The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-09-08
Communicated. J
Tho Homestead Act.

This Act, according to the late de-
cision of the Supreme Court gives
great protection to our farmers. by
This Act they arc always certain t"
have a home for themselves and fam
ily, it ought to be stim"Iant tor
Young men to Ego in the country
and try and acquire Real Estate, as
thew are certain, if even they meet
with rcvcrScs, they still have home
and frcsile on which the creditors
cannot Law their hands. A home IN
which they can safely raise tnc'r
children, which they can embelliSh,
make comfortable, and have a rest
inc ulace in old age. This law is, no
doubt, a wise one, and cannot act an
injury to the creditor. He knows
before hand, at the time he gives
credit, that he cannot look to the
Real Estate for payment, bnt must
RELY on other resources, or the hon
estv of his debtor.
But while our Legislators nave
passrd these protective laws tor the
farmer. what have they dono for the
merchant? Echo answers; nothing;
The merchant is certainly entitled
to :u,,nr protection i" his dealings
Some NAV answer, let him sci! for
+ e.. J; exclusively. aud u" ''"IS no
protection This w"n''' egg '"'n'> y"
a good theory, hut cann'' always "'
. brought into practice. If ~ merchant
q desires to extend his hnSinrSS, IT he
desires to accommodate his n"ighh"rs
y or, if his neighbors ar" compelled Is
= have his assistance to aid them II
= making crop, maintain that there
4 ancht to be some law to protect INN
some law to defend himself agalns
inscriptions clients. Suppose a mcr
y chant in the month Of February al
1t vances supplies to a farmer to al
70 him to make crop, aud keeps OF
~ supplying until May, at the end
that time another merchant make
,e advances, and after awhile still an
" other advances the law makes the'
!; privileges concurrent. Where is tn
- first merchants protection, if the GRO
IN is not sufficient to pay them all!
III Now, there is another case:
70 merchant advances supplies to
M PLANTER, the planter pledges his who
I'LL crop to pay for said supplies. II
crop is made, and enough of it to pa
the debt, suppose the farmer 'nstea
ill of delivering up the whole crop
70, his agreement, to liquidate his deb
. disposes in some other way porte
II. or the whole Of it, and thus fails
nd comply with his contract, where
ON the merchants prrttcti"n' Where
his remedy? 1t is t'ur those cas-
are not of frequent occurrence, b
re- they do occur, and | think, AS t
we fa, mcr is protected in his llomestea
ter so should the merchant be protect
,rn in his capital. Since the war t
merchant has done much to rcDn1
the country, which was LETT nearly
desert after the retreat OF Ban'
he generously used his capital, cree
and energy, to produce again Ia'
crops, rebuild fences, repair hous
cut and bring about an era of compa
tive prosperity. Therefore, VIII
approving the protection given
md farmers as wise measure, tn
it would not he out of place for
next Legislature to devise some
cest to guard against the above cont'ng
cies it is hoped that this matter
receive their serious attention,
ned that our law .givers in their wisd
Ied. will find a way to protect all citiz
in without creating injury or giving
e fence to any. MEkChAN