Arizona republican., 1890-07-04
TUcsoN, Ariz., June 2l, 1890. To HONORABLE LEWIS WoLFLEY,
 Governor Of Ariznun

TUCSON, Ariz., June 2l, 1890. To HONORABLE LEWIS WoLFLEY,
 Governor of Arizona.
 Dear sir-We desire to lay before you and through you, before the Honorable Secretary o state, at Washington, the following grievance and pray that our government may take such action as will enable the stOckmen on the Mex lcan border to recover their property:
 Since the settlement of Southern Arizona by Americans, the business Of cattle raising, on d more or less extensive scale, has been the prin elpal business of the people engaged in hus bandTy.
 During all this time, extending over a period Of eight or nine years, the Mexican authoritie, have allowed the American ranchman under somewhat varying, but not unreasonable re stricuons, tO go into the Mexican territory and return their estray stock to the American side of the line; at times calling our attention to a law which they said was not enforced, by which such recovery or our stock was prohibited However, on or apOut the 10th day of May when some American ranchnen asked of the Mexican Customs authorities for permission to return some estrayed stock, they were informed that the statute above referred to was to be hereafter enforced and that no Americans cOUld hereafter return their estrayed stock except by paying an export duty of three dollars ana nlty cents Tor each animal so returned to the American side of the line, and to enforce this relussl an extra mounted guard was placed on the line.
 There are now on the Mexican side of the
 
 not including those Americans who have ranches on the Mexican side in the neighbor. hood of one thousand cattle which except by the interference and friendly officers of our general government will be coiifscated by Mex. lean local authorities, whose laws are express, " so provided, and such cattle of q value of not less than ten thousand dollars will be lost to us We earnestly set forth that we use every means Tn our power to prevent our cattle from going on Mexican territory, but that owing tO the iact that there Is or can be no barrier put UP Dy us, and oi necessity our cattle must range at will over the whole country in order to obtain subsistence on so dry and thinly grassed range It Is impossible to prevent them from crossing the line, particularly in places where tain ranges.
 We therefore, your petitioners, having at a public meeting held in NOgales Arizona June l2th, lS9O, appointed Isaac N. Town, Chairman or the Live Stock Sanitary Board of Arizona as a committee to lay this our grievance before you and our Government, do pray that immediate and proper action be taken to the end that we may not have our property taken from us and that we may hereafter be allowed at proper times to recover the same without unnecessary and yeXatiOus restrictions
 We deem 1t proper to further set forth in con cluslOn Of this our earnest prayer, that the only reason given by the Mexican authorities for this late grieyOus order, is that our Government are about to place duty of ten dollars per head on all Mexican and other foreign cattle and that in so doing our Government wholly disregards their interests and are taking action that will ruin the cattle Interests of Mexico ~ ISAAC N. TowN, chairman oi the Meeting and Committee to Draft this Memorial.
 Governor Wolhey yesterday forwarded the petition to Secretary Blaine with the following indorsement:
 EXECUTIVE OFFICE, July 3, 1890. Respectfully forwarded to the Honor able Secretary of State, with request that some action looking to the relief of the Arizona stockmen along the Mexi- can line may be taken, and it is respect fully urged. Respectfully,
 LEWIS WoLFLEY,
 Governor of Arizona.