The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-12-01

| ION into tracts OF eligible size for pur.
ohasers and occupants. l recon mend
an additional appropriation to this
beneficont otject, Of securing homes
for .he worthy and Industrious me.
chanio and laborcr, which will estab.
lish many small farmers in the place
Of the comparatively fow heretofore
holding that relation, and conse-
quently will insure tho better cultiva-
tion of the soil and the expenditure of
q greater portion of their earnings at
home, instead of being dissipated In
luxury and extravaganza in distant
cities. The bonds issued for the pur.
poses of the Land Com mission must
become FIST class security, as they
will not only have tho credit of the
State, but tho money, arising from the
sales Of the lands, with their improve
monts as an additional guarantee
The annual instalments of payments
for these lands will bo ample to meet
the interest on them, as we'll as to pro-
vide a sinking fund for their redemp-
tion at maturity, without the possibi-
llty of having to resort to taxation for
that purpose. Their issue, therefore,
can have no possible injurious inHu.
enee on the credit Of the State, but
should rather enhance it, as the sub
version of large bodies of land, much
of it uncultivated, into small and
productive farms would at once treble
its value and afford an Increased basis
of taxation to the same extent.
THE HOMESTEAD QUESTION.
On the Subject of homestead relief,
tho message says
The law securing homestead worth
one thousand dollars, with the pro.
ducts thereof, and Ave hundred dol
lars worth Of other personal property
to each head of n family whose pro.
perty may bo levied upon for debt,
continues to fulfil its boneficent de-
sign, but there is no sufficient reasons
why its benefits should be restricted
to tho land-holder. The professional
man, tho mechanic, the farmer and the
laborer, are equally entitled to it's
advantages. At present the proprie.
tor of the homestead may rent out
portions of it to tho furmcr, the me-
ohanio and the labor; and if by siok.
ness or misfortune they ,should get be-
hind hand, theirlit,lAa pinrerty is lin
BILE to seizure. Even the food proeid.
ed for his family may be taken from
them, and they expelled from their
humble shelter and exposed to the
seventies of winter, and all this while
their landlord is enjoying in comfort
the muuifcent bounty of the State.
This is neither right nor just, nor in
accordance with sound public policy.
The poor, the unfortunate and the
helpless, should ever bo the special
objects of public regard. I, there
fore recommend to your favorable
consideration the propriety of so
amending the Homestead law that its
principles should be applied to the
laboring classes, and that the person
al property of the professional man,
the farmer, mechanic and labo.ing
man, including their books, tools, i'm
plements, cattle, clothing, furniture
and provisions, shall be exempt from
seizure and sale for debt to the amount
of five hundred dollars. This will
only be carrying out in good faith the
principles established by the homo.
stead, and extending to all tho bene-
fits and exemptions now confined to
comparatively few. ir sa5l
THE ANTAGoNIsnr OF LABOR AND CApt-
~ TAL--A SPECIMEN DRMAGoGUE.
This brings Governor Scott to his
pet thome. He says:
Among the evils Of civilization may
be deemed tho ,antagoDism Of capital
and labor, and the strifes and conflicts
which generally accompany it. Per.
haps in no portion Of our Republic
has this antagonism been more 'impe.
riously enforced and moro distinctly
recognized than in South Carolina,
where, among the large landed pro-
prietors, who owned, to agreat extent,
the soil and controlled its legislation,
the laborer, whether white OF colored,
was considered ona level with the
slave, and If there was any disorimi-
nation it'twas in favor Of the slave,
Who generally had an owner, e and,
therefore, d protector in tho coptroll-
ing GLASS, whils the white laborer
owned himself and had to care Tor
himself, and no soficitude was felt for
him, except upon the eve Of an cleo
Etion, when his vote was wanted II
Itaintod with the blight Of labor, IL
/ yna nf M cnnoonitan n HOW ;ront