The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-03-13

N, THURSDAY MARCH 13, Is
tempting delusive projects, all as i'll
founded as the tulip mania or south
sea speculations of 200 years ago, and
in the end like the Melstrom engulf-
ing all that came within its fatal vor-
tex. 1t established a new and dan
gerous relation between the owners of
large and small stocks, and
frequent collisions were threat
ened. In a night hundreds of
miles of wire fences were cut and
the law for time was powerless to
prevent the destruction. The State
seemed unwilling to either lease or
sell them land. Debt, like a consum
ing fever and wasting consumption,
began to cloud the brow and take the
fire out of the eye of the bravest in
their ranks. Their range was over
stocked and the supply OF cattle
greater than the demand of our home
market, and when they attempted to
drive in search of another and better
they we're confronted at the border of
their State by restrictive quarantine
and inspection laws, imposing serious
burdens and delays; or if to avoid this
trouble they attempted to ship by
railways they were subjected to ruin
GUS freight rates, so that in any event
when they finally passed through all
these tribulations and finally reached
q market in Chicago it was only to
fall into the hands of those who grad
uated their profits with as much
precision and certainty as they
co lid number their herds, and there
is today practically no other cattle
market on this continent. The price
of every COW in the land is settled by
its decree, and the delivery of beef to
each city of note in the land, as well
as price, fully regulated. And sellers
not in the syndicate or pool, are al
legged to be boycotted and ruined at
will. You should inquire into the
causes and as far as possible remove
these burdens. Whatever is done
should be permanent and radical. A
patient may be cured of fever, but
if afterwards he be placed under
poisonous or malarial influences he
is liable to become sick again with
the same disease, and the relapse is
even worse than the first attack.
have most animating hopes and
the greatest confidence that your
present inquiries will compre-
bend in their consequences
general relief for all the States and
operate as band of sympathy and
union of interest in providing more
accessible and direct market across
the Atlantic, where millions of hungry
mouths await the food you may send
them by refrigerators and otherwise
through deep wauer harbors along our
Texas coast. You can not hope to
reap the full benefit of your great in
dustry until your beef goes from your
own slaughter houses to the markets
OF the world and the law of supply
and demand re-establishes a healthy
competition, and you can enjoy the
freeman's privilege of having some
voice in determining the price Of your
cattle when ready to sell.
And even after this has been &C
complished, in order to place the cat
tie interest upon safer basis you
will in my opion be COM
PEELED to change your bust
ness into more methodical channels
based on scientific principles. 1t is
obvious that the natural development
going on in the country will force the
process. Where there is no law of
heredity or succession to interfere,
large pastures only mark transition
stage in the march of development.
They can not continue to be held in
their entirety and bear the burden OF
taxation for the mere glory attaching
to large possessions. The time is near
at hand when the value of these lands
| will be too great to be devoted to an
improvident and Improbable system
of cattle raising. They are slowly
being encroached upon now, and must
inevitably yield to the small stock
farmer, who will make them more
productive by keeping fewer but bet
ter and more carefully nurtured stock.
In this way the development of the
agricultural interests are absolutely
essential to our elevation as
a beef producing State, and
the sooner the two interests are
made to fully sustain each other the |
better for all concerned.
Thanking you for the courteous
manner in which your associations
invitation was conveyed and trusting
that your meeting will be grand
success. I am respectfully,
L. S. Ross.
Catarrh Cured.