The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-12-19
Fence Law.
EDIsro, December, 9th, 1879.

Two articles appeared in recent
isoue of your paper on the subject of
"Fences"-difIering in opinion from
these writer's, venture q reply, as /
conceive this subject TO DO one of the
most important that can engage the
attention Of our people. There is
nothing more in the way of our sue
cess and prosperity than the g, cat ex-
pense we annually undergo, in fencing
in our crops. / am satisfied that the
country would save immensely il the
fence law as it now stands could be
changed. The time, cost and labor
spent in splitting and hauling rails
could be more .proiitabiy applet to
the improvement Of our lands.
Largo pastures on almost every
, farm and neighborhood could bc en-
closed with perhaps less than one
third the expense required in keeping
up the fences around our fields. Ten
ants and laborers Would have no
trouble in arranging with proprietors
for the pastorage. of the stock, and
they would find it far easier 10 keep
up the "pastule fencei' than the ''fcld
fence" l believe this is the only
class of our people who would object
TO the passage of the Fence Law, and
if they could be properly Informed
upon the subject, venture the opin.
ion that the greater number of their
fears would he removed.
Ii the passage of the Fence Law re-
duced the quantity of stock in the
country, it would be more than re-
placed by a superior quality. We
could then have cattle and hogs wol-
thy Of the name, whereas they now in
too Iany instances have but the re-
semblance of "starYed frames," and
hundreds of them die every winter for
went Of food and shelter.
With the pasture law, We would al
ways know where to find our stock,
and this eternal hunting business
Which ia c curse to the land, would
he forever stopped. Thieves and
depredators would then find more
profitable cmploymeht,as ,as home, than
in hunting ttl.s weo,ls and
swamps Of their eighbors. AS to
the water about which "Congaree"
has 60 much fear, woult. say, that
where it is not supp!icd by nature,
rells and springs could be easily dug,
and the stock supplied daily with
large troughs. AS TO the quantity of
stock 10 be kept, planters would be
governed by the amount that would
pay them, and keep only the best
quality. With proper management
l venture the opinion that q sulilcien-
cy Of the finest bacon, beef, milk and
butter could be rriscd ON every farm
in our county for home consumption.
as TO it's going to price beyond The
ability of the poor people to pay, is
perfectly absurd. II there was not
pound Of bacon raised in South Caro-
lima the price Of this great article of
our food would hardly be two cents
beyond it's present value. SO "NYatch"
needn't be alarmed that our people
would Guffel in this respect.
We are living in an age of progress
sion, and the fence law as i. now
stands is our greatest barrier to sue.
cess end prosperity. The wants and
necessities of our people will in some
day, no. far in the future, demand
change in the Fence Lew. am
awsrc tho: the Change would not suit
everybody, for this would be iinpossi-
BILE, 5ut ON sstisCed tlct i: world
benefit, by far, the greater number of
our people. "Congrrce" cannot be
adviced that many CT our rails ere
bought end hauled two and three
miles, and thnt large sections OF Our
most vcluable lards can scarcely be
fenced at ell. So, SCORER or later, the
change vii! bo imperative and we may
a5 we'll prepare Cur minds for it.
hundreds Of bales OF cotton end buch.
els c. corn con be made On land now
occupied by rotten enc d:!apidnted
feaces wEic.i s:ands co disgrace to
civilization sad tho age we live in.
farr eTs. c;udy taio ''Fcncc question"
vitE CT its disadvantages tc our sue.
cess, and rot reat until We have the
"Fence Law" in OrangcburG County.
EDIsTo.