The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-08-10

is to be centered the continued fignt
of farmers organizations and civic
and commercial clubs of the state
against the so-caIled "herd-law." petit
tons for the initiating Of which were
filed last week with the secretary
of state at Denver. With surprising
facts CLEANED from q careful checking
Of the signatures attached to the petit
tions. opponents of the measure say
they are convinced the farmers and
cattlemen thruout the state are al
most unanimously opposed TO the pro-
posed law. and that It 10 the unthink-
ing city dwelisr that must be ap-
peaied to to circumvent its hackers
purposes.
A checking of~the. 10000 names on
the petitions disclosed the fact that
$4,000 OF the number were names OF
persons living In Denver. persons
who It In safe to say have little direct
interest in laws affecting the agricul-
turai districts of the state. and whom
II was easy to mislead with specious
statements that they were giving
their support to a measure patterned
after the herd laws OF other states.
and beneficial to the new settlers and
tho small farmers And the further
somewhat startling fact that the H.
900 names were added to the peti-
tons In two days-July 6 and July
many weeks after the first 5000
we're obtained. by . whirlwind cam
paign OF hired circuhtors operating
from the office of the Denver Post
ga ee. .,wtft~-- $500 ehn nrn~t IN
vide. strengthens the contention that
the farmers Of the state have awak-
eued to the real truth. to the real
.zation that the measure 10 not In
reality IN any way. . herd law. but
fence iaw-which repeals the ef-
ticacious fence Law already on the
statute books-with dangerous poten-
tiaiities. with certain assurance OF
harmful effect on tfliers OF the soil.
large and small. on the states future
promise of settlement. on the raissrs
Of stock little ana big.
Farnsrs Awake 70 Danger.
The petitions containing the first
5000 nance we're sprinkied literally.
Il is pointed out. With the signatures
Of dwsilsrs In the email towns Of
farming communities and farmers.
particularly in the irrigating districts.
But that was when the measure. with
its plausibly psrpetrated appeal ~
. proposed law aimed At predatory
cattle barons and 4 sanctuary OF
safety for the struggling small farmer.
vas first sprung on the unsuspscting
public. II was pictured . measure
patterned after excellent herd laws of
other states II promised to drive
Erasping cattle barons out Of busi-
meas. Painted In glowing colors that
are a habit OF life with the propa-
EAadist campaigns OF the Denver
vost was the future OF the farmer In
Colorado once he had taken the child
of the Great Divide TO suckie and sus-
tain.
But thinking farmers Of the state
did not long delay in studying the
seemingly satisfactory measure. And
they made discoveries. Within q
short time every organization Of the
state made up OF and representing
the best interests OF the farmer and
cattiemen came out In unal;erable op-
position to what II was plainly evt-
dent was only another log rolling
scheme OF the Post and its weekly
mouthpiece. Within . short time the
measure stood. but wsbbled on weak
legs. with the Denver Post cham
pioning It. and against IT.
The Farmers Grange. The Farm
ers' Union. The Colorado Stockgrow-
srs' Association. The Colorado state
Oairymen's. Association. The Denver
Civic and Commercial Association.
Commercial Organizations OF Cities
and Towns in Every Part OF Colorado.
Business Men and stock Farmers In
Every Section OF the State.
Appeal Proved FaliaeIous.
Those organizations had not been
slow to perceive the iniQuitous possi-
bilities OF the proposed law. They
we're not long In coming to the con-
viction that irreparable injury to the
state was sure to follow its enact
nent. Punctured was the bombas-
icaliy blown bubble of the Posts ap-
peal for a rally against the cattle
baron--it was disclosed that instead
81 terrifying and predatory barons
owning great herds and driving to
limbo of poverty the small rancher
and small stock grower. the average
ierd OF cattle in Colorado numbers
,nly fifty head. The proposed meas
ure was shown up not herd law. not
law similar to the herd law of any
state In the union. but fencing law
that would compel every struggling
settler. ayery owner Of . small farm
n the state to fence his lands or to
aire herder to protect himself from
inscrupulous men who BY the meas
ire's provisions could take Advant-
lea Of him. The cunntnKly worded
bill makes the farmer liable for dam
ags II his stock strayu on the prop