect the rights of homestesds and pre-emption clsimsDts." It IS directed solely sgaInst the chief industry of Arizona, and if it be- comes law it will almost entirely choke out the vast stock interests now existing here. It contemplates the absolute ex-
 clusion of cattle from grazing upon the public domain and in terms declares all existing laws requiring agricultural lands to be fenced with a lawful fence to maintain R suit for trespass by stock, to be null and void and utterly unconsti- tutiOnal. It requires the stOckmRn to restrain his stock and holds him respon- sible for all damage by trespRss upon | public or private lands. In Arizona it | is well known fact that the semi an- ual seasons of rainfall produces sparse crop of grass upon the dry mesa lands | which are absolutely worthless for any | ether than grazing purposes, Rnl stock i men who own sources of water supply | naturally control the pubic lands for grazing their herds. To drive them of these lands snd compel them to con fine their herds tO a quarter-sec ctiOn, | would be a practical embargo upon the industry and it would result in no prsc- tical benef. to the government. Did frequent streams of water course | the public domain, nffording | good facilities for irrigation, such law | would prove highly beneficial and the agrioulturist would be given very nee essary protection; but owing to its pe- culiar natural conditions. the territory | of Arizons should be exempted from the | provisions of the act.