Fergus County argus., 1886-10-28
ENDORSES STUART ON the STOCK LAWS.
And Has Good Word 10 say IN Defense Of
the Members OF tie Fourteenth
Legislative Body.

understood and the general public better
posted as to the time and money spent by
our stock association to prepare laws that
would he fair and lust Ia all classes |
think there would be less gr1mbling. The
association hired AN Office in Helena dur
ing the last session OF our legislature where
they gathered the stock laws oi our west
ern states and territories and many OF the
rules and regulations of local a-spciations
From these were cullei aud arranged by n
committee of experts assisted byabie coun-
ellis such parts as suited our locality and
circumstances and gave the best atisiac-
tion where in force Mr. stuart. as chair
man, giving his whole time to the work
when not prostrated by sickness without
Zee or reward Meetings were held where
all stock men, whether rich or poor, and
all Others Interested wer invited to meet
and give their views on the eiec; and work
ing Of those laws as they were brought up
for discussion, amendment or rejection,
section by section. They were then intro
duced into II legislature composed of less
than one-thir,l stock men, p.illed To pieces,
amended and passed The above may
not he very good clcrtioneerng talk. but
we have higher duties than getting votes.
Now to your cticisms In reply to MIR.
stuart you say: Now, ii all the stock
legislation was wise, then the members
showed n superior fitness to lcsslatc on
stock matters alone, for nenrly all the
other legislation was bad" The above is
so much ut variance with your usually SEN
sible and and conservative riticsm that
think it must be n misprint, and some
qualification left out. Where is it bad?
Give ~ the facts. The n4enbcrs of the
last legislature, like all those that preceded
it, were human, with human feelings and
imperfections, but from my stand point
with the single exception of the members
oi the constitutional convention they
were as practical II body oi men aud
worked as hard for the public good ~ any
ever served with. one thing is certain, il
there were fools in that body, they were
not all stock men.
You give the branding law as an example
OF bad iHgislation. | am secretary of the
Cone Butte and Moccasin Roundup, am in
correspondence with officers and members
of other ruundups, and So i'lr l have not
heard single objection urged by stock
men to the branding law. on the contrary
all approve it. IL has been tried and is in
operation ia other ST prk ,tstt,, and terri
tories. Of course there will be rrumblrrs
as there always has been and always will
be. lou speak also about stock detect
ives working for large companies in rccoy-
cring stock. while small owners have t.
pay for such recovery oat of their own
pockets. Now, the reverse of this has bren
the ease in our neighhorhood -Four horses
were stolen by Indians from one ranrhman
and one from another not many mil'>
from Maiden. orrra yearago, and although
these men paid nothing directly or indi-
rrctly, toward the support % the detective
systch, the detective, William 'antr,H
went north into the British country aud
recovered the horses at the risk of his life,
without cost to the owners.
An objection has been urged to the road
law. II may not be the best, but il wa,
passed at the instance Of the authorities of
Silver bow aud Deer Lodge counties ON the
ground that clerks and other town folk did
nat av.r.,,,,. half - I,,,- y.,,l, -, d, NOD
hand and that road tax collected in
.noney and expended under the direction
al :, ,,o,,,,,,an, ma, or,,,r,v;,,, mood b.ln
wuuld gn ,nucb fnr,hsr t,,,,,,,ls n,,l.i,,.,
good roads and even in tI,,. ,li,Iv srt,I.i
rplut irs Nlprt. road dist ,irt- ftpaupuf Ia px-
fond t,y.,,t, mill. !, am. ,l;r..ti,., IL, ia.
ti,,a 3, f,ruar and his mon t,.,,.al ,.;.lt al,
Ten n,il.. in I'm. nn,r,,inr and AZ many -,
nj, ,ht ppith.r he nnr ,b.n, f.,J lit.. loins,
,h., y,,t,ld Il, II ,,r,,,.d az, th,. ,,r,.ud
In dor, !, i ur..,.,I ,l,n, iii. ,y.v of ,,,.,
and ho,,. ooiu., ,ut vb,tl,.r ,l,,v ara. u..d
L, surh work ,,r mot tov,,rl, an tl,,. road.
.ou,. with +, shovel other. With b,,a ar
nick. and some wi,h,ut t.oI. J.. behind
I il. s,,irit nf the nye. and ton p,n,b El.. tb,
old fashioned "trainins dav.' when our
lat her. met 10 trau,p around AN hnttr or
two with AN old 1iut.lock musket. shot
gun ar hoe handles ON their shoulders to
l,.nr,, military tn,tic.
Another ,hi,ction Ia The las. l.,,.latur.
was the r,,.s.,,,,. al In. s,l,r, l,ill Tbi.
law X in force in SONS. of tn, STATE. and is
said "a yiveu,od satisfaction. II is.aidto
work well in silver Bow ard Lewis and
lark, ro,nti.-. In, only ol,.a,ti,u ther.