, 1891-07-30
THE COST OF n,

A party of Dlack-balled COWBOYS held
up a portion of the roundup a few DAYS
ago and took out and branded thirty OF
the finest calves in the herd. Say, fellow
citizens, who are the %people2
This brief but suggestive paragraph is
taken from the last issue OF the Buffalo
Bulletin. In the judgment of the Lara
mic Republican the Buffalo paper for
publishing and THE LEADER tor reprint
ing 1t W the peace officers Of johnson
oounty profuse and ample apologies.
The johnson county paper may well
inquire, who are the ~people2" With
each passing day there is more point aud
significance added to the inquiry. Sup
pose these black balled cowboys we're ar
rested and their crimes fastened on to
them by indubitable evidence-would a
johnson county jury convict them?
Would a Fremont county jury, II Carbon,
Converse or Natrona county iury2 Those
with a KNOWLEDGE OF the facts who hon
estly answer this in the light Of past ex-
perience will have some appreciation of
the dangerous elements which are work
ing against tie cattle business and com
bining to drive 1t out of the state.
What would the loss of the cattle bus
iness amount to2 When the taxpayer
and the law abiding citizen begins to
figure on it he Is apt to be startled. From
Deputy State Auditor Putnam the fol
lowing official figures were yesterday. re-
ceived; The acreage property Of the
state for 1890 was assessed at Sc, COS, 726.
95; town lots and improvements mot in.
GLIDING household eoods) at s., l27, 1872
81. All the railroad lines in the state
were assessed at Sc, O26. OT6.6O and the
telegraph lines at sllS.275.20. Cattle
alone were assessed at s.. $40. 745. 1.-THE
assessment on sheep, goats. horses aud
mules is added, the total is brought up to
IS, 1903, AS. 25.
1t will therefore be seen that the live
stock industry OF this state Is assessed Tor
over 80, 600 1000 more than all the railroad
and telegraph lines, over 81, 100, 900 more
than all the farms, ranches and acreage
property with their improvements and
over SO, 1000, 900 more than all the town
lots and improvements within the bouuda-
ries of the state OF Wyoming.
Under these circumstance what should
be the policy of the law abiding people of
Wyoming? Should they foster the cattle
business or permit 1t to be either annihil-
ated or driven forth to iiud new pastures?
If the latter, what have they got to take
its place and are they willing to shoulder
25 per cent added taxes?
These are serious questions to consider,
The law abiding people have the settle
ment of them In their own hands. Pub
lie opinion in all communities should ia
vor equal justice to all men. The man
who steals a calf or a steer is no more en-
titled to public respect or immunity from
punishment than the man who steals a pillow
or a SUN of money. When crimes ARE
proven against cattle thieves their convic-
ton and punishment should follow as
surely as in any other cases of Iniraction
of the law. This has not been strictly
true in Wyoming, and until it is true no
mans stock running at large is safe from
depreciation. So long as stock is not
measureably sale from thieving no fresh
money can be attracted to the business
and those now engaged 10 it will be forced,
for self protection, to 20 TO new ranges
beyond the boundaries of this state where
property rights in cattle are respected aud
depredations upon then. are treated like
other classes of crimes.