American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-07-05

gether as were the SlameSe twins.
The disease of one infallibly COM
municates itself to the other. while
the utter prostration of either wouil
cause almost dissolution in tire
other.r
Fer" these reasons, Legislators
shoaid be extremely cautious in
their dealings with either subject !;
they should wear kid gloves while
examining them.
Let us see, firstly, what advant-
ages the landlord ana'laborer would
enjoy over the merchant, with no
lien law in force. Secondly, what
effect upon capital, and thirdly,
upon labor, the repeal OF The mer-
chants tien would c1use.
The landlord Tor his agent) and
tho !aborer, living at, or in close
proximity to, the land which the
tenant occupies, are situated to
take note of any attempt the tenant
might make to dispose of his crop
when gathered. In fact, when the
landlords note natures, he can des
mand his rent, and on failure OF the
tenant Tor his merchant, who very
likely would do IT'D to pay, or on
suspicion Of removal to avoid pay
ment, he could easily obtain possess
sion by attachment. Some of the
candidates speak of the merchant
relying on the honor of the planter
to pays Why cannot the landlord
rely upon this same article-espe'
cially when he can oversee this
honor 2 The laborer, justly entitled
to his' hire, could OBTAIN his share
of the crop by a division as soon as
gathered, and thereby protect his
interest. While thus the landlord
and laborcr enjoy an immunity
from losses, the merchant-who fur
nishes the greater part of the caHi>-
tai wherewith the former are. ens-'
bled to reap their profits often
miles away from the land worked.
must perforce place confidence in
his debtor to meet his Obligations,
as it were simply impossible for him
to be at all places in which his in.
terests lie. Clearly, then the lands
lord and !aborer woull possess adj
over the merchant in the
collection of their accounts, were
the present lien law stricken entire
~ from our statute books.
Were the law stricken in toto
from the books, it would prove dis
astrons to the farming community,
with few exceptions, unless the eX-
emptiOn laws were reduced to bare
" nothing. LII the mind of an hon
est man, every thing he possesses is
Justly liable for his debts; but, with
The present exemption law in force,
per cent. of our fasf.t.sra I
be without the capital upon
which a credit might be based.
Their all covered from attachment
BY the exemption law. the mer-
who advanced upon the hon
Or of most of our agricultural peO- |
Die, would find themselves left IN
The cold. The merchants f5resee
his, and if tho lien law in full. or
hat part thereof WHICH directly
them, is repealed, it will be
to the very life of the
planter Tor the exemption law to be
also. Withons its repeal,
he basis of credit IA withdrawn;
md the merchants throughout the
State are sArewd enough to know
hat advances not covered by lien,
With the exemption laws still III
orce, would soon he entered into
he column of death in the ledger
liz: profit and loss. The planters
nust, in such an event, look else
rhere than to merchants for sup
lies to exist upon while raising
heir crops. Therefore, tine benefit
he farmer expects to reap from the
epeal of the lien law will rebound
o his disadvantage. and leave him
ans food, sans money, sans every
hing.
Let us now considertte effect the
cpeal of tho merchants lien law
'ould have upon capital. Already
III tferines can be heard from those
tho risk their all in advancing to
lanters. 1t will he quite natural {
nd farmers whose standing IS at I
n doubtful should take warning :
nat the capitalists Of this country
ill lock up their ladgers in their
,fes, and refuse to advance under !.
1ch disadvantageous circumstan :
IS, unless to parties, few and :
.arce, whose credit is undoubted.
he ultimate consequence will be, !,
rat the merchant, finding his CAPT.
i employed larger than is necessa
! to carry or his cash business,
i'll withdraw it and invest it, not :.
Madison county, but send it out :, =
the Stare, seeking safer If less 1
investment. Capital,
} much required to build up our a
aste places and improve others, to =.
lid railroads, erect and run cntton - :,
Ills, ETC., instead "f being invited Z
come or remain. is actually driv> - !,
away. What, then, will our 8 {,
anters do ter supplies dufing next y,
means of buying tax ~
from them, their corn crop now n
most ruined. and insufficient for, \,
cir wants, no meat raised, their ~
esent crop consumed in meeting -
cir debts and living through the ~
nters Driven from the mer- =;
ants by the repeal of the lien law, 10
ey will fall into the hands of agri- r
lfural capitalists-and this is q,
..r I'D L.. l>aa,, for vanro ia "