Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1890-03-21

melon patches from the fact that the ed
itor of the Times spent his boyhood"
there. Every maE-at least, every news
paper writer--in the state. ought to know
that very few bills are introduced which
do not clash with some adverse interest
The only course then is to compromise.
When Mr.. Worst introduced his bill it
applied to the whole state. But even the
editor of the Times must know that in
the thickly settled Red River Valley the
stock interest amounts to little. That
section, when united, is all powerful in
the legislature, and they rose up as one
man against the bill. Mr.. Worst then, in
order to save the bill, had it amended in
committee by adding the county~option
section.
AS the matter now stands, the settle
ment of the question is In the hands of
the people Of each county. Before such
law can prevail! there must be petition
for vote to the board of county commits
sioners. Such petition must be signed
by one-thlrd of the voters of the county,
as shown by the total vote at the proceed
ing election, and the board must then or
der vote on the question at the next
general election. If a majority should
vote for the measure, even its friends
would consider it only in the nature of
an experiment, and would gladly seek its
repeal If all or greater part of the evils
of the Times EDITORS "boyhood days"
should follow in its train. But we do not
believe they would follow. The Times
picture OF the residents of county where
there was no winter-range law driving
their stock across the line into a free
range sister county, and turning them
over to the tender mercies Of the public,
to be driven Either and thither by the
four winds of heaven, is absurd If out
side herds were taken into range coun-
ties, the next legislature could change the
date for assessing stock taxes, and thus
"sinch' the interlopers. But it is
believed by friends of the law that if the
measure is ~ good one it will soon be
adopted by all the counties of central and
western Dakota, where the conditions are
almost similar
At any rate, the Times we'll knows that
the condition Of affairs in this county un.
der the herd law now in force is and has
been deplorablc in the extreme. While
as matter of fact stock does run at
large in this county in winter, unmolestcd
by most of the citizens, still in every
neighborhood there is always found some
one who lacks the manllness to fight his
enemies in manly way, and members
of this class arc always ready to pounce
upon the stock of a ne1ghbor with whom
they are upon unfriendly terms.
| We suggest to the editor of the Times
that, before he seeks to discourage q
measure of attempted relief, ho look
about him. He will find that three -fourths
of the petty litigation IN Emmons county
since Its organization has been directly
traceable to the alleged damage done b,
trespassing stock, and that most of tho
bitter enmities between neighbors comes
from the same source. He will also learr
that several criminal suits, with the re
sultant costs upon the taxpayers, have
been brought about through stock
troubles. Furthermore, that only few
weeks ago q civil suit in which the dam
ages were only dollar or two was trotteo
over the county from justice shop te
justice shop until the costs were upwarC
Of hundred and fifty dollars, and tina
tho ghost of the suit is not yet laid. Afte
he shall have learned thesathings, let thu
low. comedy editor Of our steamed cotcm
porary withdraw his antagonism to thil
measure simply because it does not go al
far as he wishes. Let him take the REC
ORD as his guide, philosopher and friend
as of yore, and Gabriel will not overlook
!, him at the final round up