, 1891-08-04

A STRONG STATEMENT.

The Evanston Nc1rs is evidently not in
clIned TO fall in line with the abettors of
cattle thieving or even to enter general
denials of occurrences which it cannot
close its eyes to. The appended article is
taken from the NaoS:
The CHEYENNE LEADER thinks if cattle
st stealing, which is now so prevalent in
seem able to cope with, Is not stopped
soon in some manner, the stock industry
must seek the protection Of laws of other
states and our state lose a large part Of
the property that pays our taxes. The
Denver Republican in commenting upon
TIE LEADER article saws: Wyoming will
suffer very much if this thIevlng is
net stopped. Cattlemen will not keep
their herds in a region where tine authori.
ties are not able to protect them against
thieves and the state will get n bad Tepu-
tatIon abroad, which it will be a long time
in overcoming, if prompt measures are
not taken to put a stop TO cattle stealing
in Wyoming" The Laramie Republican
BioltSsts " ptitNt lut NlAuhAlhh ~
overdrawn by The LEADER and Gays;
The editorial quoted is a direct insult to
the officers OF every county of this state
and its statements throughout are either
utterly untrue or greatly exaggerated. 1t is
possible that there has been even an
unusual amount of cattle stealing going
on of late and yet the rustler has flour
ished in Wyoming for So many wears that
the danger from his incursions can
scarcely be said to come from an unex-
pected quarter. while there was never a
time when the entire state possessed so
efficient, honest and fearless a force of
peace officers as at the present time. "
To this The LEADER replies: The act
ual condition OF things, as heretofore pre-
scented in THE LEADER, was not over
drawn. That the business OF r%ustling has
become systcmatized; that many men iol-
low this as an occupation; that blotched
brands. as the result of their handiwork,
can be seen on every range; that in many
quarters no attempt is made by the rus
tiers to disguise their occupation; that
herds belonging to these men have been
growing with phenomenal rapidity and
not a dollar invested by these men in the
business; that the honest settlers in GER
tain quarters are held in complete subju-
cation by the law and the law is power
erless to reach them, are self-evident facts
to every one who has investigated the
subject.
The situation in Uinta county is per-
haps not different from that of other coun-
ties in the state. There is a vast amount
Of stock stealing. much Of it under the
very noses of the officers and the owners
of the stock upon which the Gepredations
are committed, but the officers are IN most
cases not to blame. The fault lies with
the stockmen, who take no active meas
ures to put a stop to the stealing. Peace
officers are not criminal detectives in the
sense that they are bound to look after
stock upon the range or arrest every man
upon suspicion who markets dressed beef.
But if the stOckmen desire to protect
their herds from the incursions of the
stock ~rustlcr, let them bestir Themselves,
offer rewards. employ detectives and put
the machinery of the laws we have into
operation, and it will soon result that our
present laws will be sufficient to discour-
age, if not to eliminate the %rustler. Our
laws are good enough, but nobody seems
to care to see that they arc enforced, and
ever our laws are not 50 well made that