The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-04
IGNORANCE AND FACTS.
The Agricultural Secretary
=. Gives Texas @Cattlemen
l.: Some Information.
:: QUARANTINE LAWS NECESSARY.
Steamship Companies Preparing to
j. Take Mexican Cattle Direct
to Europe.

WASHINGTON, D. c., July 3.--Colonel
Abner Taylor, ex-memher Of Congress and
a leading .memberof the Farvell- Chicago
syndicate which built the Texas State
: Capitol and received in return several mil
lion acres, of State land recently addressed
aletter to Secretary Morton, criticizing his
order for the admission OF Mexican cattle
over the Texas border without obstructive
restrictions.
!. Secretary Morton has given out reply,
in which he INDUCES in seine very sarcastic
comm ents upon Colonel Abner Taylor and
his assistants. The salient portions of
Secretary Morton's. caustic letter are as
follows:
~: July 2, 1896.
:. Hon. Ahner Taylor, VeIasco Ter.-DEAR SIR:
I an delighted with your letter of June 26,
Which you have kindly forwarded to me after
having, published the same in several news
papers. ] am, however, surprised that a sue
cesSful statesman, so distinguished for mod
esty,.SO bashful as to. any appearance before
the public and OF a nature so unctured with
the timIdity of adolescence, should muster up
effrontery sufficient to depict his superior
knowledge in the public. press over his own
= signature.
culture for the current year were instituted so
as to secure proper inspection Of Mexican
cattle coming into the. United States. These
regulations guarded against the introduction
with those cattle of contagious diseases. Your
letter, however, indicates that you have never
read the regulations and that you are entirely
unacquainted with the reason for their institu-
ton and their effect upon the cattle industry
: of this country. Therefore take up your aSSer-
81. =
: You say that mot a pound OF beef from these
Mexican cattle. will ever be consumed in this
country and 1.-the only people benefited by
" this. orderare the foreigners and the beef COM
bine."
Do you tell the truth in the above? Canned
beef:is on. sale in nearly all. retail grocery
stores in the cities of the Union. It is handled
in the villages; it is. no stranger In the
country stores, and particularly in mountain
mining districts OF the frontier. tits consumed
by the laborer, by the lun3berman in camp, by
the miner in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona.
Nevada Montana and Idaho 1t is in the tent
of the tourist and the; hunter. Is, it possible
that an intelligent citizen like yourself can be
ignorant OF these facts? How can you assert.
that Mexican cattle being used only. for
:. canning, not one pound OF Mexican beef will
ever. be consumed in this country? How do
you know that the only persons benefited by
under certain conditions are foreigners and:
the beef combine? The United States Depart
meut of Agriculture is informed by cattlemen
: Of the Southwest and by two reliable agents,
who have personally estigated the situation
in Texas, that cattle were very scarcein large
1partof Texas, and that there was an abund-
ance of. grass in those sections which could be
utilized only by the importation OF Mexican
cattle.
You assert that 'feeders will not buy: the
cattle. The only'use that can be made of them
is canning A table viii soon be completed
blythe Agricultural Department. which will
show the number Of Mexican cattle imported
That. table will show that nearly all the cattle
imported up TO date have been imported by
: Texas ranchmen TO restock Texas ranches.
Steamship companies are preparing to take
Mexican cattle directly. from that country to
Europe. The time is. not lar distant probably
when the Mexican. surplus OF cattle will be
marketed in that way, If they are not allowed
to'enIer the United States. Is itan advantage
to our citizens to make profit in grazing these
cattle, another pro6tin shipping them, and q
fourth profit in exporting the meat. Or would
you prefer as a benefit to Americans that they
be exported directly in British ships from
Mexico to England? =.
At the time the sanitary order was made
which You criticize, retailers OF beef had adj
kdlCcu lLS price 10 HI excessive point all over
the United States, where they could, upon the
plea that there was a great present and pros
peetive shortage of beeves At the same time
the price of cattle on the hoof was depressed
with the explanation that small receipts al
ways cQusea dull market. ...-.
:. The admission of Mexican cattle under
stringent sanitary regulations did much to re-
move the prospective shortage. It made it
possible to resteck the vast ranches OF Texas.
which were .bare-of cattle, but covered with
nutritious grasses. Since that order prices of
beef to the consumers of the United States have
been reduced. The price of live cattle is as
high"as be expected at this season of the
year Each citizen of the United States has
been benefted by the orderin the proportion
OF his consumption of beef by the reduction OF
the excessive price. to which it had been, by
some mysterious power, arbitrarily forced.
Thanking you FOR having overcome your in
nate diffidenee sufficiently to have placed your:
structures upon. the administration Of the De-
partment of Agriculture in the public press.
and hoping that you will continue to evolve
further luminous phenomena for the enIight-
eminent of the public, 1 remain. very respect
; fully yours, j. STERLING morton.