, 1891-07-29

A CRITICAL JUNCTURE

puShS oeutiLuent IN NOnlug UT even NJ
important element of it the state will have
fewer large herds OF cattle a year from
now than it has today. The Republican
shrleks forth the usual wall against cor,
porate cormoranis and %reviyes old charges
and stories against the cattle barons' IN
the prosperous days when they repre-,
scented about all there was to Wyoming
The evident purpose is to justify the
ong OF the present by the wrongs OF
the past-that as impositions have been
practised by big cattle companies years
ago cattle thieving now rs in a measure
re~taliatory and to that extent Unsuitable.
1t does not seem TO make any difference is
to who owns the herds now or as to
whether auY OF the individuals who have
now adopted r%ustling as an occupation
ever suffered directly or indirectly To the
extent of a nickel by any injustice which
may have been practised in the past.
This is the actual drift and the true inter
probation OF the sense of the article al
though not expressed In these words.
Coming down to a question of fact, the
Laramie paper goes on to say:
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 grossly exaggerated
There Is no more danger Of the 'rustlers
having practical possession of all the
ranges by another season than there is OF
Herr Most becoming the general OF the
army in 1892, and everybody knows it
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 years that
the danger from his Incursions can
scarcely be said to come from an unex-
pected quarter, while there was never n
time when the entire state possessed SO
efficient, honest and fearless a force of
peace officers as at the present time. We
do not believe there is a county in Wyo.
ming where the sheriff and his deputies
cannot protect the herds il called upon to
do so and the idea that the thieves can
levy tribute whenever they are so dis
posed and no man dares say them nay
Is simply preposterous and without foun-
dation iu fact
We fear the Republican lacks in
Oihativu oh thS suSIeVl- II huCH uoN
deny that rustllng is being done, for the
court records in pretty nearly every county
in the state would fatty and officially con-
tradict such a statement. The only dis.
tinction apparently made Is one OF degree;
while r%ustling is undoubtedly going on. the
~rustlers haven't actual possession OF most
OF the ranges lhls seems to be the only
consolation lett.
The actual condition OF things, as here
tofore presented in TIE LEADER was not
overdrawn. That the business OF rustl-
Ing has become systematized' that many
men follow this as an occupation; that
brands, as the result OF their
handiWork, can be seen on every range
that In many quarters no attempt Is made
by the rustlers to disguise their occupa-
tion; That herds belonging to these men
have been growing with phenomenal rapid
lty and not a dollar invested by these men
10 the business; that the honest settlers
IN certain quarters are held IN complete
and the law IS powerless to
reach them are self-evIdent facts to every
one who has investigated the subject.
u 'e''t'' anu nies VI '"o oln0e u,
t"e etooA o~ui''Stune' are 'oaNeu
uo"u WIN o'iuenee ine oou'' 'tcorus
ereiS ""eie ota' 'es''no"y VI soPu'''"iS
"nen tue evidence adduoeu was over
~neiininR'y oons.uoinR, " wna' use are
eni'.en. peace oineetS IL eranu Juries WIN
no' 'nu'c' auu pe''' Iuiies win nUt CONVICT
upo" oo"0uS'o oN,ue"'o' We ave
nearu o. many c~Epreua''onS' put we nave
nA'u Vi very IL" "ie ""oio "a
'V",,o'on eA''p' "
hinsen anu Ntnc" 'i'>rnne' cases Fe
oen.'' ',ieu III trra county -,
i"' ueSfe VI hh HhADhN was u oa''
puOl9 " 'ne'e ""''e''' "A"S
"e'uS ope" 'u"kes ave
" Ueins Rfauuaiy aosorUeu o' 'ne ruS''ers'
Ainiu pubic oplhloh III soue quarters
o"e ','un'S u 1t uo's no' upno'u
'hem, therefore tue conclusion Is IRE
s,S'ioie 'na' e''ner me 'n'e'eS OF me cat
.ehen must so' anu 1t rGlna'ns WIN 'ne
aw-aoio'ne peopie o' wyoming 70 decide
winch 'heS prefer
1t is sate to say that the catlemen still
paw over 90 per cent OF the assessed
valuation oil the state. When Crook
county was organized the assessed
valuation was S2,soO,VOo, vi this amount
tha a,Vflavaau -uaA EN - 30 Ell nnn &c..