The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-01-12
OUR AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS
IN DAHGER.


IN DANGER.
We saw, with much consern. among tho pro-
cocdings of tho 10, isature, on tho 9th inst, a
nstice by WIMBusH, Of tho Senate, Of bill to 70.
peal tho Act of Sept, 1856, which secures lions
upon the growing crop, as security for advances
made for supplies to carry on said crop. We
were concerned, because we feared that the with.
drawnl Of tho security basis upon which such
advances wcrc made, would put stop to such
advances, in tue main, and, just at this eeason,
when arran kcments are being made for the pres.
ent ysar'B operations, disooHccTt, disarrapgcs
seriously cripple and obstruct our agricultural
intorosts--the great basis and substrstum Of the
reoupcration, prosperity and develo p,nont of the
country.
A letter before ua, from a leading faetorage
house Of Charleston, undUr dato Of jap. 7-one
Of enlarged libsrality md conservative views
ono that advanced more than 100000 on lions
tho past year, and, undor earnest application,
was IN king arrangements to probably double
That amount the present yeor-conhrms our sp.
prehonsions, md puts tho mutter even In more
sorious light than appeared to US at trst
thought.
We mako the following extract from this
lotter, nd irossol / to parties at this place:
eve saw, this morning, 10 the dulios, o notice
Of q Bill repeating the Lion Law Of 1866. This
stops oil proceedings towards advances. You will
please suspend oil issues Of Liens, as We shall
lll no orders for advances until this question is
eotlcd in the Assembly. II this act is repealed it
will ncnrly ruin our plautins friends, aud at once
throw out Of employment 600 laborers."
Ifthe object Of legislation bo tho public good
to foster and develop tho industry and material
in,ercst Of tho State-then are totally at loss
to discover the basis Of argument and reasoning
for tho proposed action.
1t is so manifest as to be apparent to every
observer, that tho application of the limited capt-
tai Of tho country, through tho operations Of this
Act to the industry Of the country, hns been such
as constituted it almost tho primo basis Of IT,.
nction of tho latter. large portion Of tho plaut-
ing Interests oftho State havo hcon conducted,
sinco tho wnr, upon this basis, and such was the
dostituton Of the country, that it could not hayo
bocn conducted upon any other basis. It has
added to tho product Of tho State, thousands of
bales Of cotton, and tons of thousands of bushels
Of corn-put in cultivation broad fields, and
almost innumcrnbe smalor ones, which otherwise
would have continued 60 lay in fruitless waste,
and given employment, with fair earnings, to
thousands Of tho freed pcuplo. And vcry many Of
these people, who, by Industry and frugality,
have been enabled, from The earnings OF tho pre-.
vious year, to rent or purchase small parcels Of
land for cultivation, havo secured assistance, and
were now making arrange mcnts to securo such
assistance-which they could. not otherwise
obtain-uudcr tho provisions of this Act.
We know hundreds Of colored men now making
arrangements to carry on their crops the present
ycar. under this lion law. who, by tho inevitable
results Of its repeal, will find their whole basis
of work in tho soil, for the year, check,nnted
and their operations brought to perfect stand
still.
And so Of hundreds Of white farmers. And II
tho Legislature repeal This Act, it cannot othor-
wiso result than in reducing, to great oxtcnt,
tho agricultural products Of tho State, the present
year, ns it will amount, virtually, to tho with.
drawal Of large amount of capital from assist
anco of this great contral, vital interest.
If, therefore, the movement to repeal this Act
be designed rs blow ut the landed interests Of
tho Satc-to cripple and obstruct this, in order
to force tho sale Of lnnls and thus to wrcst it
from tho hands of present owncrs-(and we con-
fcss wc can 500 no othor possible inotivc)-it must
not only signally lil Of its design upon this class,
soparatcly--sinco it will fall upon tho colored as
woll us tho white man.-nnd can only be accom-
pi$hcd by putting an incubus upon the industrial
Interests and energies Of tho country generally,
and iniicting heavy loss upon tho cummings Of
tho State at large.
We call upon those in authority 10 pause
These arc tho facts Of tho case, from
all political fecliDg or rrincplo-rcgardes OF
party or rnce-and we trust that those who now
sit in the counsels Of tho Stato, will not exhibi,
themselves so blinded and prcjudiccd by partizan
feeling. as to rush wildly into measure like
this, regardless Of tue common good.