Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-10-24

Who has been and can be the Most
Useful in the Legislature to
the Farmer.

Colonel May in his joint discus
sion with Judge Mills when talking
to an audience of farmers was pretty
apt to remind them that farmer
vas better able to subserve their
interests in the Legislature than a
lawyer, though he might be an Elk.
Judge. We learn that the Judge
replied to this position somewhat
after this sort:
81 confess l do not understand
farming and mining as well as most
of my fellow-citizens, although it is
said ! got rich in raising colts and
feedii g them on turnips. | don't
know as well as you farmers do who
manufactures tho best reapers, Nc
Cormick or Nanny. | don't know
which will make the best hedge.
white willow or Usage orange; but
| ought TO know what Legislation
will best protect the titles and in
dustry of the farming community.
The tendency and effect of law, and
its administration upon the rights of
men, their liberty and property, has
beer developed before mo for years.
OF legislation that has misch;evous
or dangerous tendency, cannot
plead ignorance, and so far as such
enactments require amendment or
repeal, l should hold myself respon-
sibie to you, if elected, to leave the
condition OF our laws at least as
favorable to the industry OF the conn-
try as | found them. If should 90
to the Legislature TO SOW in your
Statutes the seed of litigation hoping
to reap the harvest in fees in our
Courts, then, gentlemen, do not vote
for me. If in o single instance |
have sacrificed the interests OF labor
to that of the legal profession or
any other profession, then, gentle>
men, do not vote for me. 1t il said
| am no producer. If | had here
file of the HERALD several years ago.
the quantity of Snap Dragon weeds
that the veracious Editor said /
raised upon a small lot of ground.
would effectually silence this calum-
ny. Bat in the field Of Legislation,
where have worked and labored
for years, gentlemen, with the con-
secration and zeal of an enthusiast.
| think | can show a better harvest
than tares or BILE. For instance.
in l056-1857 there were two young
men in the Legislature. Both of
them were lawyers. There were
flaws and defects in your titles, in
most of them. Spectators could
buy up these outstanding, adverse
claims. The Statute of limitations
would not have protected you for
20 years. An attempt was made by |
one OF these young men in the AS |
sembly to reduce this period to Z |
years. In 1856 he failed. Even |
farmers opposed him with az much |
vehemence and sophistry as gentle>
men OF the legal profession. In |
1857 he knew more about The wav |
to Influence legislative body. In
that year the law was passed, de.
claring that whoever occupied and |
improved land for ten years should |
hold valid title against the world.
no matter how defective his title |
might have been at first. preferred |
seven years. Ten were the best
that could be obtained. In the same
year, and as part of the same. act. |
the Legislature passed an act widen
ing and extending the right to claim
tor provements, where the occu.
pants title, was hopelessly defective
and his occupancy fell short of ten |
years. know who drew I'D the
law compromising the occupant un-
der void title for his improvements. |
Ii it had been justly and fairly con. |
sirued by our Supreme Court your
neighbor Scott would not with his |
land have lost the value of the i'm.
provements he put on his farm.
That Court has decided that Scott
should have made his claim for i'm.
provements at the time the Jury de.
livered their verdict. | do not know
that the Revisers have rectified this
dangerous pitfall in our Statutes. |
Others may fall victim to it. I'll
cannot compute how much or how
many farms have been saved to the
occupants by the law shortening the
Statute Of limitations. 1t must sum
up to hundreds of thousands of dol.
lars. CANNOT lawyer do some-
thing for the farmer in the Legis-
lature which the farmer, not &C.