The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-12
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iu Iu0 WIuttT from the tnaEtS OF the trees.
That under such circumstances, and with
ouch 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
quito apparent. But 1t never entered
their minds that because they enacted
the law under certain conditions that 1t
was to be perpetuated upon their chil.
dren, to their great de,riincht, under an
entirely different condition Of things.
Compare tho condition of the country
now wi:h 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 os
oil the plantations are 80 denuded of rail
timber that II, 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 n
calamity has swept over large belts of
country even within the last few mouths,
leaving nothing but desolation, and ruin
in its track. We assume, and think
common observation vii! establish the
assumption, that not more than one
fourth or one-fifth OF all the arabic lands
III our County are standing in their ma.
tive forest growth, and even these natu.
raj forests have been so culcd and dcnu.
dcd 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 o case in All adjoining neighbor.
hood where man wanted two hundred
rails made, and the timber was so wretch
cdly bad that for n while he could find
no one who would undertake the job; but
at last O man who was in absolute need
of bread agreed to split the number OF
rails required. Ho told us afterwards
that che 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 tho scarcity OF
timber is 30 great on most of our farms
that the adoption of the "no fcnco" law
Is an absolute necessity. The remaining
forests that are still left to the farmers OF
Anderson County should be sacredly
preserved for themselves aud for sheir
posterity as legacy, richer far than the
gold mines Of California.
Secondly 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 fcnce the stock and not the crops as
the fairest, the cheapest and most salts
factory to everybody. Can any PROPOSE.
ton be fairer than to make every man
take care of his own? What right has
one man 10 tax his neighbor with the
care of his stock, and that, too, at a
heavy ald unreasonable expense7 Mono
whatever. Then, OH 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 hero we are met
with'the objection adopt this lay and
the renter can own no stock, beca,se he
owns no land upon which to pasture that
stock. In ninety:niuo cases out of n
hundred his condition, 80 far as stock ia
concerned, is jus. the same now under
the present law. ~ 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 tho matter now stands, If he owns
stock at oil he pastures them, If at all,
on other peoples lands. And il is at The
option Of the land-holdor whether he Ia
permitted TO own any stock ct all, except
such as he can pen or enclose. We be-
lieve as o general rule that restrictions
are already imposed in regard to the
number of eattlo OF hogs which the zen.
s=E ss s!!c-:c-! &C t.:ag Oh tho pIsilliscs OF /
the landlord. J Under thesprbposed law
Tho renter b secured In tho sight to own
and bring on tho premises of any land
lord living in locality where said law
has been adopted as maay as two head
Of cattleto each field hand. This is am.
ply sufficient, and is more than large
majority cflthe TentersfealIy need. In.'
reed, If there had LGsn no provision in
the proposed law On the subject at all,
the interests Of the renter would have
been abnndantly protected on tho score
of reciprocity &c Interest," It is always
to the interest of the landlord to provide
in every poSsihie way Tor tins necessities
aud convenience of his employees. In
90 doing no secures d betier class of rem
ters, aud can keep them after he gets
them. There has been no law recurring
the landlord to provide q home, garden
or truck patch for each family of renters,
aud yet 1t has become the universal cna.
tom, because the interosts of both par
ties arc. enhanced slieseby. So will It bo
in thisl case. The knpler't the provision
made By she landlord for tirc comfort and
Sonyeniepce of the employee thgnora