The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-06-14
THE FENCE LAW.

1HE cENCE LAW
Mr.. EDITOR: Are we to allow the re-
cent act of our Legislature, in regard to
the fence law, to be as pearls before
swine? or shall we ratify its wise and
noble action in behalf of our State ?
This question, fence or no fence, in the
eyes of justice, is confined to the land
owner and tenant; but in the eyes of our
present law it gives all the right to par
ticipate. Where q man owns COW, and
owns but small piece of land, or no
land at all, land is not tenant, and
contends against the fence law, simply
contends that his neighbors shall feed
that COW eight months of the year, and
in many instances the whole year
Therefore, it behooves all such gentle
men, in order to keep their good self
respect and dignity, to speak very eau
tiously on this subject of fence or no
fence.
Now, Mr.. Editor, 1 am among that
class of men who can speak freely on
this subject without being biased by self
interest. 1 am both a small landowner
and large renter, and can say that l
am about equally interested in having
the fence law established. On my own
land (which is rented to others I wish
to save my timber, curtail the expenses
of my farm generally, and have my lands
protected by the laws of the State from
being grazed down and kept poor land
in many instances made poorer) by other
persons stock. As tenant it will save
me considerable amount of fencing, as
every tenant builds or keeps up a certain
amount of fencing, and it will make
more land subject to cultivation, and
thereby cause the tenant to rent land
upon better terms than now, and this is
more money for my labor. Some ten
ants think under the new fence law they
will not be allowed to keep any stock,
but this is entirely mistake; for exam
pie, if am renting from B, and he will
not furnish me pasturage, or allow me 10
enclose one, out of the rails that now
enclose the farm, will rent from G, who
will do it. Cannot any one see that this
thing of pasturage regulates or adjusts
itself to the surrounding circumstances
as does the rules of renting and hiring?
Some of our good old landowners are
against the fence law, not because of it
being more expensive, for no one has so
figured it out rightly, but because it
changes his system of farming that he,
his father and grandfather have all made
good living under, and says he wants
the people to continue to do as they used
to do, everybody to build their own fen
ces. I most assuredly agree with him
in this last phrase, but will say that his
saying is centennial one, and that a
new century of American independence
and progress has now begun, and that it
is not necessary to blot out all the say
ings and doings of the past to make time
and progress march together; but in
some cases we are to add to that which
has been said and done. Under this rule
I beg leave to add to my venerable old
brother farmers centennial saying, that
he "acants everybody to build their o'on
tences," 1 say, and keep their stock soithin
the enclosure.
The new fence law, when put in opera
tion, will be of great benefit to every
citizen of the State, viz. it will tend to
lull the sound of the axman's stroke, and
thereby protect and increase our beauti-
full forest (which is now every day fright
fully diminishing, and by increasing the
forest we do not only cheaper the fuel
and building timber, but science tells us
that we will increase our summer show
ers, and consequently increase the pro-
ducts of the land, in which every indi-
vidual is interested. Last, but not least,
it will make wonderful improvement in
our stock. If any one doubts this, let
him tell me where we go to get all of our
improved stock-the Ayreshire, Devon,
Durham, Holstein, Alderney and Jersey
COWS; the Colsnold, Southdown and Ma.
rino sheep; the Berkshire, Essex and
Suffolk hogs. All of these noted breeds
of domestic animals originated in q
country where they have fence law
similar to the one now proposed with us.
I may say further, that no one can point
out a breeder of live stock who does not
only fence up his stock in pastures, but
at the same time he will find him fenc-
ing in his fields. For what? To keep
out other peoples stock.
Yours truly,
P. H. D. S.
AN INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.