The Monticellonian., 1902-03-07
MR. EDITOR Since there are


 lie interest and while some have given their views in opposition to fencing districts, allow me to give some of the many reasons why this law Is essential to the welfare of every farmer, whether he be rich or poor, in certain localities. 1 venture the assertion that neither one of your four anti-stock- law correspondents have legal fences under the old law-around their entire enclosures-and that nine men out of every ten will plant their crops under illegal fences in the respective neighborhoods.
 No. the first place, no man liveth to himself, neither should it be his desire to live at the expense of his neighbors. It is urged that the property holders are in favor of fencing districts, admit they are but what of those men? They are men who are self reliant, have as good, if not the best fences in their neighborhoods and give em- ployment to men of moderate cir cumstances, poor men if you like, by furnishing them land, teams and supplies, or else renting their lands to them. Many of these poor men don't so much as own a sheep, hog or goat. They work hard, and, besides a cotton crop raise some corn, peas, potatoes, &c., and if living in a fencing dis trict, at the end of the year. have a reward for their labors. But, alas how many in some neighbor- hoods wake up to find al- most all destroyed by lot of hogs or sheep, educated in fence break ing, by the very imperfect fences of their owners. These fence breakers roam around over the neighborhood on the tips of their toes eating out first one and then another until some man concludes forbearance has ceased to be vir- tue, takes his shotgun and termi- mates their existence. Then fol- lows i'll will, fuss if not a law suit. The golden rule demands just as strong that in certain To- calities the citizens have fencing districts. as it does in those that they should not.
 If the citizens living in the Sa. line bottom or adjacent thereto are opposed to fencing districts and want their hogs to run at large and turn over their pine straw and leaves or if the people out east liv- ing near post oak glades or pin oak slashes are not ready we cer- tainly do not want to force 1t on them but we of the hill country around Monticello want it, must have 1t. sooner or later. as we have but little timber suitable to make rails and our people are not able to buy either rails or plank to keep up their fences according to the re- quirements of the law.
 It used to be a farmer could hire hands to make rails at reasonable figures, but in these days of prog ress, when we have pine lumber mills, hard wood mills, electric lights, oil mill, ice factory and cot ton mill, at which laborers can get from seventy five cents to two dol lars per day; it is out of the ques- ton to get rails made for what our farmers can afford to pay. Monti- cello is fencing district and has been for sometime since, which time many of her citizens have time and again killed hogs weigh ing four hundred pounds and ov- CT.
 Give ms fencing districts, where the people want it and you will find our people raising such hogs in the country, instead of my col leagues {" Joabs razor backs" It may do for perpetual candidate, wagoner, or a man who makes draws on the county treasurer, or a man who is eking out a scant living in the service of some order to oppose fencing districts in cer- tain localities but 1t will not do for the man that makes his living by the sweat of af his face. Such laws have been tried in South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Miss. and other states, and while some people make them out very bad