, 1891-09-06
A DOUGLAS PROTEST.
The Question of Cattle Stealing
Strongly Considered.
Small Ranchmen Do Not Es.
cape Attention.
Expressions of a Lusk Paper Sc.
vereIy Criticised.

DOUGLAS, Wyo., Sept. In the last
issue Of the Lusk Herald appears an edi-
itorial entitled Cattle Stealing" in which
the cattle business is criticised and the
value of the good work being accomplished
by THE LEADER and ether papers is ques-
toned.
1t contends that the range cattle bust
ness is doomed and is an absurd
ity anyway, and CONVEYS the impress
sion that range cattle owners are not en-
titled to protection. and if they were un-
wise enough to investlarge sums of money
In range cattle and the cattle are stolen,
nothing should be said about it. The
owners should keep their cattle 10 a pas
ture.
1t advocates state ownership of lands,
which is all right. and concludes by stat
ing that when Wyoming has small herds
and the ranges fenced. cattle stealing will
be a thing of the past.
The Herald man is in error and has
evidently been misinformed on the sub
ject.
What are the facts?
1t will be conceded that the press is the
chief moulder OF public opinion. 1t is
admitted that the prevalence OF cattle
stealing is appalling, consequently a
constant exposure and deuunciatIon of
cattle stealing is bound to create a strong
sentiment against it, that will ultimately
make it dangerous for cattle thieves to
ply their nefarious business. Honest
men will then come out boldly and
demand that it cease, while svmpathiZers
with the thieves will be obliged to oppose
thieving or be classed with the thieves.
1t will then be possible to obtain a jury
that will convict a thief for cattle stealing
and property owners will have no occasion
to take the law into their own hands. If
public opinion continues to be what it was
stole a fat steer or COW, it was said he
only rushed a beef. then honest men
will give Wyoming a wide berth. 1t is
high time for a change in public senti-
ment; it is the duty of every honest man
TO denounce it and do all In his power to
convict the cattle thieves.
The situation is becoming critical in
deed. Either the thieves or the honest
men will control this country. Immediate
action is imperative. In thus county
alone since its organization more than a
dozen men have been indicted for cattle
stealing and not one of them was con-
victed. In one instance one of the grand
jurors openly boosted of having a COW that
had thirteen calves in one season and said
it wasn't a good year for calves either.
And when a cattle stealing case came up
to be investigated he only wanted to know
whether the accused killed it to eat or to
sell. as though it was no crime to steal an
animal providing it was to be eaten by the
thief. Such a state of affairs should not
be tolerated and a strong sentiment
against cattle thieves must be created.
and the press is bound to do it.
1t is urged that a man should keep his
cattle III a fenced pasture as though his
property rights would be lost if the ca tile
were on the outside of the fence. Should
it be IN j~ustiica ion because a thief stole
don't call it rustic" for it is stealiug)
the cattle on the open prairie? Isn't it
just as much a crime? Certainly, but
thieves and their friends think otherwise.
A man has the right to let his cattle Craze
on the public domain whether 1t is fenced
or not, and he is entitled to protection.
He has invested his money in taxable
property. He helps support the govern.
ment. And because he isn't making any
money out of the enterprise, is that any
reason why the thieves should be permit
ted to steal what the hard winters have
left, and go ~unrehuked and UNPUBLISHED?
Clearly it is time for a change. Denounce
cattle stealing, give honest men a chance.
and it won't be long before thieves will
6od cattle stealing so improbable they
will seek new 6el1s.
Many people are under the impression
that the large cattle owners are the only
sufferers, but such is not the case now,
whatever it may have been in the past.
Small cattle men with from twenty to 500
head of cattle, are complaining bitterly of
the depredations of cattle thieves.
Yet people will say, don't say anything,
it don't do any good. OF course a cattle
tibet don't want anything said about it; it
wakes up the people and they watch him,
and he might be caught stealing, and his
neighbors couldn't be terrorized into with
holding evidence that would convict him.
OF course, don't say anything; Just let it
go on, and ''cuss'' the officers because
cattle stealing is on the increase
1t is all very well to talk about irriga.
ton, but experience teaches us that it
takes several years at least and a good
many thousand dollars to buildt the bitches
aud until that time we must have some
thing withiwhlch to pay taxes and in or
der to do this we must do our utmost &c
protect the property we o have.
Even if the state owned the lands and
large areas we're fenced in, that alone
would not deter thieves from stealing the
, cattle so long as the present sentiment
exists. The thieves must be made to un
derstaud that their day in Wyoming is
} gone forever and not until then will hon
5 est men invest any more capital in this
r country ID industries of this kind.
CITIZEN.