The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-10-19
GRAZING THE SHEEP.
Mass Meetings Have Been Held and Congress
men Asked to Protest Against Exclusion

| Mass Meetings Have Been Held and Congress
men Asked to Protest Against Exclusion
Throughout the great livestock region
OF eastern Oregon an issue has arisen
that is bound to assume important bear
ing on the coming elections, says an asso-
ciated press dispatch. In opposition to
the proposal OF the federal officials OF the
interior department that the public graz
ing lands be leased to individuals, the
people of Malheur county, Oregon, have
held mass meeting, the purpose being
to protest against the measure which, it
is understood, will come before the com.
ing congress. At this meeting, held in
the county seat, Vale, there was very
large attendance and strong feeling was
manifested on the part of the assembled
people.
The position taken by them is that the
| proposed leasing measure will work to
the injury OF the small stockmen, and be
purely in the interest of the weather.
ones. They allege that, if the law be en-
acted, it will practically drive out of bus
mess all but the big stockmen, and the
local bearing of the protest in that part
of the state is this: Immense tracts of
grazing lands are used by the big live.
stock concerns like those of Miller & Lux,
and French, and other heavy growers of
cattle and sheep, and that, the law once
passed, these wealthy firms will. be en-
abled to secure the control OF the bulk of
the public domain excluding all the
smaller ones from utilizing any OF the
range.
At the Vale meeting committees were
appointed for each voting precinct Of the
county and the intention is to secure sig
natures as extensively as possible and
then send the petition to Representative
Moody of the Second district Of Oregon,
living at The Dalles, with a request that
he take it to Washington City and exer-
else his influence for the defeat of the bill.
They declare that this issue will be
made the leading one in the coming con.
gressional campaign, and every man at
tending the meeting at Vale promised
opposition to any candidate refusing to
do all in his power to defeat the measure.
Since the visit of Mr. Wilson, secretary
of agriculture, to the west, and his state
ments after his return to Washington,
the issue has suddenly sprung into prom
inence, and people are taking sides all
through the interior counties of this
state.
Regarding the relative weight OF the
influence being exerted on each side OF
the controversy, it cannot now be said
which is the heavier. The sentiment is
divided, of course, and only the final
showing at the polls can be taken as 8
correct indication. But that it will be
important in the election cannot be
doubted, for the feeling already stirred
on the respective sides of the contest is
deep.
The counties affected by the proposed
law in the state of Oregon are: Umatilla,
Grant, Baker. Morrow, Melheur, Harvey,
Lake. Wallowa, Crook. klamath, jack
son, Josephine, Sherman, Gillian and
Wasco. These comprise in extent Of
territory by far the greater part OF the
state, although the population is less than
in other counties of which the inha BIZ
tants have no personal interest in the
controversy.