Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1890-03-09
papers published In the range country
that where the peculiar features OF the

N'-~N ,'''s''s eoeg VI eNto9nt Oh -
manifest injustice, becoTe law, and
no concerted effort has to our knowl-
edge been made In any other locality
than in Custer county to oefest 1t.
While on the face Of 1t, IL does not
aeem possible that bill which bas for
Its sole object the imposing Of an arbi-
trary and oDerous tax on q struggling
indutry which Is the sole resource Of
a sDarsely settled section of the coun-
try, can receive the support of n ma.
joritv of those who are supposed to
legislate for the benefit Of the country
a: Il 4e, still there IL 70 be feared the
prejudices that exist among the small
stock growers Of the densely settisd
eastern snd middle ststss. who ignor-
antiy consider the range beef 90 I'm
composition with their pastured or
stall fed stock. and who have an en-
tirely erroneous idea Of what they are
pleased to term "free grass" Accept
irg this term In its m"st liberal sense
they argue that the range stock owner
pays nothing whst.ver for his use Of
the range. To refute this we refer to
the ststement made in the protest that
the range stock owner is subject to q
yea ly tax of four per cent. which In
view of the de, ressed condition Of the
business is all 1t can possibly stand.
Then too The granger stock grower and
his representatives in congress must
remember that il is a scsnt three
years since providence laid It, heavy
hand on this industry In the north
west, completely bankrupting q ma
jority Of those engaged 10 the business
and severely crippling those whom Il
did not bankrupt. The men who
emerged from this terrible disaster
with q mere remnant Of their former
fortunes. and who with indomitxbls
energy sgain addressed themselves to
. prosecution Of the business and the
accumulation Of . competency, have
bad no ray Of sunshine on their en-
deavors up 70 this time. Adverse sea-
sons and Q constantly over-stocked
aud falling market has kept them %
poor ss the terrible winter Of 's7 left
them. 1t II on these men and this In
dustry that the Sweeney bill proposes
to impose an additional tax TO the end
no doubt. that they may be driven out
Of busines', result which will - sure
ly follow the psssage Of the bill aud
the endorsement Of it % . Law, - dark
nes- follows daylight.
The sppArent apathy with which
this matter has been tr sted by the
range stock owners may be Yssd 10 fur
nish strong argument for the passage
Of the bill. II will be cited as being
acceptable to them because ii is noe
opposed. We therefore urge upon all
the COW counties in the state tn iol'ow
the lead set by Custer cnunty and snd
to Mr.. Carter Immediately n strong
protest against the iur her eou,idera-
tion Of the Sweeney bilI
Following 10 the pr..tk-t referred To-:
To the House Of Rep e.entative- of the
United States:
Your petitioners, resld, nts ~ eastern
Montana, respectfully ssk the suen-
ton OF congress 10 the hill now pend
ing, by which II 10 proposed 10 tar all
live stock on the public ranges per
head and ts ask consideration OF the
effects of such measure were IL TO BE-
come . law.
First. May we be permitted to ask
when, In the history of our govern-
ment. such burden hiss ever been
imposed or sought 10 he impr sed upon
the early settlers Of any Of the new
states? Such privileges n the publie
common afforded have been enjoyed BY
all our ancestors In the settlement q
every new country.
second. The burdens tRideut 10 IT,
developmsnt Of . new country are m
TODD or Of lesst ought 10 be under
stood by the American people, and In
such region % We In habit here In tho
grasing portion Of Montana, these bar
deps are particularly heavy; geoera1
agriculture, until by some means irr1-
gatIvu Is attained, 10 out of Tia Quco-
ton, 20 that the only resources q ~
people In grrxing districb \
the live stock industry. Tsx0 ~
support Of local, municipal eD1
state government, must - ~
lowest possible rate be high; tnDm =
every grade inposed upon live 49,
are now at least four PEI cent q ~
actual value Of ths property; b. ~
pssding bill it b noW psoposG1 b ~
puss Q tAx of oae dol1Af ~ hend uDnn
I'll live steck Souud upon ~ uu111l
range. Thu would nnno1nt = 6 -
ssvsa PEE oset Of ths sEus vllne q
nsut cattle. nd ~ Dsl1t tv1n1y-r1n
psr oDot u Ne valus q sAs1D ~ -.
tls q Q lower gsa1e; sooh = NJ e1111
b ~ bordsoo alr1a6y ru11nI -
| onsA psspegoy b ~ u111D ~ Y,
moons ~ ohSo1u1s &111guC11m q e.
| live sossk io1ug1
II H. ve1ne q e11(2 - q o1411 e
| l1vo - - c1111 G1IG111 -
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