The Raymer enterprise., 1916-08-03

Is to be centered the continued fight
I Of farmers organizations ami civic
and commercial clubs OF the state
against the so-called 'herd-law." peti
tlons for the initiating OF which were
! filed last week with the secretary
Of state at Denver. With surprising
facts CLEANED from careful checking
OF the signatures attached TO the peti.
,ioBs. opponents OF the measure say
they are convinced the farmers and
cattlcmen thruout the state are al
most unanimously opposed 10 the pro-
posed law, and that II is the unthink
Ing city dweller that must be ap.
pealed TO TO circumyeat Its hackers
purposes
A checking OF the 1g.0oo names on
the petitions disclosed the fact that
$4,000 OF the number were names Of
persons living In Denver. persons
who II is safe 10 say have little direct
interest In laws affecting the asricul.
tural districts of the state. and whom
II was easy TO mis!cad with spacious
statements that they were giving
their SUPPORT to measure patterned
after the herd laws OF other states
and beneficial 10 the new seitlera ana
the small farmers. ind The further
somewhat startling fact that the H.
900 names were added 10 the peti
tions In two days-luly 6 and July I
many weeks after tho first 5000
were obtained. by vhirlwlnd cam.
paign OF hired circulaiors operating
from the Office OF the Denver Post
and It's auxiliary organ. the Great oi-
vide. strengthens the contention that
the farmers Of the state have awak.
ened 10 fhe real truth. 10 the real.
ization that the measure Ia not in
reality in fny way a herd law. bur
fence law-which rapeals the et
ficaeious fence law already on tiie
statute books-with dangerous noicn
tialities, with certain assurance OF
harmful effect Oh tillcrs OF the soil.
large and sriall. on the states future
promise OF settlement. on The raiscrs
OF stock little and big.
Farmers Awake to Danger.
The petitions containing the first
S,G00 names were sp.tnkled literally.
Il Ia pointed out. with The signatures
CT daellers in the small towns OF
farming communities md farmers
particularly in the irrigat.rg districts
But that was when the measure with
its plausibly perpet:ated appeal as
proposed law aimed at predatory
cattle barons and sanctuary of
safety for the struggling srlall farmer
was first sprung on the unsuspGcting
public. II Was pictured a measure
patterned after excellent herd laws OF
other states. II promised TO drive
graspins cattle barons out OF bus!
ness. Painted in glowing colors that
are habit Of life with the propa-
sandist campaigns OF the Denver
Post WAS the future OF the farmer In
Colorado once he had taken the child
OF the Great Divide to suckle and sus
tain.
But thinking farmers OF the state
did not long delay in studying the
seemingly satisfactory measure. And
they made discoveries. Within n
short time every organization OF the
state made up OF and repres entlae
the best interests OF the farmer and
cattlemen came out in unalterable op.
position to what 1t was plainly eyi.
dent was only another log rolling
scheme OF the Post and it's weekly
mouthpiece. Within short time the
measure stood but wabbled on weak
legs. with the Denver Post cham.
pioning II, and agains, it
The Farmers Gauge, The Farm
ers' Union, The Colorado Stnckgrow.
/ crs' Association. The Colorado state
Dairymens Association. The Denver
Civic and Commercial Association,
I Commercial Organizations OF Cities
and Towns in Every Part OF Colorado.
Business Men and Stock Farmers In
/ Every Section OF the State.
Appeal Proved Fallacious.
Those organizations had not been
slow to perceive the iriqultous posi-.
bili'ies OF the proposed law. They
were not long In coming to the con
yiction that irrcparablc injury to the
state was sure TO follow its enact.
ment. Punctured was the homsas
tica!ly blown bubble Of the Potts ap.
peal for rally against the cattle
baron-it was disclosed that instead
OF terrifying and predatory barons
owning great herds and driving TO
limbo OF poverty the small ranehcr
and small stock grower. the average
herd Of cattle In Colorado numbers
only fifty head. The proposed meas
ure was shown up not n herd law, not
a law similar 10 the herd law OF any
state In the union. but a fencing law
that would compel every struggling
settler. every owner Of a small farm
In the state TO fence his lands or to
hire herder to protect himself from
unscrurulous mea who by the meas.
ure's provisions could take advant.
age Of HIM The cunningly wordpd
bill makes the farmer liable for dam.
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