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and at the same time dispense with the labors of their servants in guari- 

 ing them, and transfer the burden to their less fortunate neighbors, who- 

 kept little, if any stock. They had not found out, that it was more for 

 isie interest of the stock raiser, that their neighbor should watch and 

 heed his barley field, than for them to herd their stock. They had not 

 learned that a neighbor might be innocently robbed, even, when done 

 by proxy. The earth was too young and they were quite too "green" 

 in the art of appropriating the labor and toil of others to their own use» 

 without an equivalent. These are the discoveries of more modern times. 



Progress seems to have been the motto in every successive age of the 

 world, and new inventions have been sought out, among which no one 

 has worked a greater benefit to the stock raiser, and no one a greater- 

 harm to the grain grower, than the system which allows all animals to^ 

 run out, and compels all crops to be fenced in ; some of the mischiefs- 

 caused by these modern usages will be briefly noticed. 



Our present customs and laws concerning fencing against cattle, form 

 the most burdensome, unjust and oppressive system of taxation to which, 

 this, or any other country ever peaceably submitted. A similar tax for • 

 any other purpose, would cause a rebellion ; and the only reasons whieh 

 can be assigned for the apathy existing upon the subject, is, that people ■ 

 have been born under it, and grown up with the burden upon them^ 

 which has so accustomed them to it, that it has become a part and parcel 

 of themselves. As our fathers did, so we do ; as they thought so we 

 think, and thus the system is perpetuated from generation to generation.. 



Burdensome taxation, has been mentioned as an evil growing out 

 of our fencing system. This Avill be more readily seen by glancing at 

 the statistics of fencing. 



At a moderate estimate, the annual expense of fencing in the United' 

 States, is upwards of one hundred and fifty millions of dollars. The. 

 above sum includes simply the estimate at seven per cent, per annum on 

 the first cost, with the necessary repairs and use of ground occupied by 

 them. In the single State of New York, more than ten millions or 

 dollars are expended annually to support their fences. Pennsylvania a, 

 proportional sum, and other States nearly in a similar ratio. 



We have no precise and accurate data as to the amount expended in. 

 Wisconsin for fences, but from a rough estimate, it is found to exceed 

 the original amount paid for all the enclosed land in the State; and we* 

 may be considered as speaking within the limits of probabiUty, when.wa" 



