The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-10-23
THE HOMESTEAD Law.

The decision of the State Supreme
Court, holding that persons not owning
real estate and having homestead there
on are entitled to no exemption from
levy and sale of their crops and personal
property under execution for debt. Is
creating a very general dissatisfaction
throughout the upper portion OF the
State, and if not corrected will probably
be drawn into the political canvass of
next year. The decision has evoked
from many very respectable tenants the
assertion that they will not vote the
Democratic ticket again. This, Of course,
is wrong, and those who make it do not
duly consider the facts of the case. The
law under which this decision Is made
was passed by the Republicans, and the
decision itself was written by the Chief
Justice, who Is Republican. 1t is not
the act of a Legislature, which is the rep
resentative Of the successful party at the
polls, but is the decision upon aquestion
of law by o Court. which is not political
body. We think the decision an unfor-
tunate one. It is provocative Of class
dissensions,i and is subject to all of the
odium and discomfort which unfair and
unreasonable determinations against
one class and In favor Of another class
are sure to elicit. This decision holds
that the man who Is fortunate enough to
possess one thousand dollars worth of
land cannot be made to pay his debts by.
execution, but that the less fortunate
tenant, who perhaps has nothing but a
| little household furniture, mule
and large family dependent upon
him for its support, can be sold
out to satisfy the demands against him.
| 1t seems to us that this will be generally
admitted to be wrong. The homestead
ought to be abolished as to all, or 1t ought
to extend lis provisions oyer all. The
doctrine that to him that has much more
shall be given, and from him that hath
little that which he hath shall be taken
away, is a very good doctrine, SO far as it
relates to the moral qualities Of man, bnt
| it will scarcely be contended that 1t is q
good principle to engraft into the laws Of
the land relating; to the material posses
sions Of men. It Is, however, exactly
the doctrine made of force in South Caro-
| lima under the decision above quoted.
For this, however, the Democratic party
is in no wise responsible, for it did not
make the Constitution or the law, and
citizens do very wrong to make threats
against the Democracy on account of a
law with which it has no connection
whatever. Neither landowners nor ten
ants can afford to allow the Democratic
party TO pass out of power in this State,
for the rings and corruptions Of the past
warn Us Of. the expressions that will
again be heaped upon us If Republican
ism should ever triumph in South Caro-
lima. The Inconvenience and hardship
created by this decision can be as easily
corrected by the Democratic party as by
any other, and we believe that twill be
done. The Legislature at its coming ses-
sion should submit a constitutional
amendment to the people making the
homestead provisions applicable to every
citizen of the State, whether he be rich
or poor, whose necessities shall require
him to take advantage of it. Webelieve
this will be done, and that this trouble,
Of which those who are Independently
dispo,ed hope to make an apple of dis
cord in the Democratic party, will be
settled before the demagogues have a
chance to misrepresent and distort 1t.
In the meantime, we say to the whole
people that they should stop giving po-
litical complexion to the question.