The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-03-21

MIR. EDITOR: Your remarks on the Fence
Law in last paper exhibits, in its spirit, q
little impatience at the worry and confusion
existing and resulting necessarily from SO
sudden change in the habits of people
in the last century or more. Permit me to
suggest that there Is no disposition among
even the opponents of the law to avoid or
eyade its provisions. or throw any unnec-
essaTy distractions in the practical opera.
tions of the Law. All the confusion result
ing has been produced, not from the practi-
cal operations of the law but from the
unfavorable conditions under which it was
inaugurated. The first mistake was on the
Psrs os she Lcgg;cintuEe Il framing the orig
inal bill, in omitting q provision that if O
! majority Of the Townships in The County
adopted the change the Lew should be ap-
| piled to the whole County. Ascend cause
for the confusion resulting in the public
mind was the delay on the part of the
County Commissioners in surveying and
letting out tho contracts for building the
County fence. Until this survey was made
the people could not bo satisfied as to the
exact condition of things in regard TO the
law As soon as 1t was certainly known
| that the lGw had been duly ratified, and
was to be Immediately enforced, the people
generally, with commendable zeal, set
| about adspting themselves, in their stock
! interests, 70 tho great change proposed.
Even in those sections where the opposition
| to the law was most decided, the people aro
| not behind any others in accommodating
themselves to the law. One of the etrong-
est opponents of the measure in Brushy
Creek township said to me tho other dsy Is
he was about finishing his pasture fences
II had nothing to do with the making of
the law, but intend to abide by it fully"
Not only 40. but this gentle 4, who was
large lnndholder, assisted his renters in pro.
viding pasturage for their stock as for his
own. Thic IS the proper spirit, and will we
trust. be initiated by all. Gradually as the
practical operation of the law begins to de-
vclop itself, the benefits to be derived are
becoming more and more apparent. 1t will
take more time, however, than the law al-
lows for all the people to prepare themselves
fcr 1t, and until o reasonable tir has been
allowed for the enclosing of .c.k, the peo-
Pic should exercise the utmost iorbeafanca
towards each other. Indeed, where there is
no malicious or evil intent apparent, we
think all the difficulties likely to arise be-
| tween neighbors may be satisfactorily ad-
justed without obligation. Barring the delay
in the matter, unavoidable no doubt, the
County Commissioners, in the discharge OF
the new and responsible duties imposed by
the new law, have exhibited rare good sense
and very accommodating spirit, to which
the most ceremonious can find no objection.
OF course the details of the great change
proposed is so new and radical that no ono
can certainly say in advance what will be
the ultimate result yet the principle en-
| bodied and upon which the law has been
based, is so simple and SO just that we do
not see how failure is possible. The princi-
pie Is this-no moro, no less-that every
man siAil take care of his own.
T. II. r.