The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-02-28
THE AGRICULTURAL LIEN LAW.


n involve the people in debt, and fina
cial disaster.
q 2. Itcreates IL class of "middle-men
n who by the power of their money,
70 their credit, or their collision vii
moneyed men, are enabled to exerci
y an undue and paralyzing control ov,
the industrial classes-that is to sa
by the excessive per centage o
money loaned, or the exhorbitan
profit demanded on supplies advanced
the producing class can be impercepj
IDLY and lnsidiously drawn into con
tract and complication which virtu
ally enslaves them, and tends to max
them abject hewers of wood and draw
ers of water for others, or to driv,
them to II worse alternative, that o
beating the supply man by turning
their produce unlawfully to othel
markets. The first effect is to slavisl
subserviency and dependence which
the law ought not to encourage; anc
the other effect is to beget or stimulate
a species of dishonesty and lawless-
ness, which it is equally incumbent
upon the law-making power of the
State to discourage
g. Any law that virtually authorizes
the mortgage of the poor mans future
is detrimental to society and general
prosperity, because it destroys indi-
viduality and freedom of action and
throws around the mortgaged victim
paralysis which saps his vital ener-
gy and benumbs his ambition, thus
detracting from his capacity to be IL
factor in the recuperation of the coun-
try, and gives to the already too ex-
tended power Of capital an additional
chance to oppress.
4. The lien law affords temporary
relief only to fasten upon it, victim
permanent hardship. 1t is a droll
mistake to call it Il law for the relief of
the poor man. 1t is exactly the re-
verse. 1t is the worst law that could
possibly be enacted for the needy man.
1t gives him bread and appeases his
hunger, it is true, for the time being,
but generally at the expense of his
and liberty of action, and
final outcome, or worse still, at the
expense of his integrity-and not I'M
no tlxr l.
md reliable member of the communi-
" into worthless and irresponsible
.l...
6. In word, it is Il legalized hard
hip upon the poor man - an au
horned system of despoiling him of
vi the profits of his earnings--involv-
ng a complete surrender of his man ,
lood and independence and his re-
uction to the position of peonage, or ,
verseer of his little "crap." t
6. 1t tends to foster the monomania
planting all cotton, and the univer- S
al neglect of preserving, improving, !,
eautifying and benefiting the lands.
Whoever heard of lien law farmer, IL
'hite or black, being guilty of plant
lg out tree, opening a ditch, build s.
lg new fence, stopping a wash t,
oplying fertilizers Whoever heard ,
one who raised corn enough, or
no owned a hog or a sheep? His
hole force is applied to one product
he product his advance merchant
,ws down to as his king and master
cotton.
I. The natural result of the lien sys- l.
m is the general exhaustion and inn
verishment of the lands and the
ople, the total absence of all i'm
ovements, the gradual disappearance hi
orchards and vineyards, and stock, =.
e ruin of houses, fences and barnes m,
e decay of the IN anhood of the
orer agricultural classes, and the
lsequent REORGANIZATION of the State. l.,
It is argued that IL man ought to be APP
owed to mortgage whatever he has. pr
at any prohibition Of this right is As
infringent upon his liberty. We ,o
mt that he has a right TO squander Oh
money and sell the house that COZ
ltcrs his chi dren, but if it be con- to
ded that the law ought to give REF
a right TO mortgage his future, I
manhoCdy his freedom, we are of
dy to take the negative of that Sun
'stion. 1t would be a pcrversion of Il
true mission of law to give him p r
h right, and directly in the fac, of of
spirit Of the constitution and the NJ NJ
ius of American society. And the
is virtually what the lien law an, Z
:. wa!
gain it is asked, what is the poor NJ. d
1 to do if some means are not pro- b
I'd to enable him to draw in adj n .i
ce upon the only capital he has I? B
e is the essence of the argument sup
Ivor of the lien law, but it is far com
! conclusive. The credit which is b.
,.,.:,,, of Il
Plo' lic'. cos's llll'i more Lllal " dog
orth to him. The more Of such
10 he has, the worse Off he is. 1t
Id be infinitely better for him to land
himself out for wages, and work ties
he had something, than to sell of II
self out upon terms which gener= piss
make it impossible for him ever T1 M
". The cost of the credit secured Ran.
the lien law is what damns tles,
the light of public policy. If it Al
give a legitimate credit upon ton \
S that the farmer could stand, and
much of the objection to it would IN
! down, We would not destroy and ,
redit Of any portion of the popu- on
!, but we are opposed TO the en- consi
cement Of that style of credit hries
h brings only disaster and slav- ton nm,
SIS to debtors, and prostration to Chs
eneral welfare. A different svs- er SI al
credit is demanded-cr credit that encm
n Il 1 . TN