Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-06-28
From the Anderson InteIllgencer,
THE FENCE LAW.

Mr.. Editor: Are we to allow the recent ACT
of our Legislature, in regard to the fence law,
to be as pearls before swine ? or shall we rati'
fly 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 the pres
ent law, it gives all the right to participate.
Where man owns COW, and owns but a
small piece of land, or no land at all, (and is
not tenant and contends against the fence
law, simply contends that his neighbors shall
feed that COW eight months in the year, and
in many instances, the whole year. There
fore, it behooves all such gentlemen, in order
to keep their good selfrespect and dignity, to
speak very cautiously on this subject of fence
or no fence.
Now, Mr.. Editor, I am among that class Of
men who can speak freely on this subject with
out being biased by selfinterest. am both
a small landowner and large renter, and can
say that l am about equally interested in hav'
ing the fence law established. On my own
land (Which is rented to others) 1 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 (and 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 considerable amount of fencing, and it will
make more land subject to cultivation, and
thereby cause the tenant to rent land upon
better terms than than now, and this is more
money for my labor. Some tenants think,
that under the new fence law, they will not
be allowed to keep any stock, but this is en-
tirely mistake; for example, if [ am rent
ing from B, and he will not furnish me pastu'
rage, or allow me to 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 ad-
justs 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 the system
of farming that he, his father and grand faith:
er have all made a good living under, and
says he wants the people to continue to do as
they used to do, every body to build their own
fences. l most assuredly agree with him In
this last phrase, but will say that his saying
is centennia lone, and that a new century of
American independence and progress has now
begun, and that it is not necessary to blot out
all the sayings 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 beg
leave to add to my venerable old brother
farmers centennial saying, that he "wants
every to build their own fences" l say, and
keep their stock within their enclosure,
The new fence law, when put in operation,
will be of great benefit to every citizen of the
State, viz 1t will tend to lull the sound of
the axman's stroke, and thereby protect and
increase our beautiful forests (Which is now
every day frightfully diminishing and by in
creasing the forest we do not only cheaper
the fuel and building timber, but science tells
US that we will increase our summer showers,
and consequently increase the products of the
land, in which every individual is interested,
Last, but not least, it will make wonderful
Improvement in urstock. If any one doubts
this, let him tell me where we 60 to get all
of our improved stock-the Ayreshire, Devon,
Durham, Holstein, Alderney and Jersey
cows; the Cotswold Southdown and Merino
sheep; the Berkshire, Essex and Suffolk hogs.
All of these noted breeds Of domestic ami
mails originated in country where they have
a fence law similar to the one now proposed
with us. l may say further, that no one can