The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-12


in the winter from the masts of the trees.
That under such circumstances, and with
such conditions, it was natural and con.
sistent with the best interests of our
forefathers to enact just such fence law
as now stands on our statute books is
quite apparent. But it never entered
their minds that because they enacted
the law under certain conditions that it
was to be perpetuated upon their chill
dren, to their great detriment, under an
entirely different condition of things.
Compare the conditlun of the country
now with that just described, and could
anything be imagined more entirely
different? Our forest lands have been
cut down and cleared in a reckless man
ner. until now about four out of six OF
all the plantations are so denuded of rail
timber that if, unhappily, any one of
them Or any community should be so un-
fortunate as to have their fences entirely
destroyed by fire, there is not timber
enough left to re-fence the cleared lands,
and afford reasonable reserve for re-
pairs, fuel, building purposes, &c. This
may be said to be an improbable contin-
gency, but we know that in many por-
tions Of the North and West such a
calamity has swept over large belts of
country even within the last few months,
leaving nothing but desolation, and ruin
in its track. We assume. and think
common observation will establish the
assumption, that not more than one.
fourth or one-ffth ,of all the arabic lands
in our County are standing in their ma
tive forest growth, and even these natu-
raj forests have been so culled and denu-
ded Of their best trees for rails and
building purposes that there is but little
left that can be properly used for these
valuable purposes. As an evidence, we
know of a case in an adjoining neighbor-
hood where man wanted two hundred
rails made, and the timber was so wretch
edly bad that for a while he could find
no one who would undertake the job; but
at last man who was in absolute need
of bread agreed to split the number of
rails required. He told us afterwards
that the work was so hard, owing to the
bad timber, that the two days work had
almost disabled him. He wore out two
mauls in the job. So it is in almost
every neighborhood. We lay down the
broad proposition that the scarcity of
timber is SO great on most Of our farms
that the adoption of the "no fence, law
is an absolute necessity. The remaining
forests that are still lett to the. farmers of
Anderson County should be sacredly
preserved for themselves and for their
posterity as legacy, richer far than the
gold mines of California.
Secondly, on the score of economy of
labor, welay down the broad proposition
that every man interested in agriculture,
either as laborer or employer, should vote
to fence the stock and not the crops as
the fairest, the cheapest and most satis-
factory to everybody. Can any PROPOSE
ton be fairer than to make every man
take care of his own? What right has
one man to tax his neighbor with the
care of his stock, and that, too, at a
heavy and unreasonable expense? None
whatever. Then, on the score of econo-
my of labor we lay down the proposition
that every laboring man, if he consults
his own interests, will vote for the "no
fence" law. And right here we are met
with the objection adopt this law and
the renter can own no stock, because he
owns no land upon which to pasture that
stock. In ninety:nine cases out of a
hundred his condition, SO far as stock is
concerned, is just the same now under
the present law, as it will be under the
proposed change. Indeed, his rights
would be better secured under the pro.
posed law than under the present one.
AS the matter now stands, if he owns
stock at all he pastures them, if at all,
on other peoples lands. And it is at the
option of the land-holder whether he is
permitted to own any stock at all, except
such as he can pen or enclose. We be-
lieve as a general rule that restrictions
are already imposed in regard to the
number of cattle OF, hogs which the rem.
ter is allowed to bring on the premises of
the landlord Under the5proposed law
the renter is secured in the right to own
and bring on the premises of any land
lord living in a locality where said law
has been adopted as many as two head
of cattle to each field hand. This is am
ply sufficient, and is more than large
majority Of the rentersreally need. In
deed, if there had been no provision in
the proposed law on the subject at all,
the interests of. the renter would have
been abundantly protected on the score
of reciprocity of interests. 1t is always
to the interest of the landlord to provide
in every possible way for the necessities
and convenience of his employees. In
g" doing he secures better class of rem
ters, and can keep them after he gets
them. There has been no law requiring
the landlord to provide home, garden
or truck patch for each family of renters,
aud yet it has become the universal Gus
tom, because the interests of both par.
ties are enhanced thereby. So will it be
in this! case. The ampler the provision
i. L., 81, l., o,J g.. IL, - ~, ~, fo,t ~ .,