Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-09-01
MisGellameuns &eadiug,
THE LIEN LAW.

The lien law is now agitating the minds Of
our people. The State Grange, at its recent
session, voted unanimously for its repeal. This
body is composed of intelligent and thrifty
farmers who never give liens. The arguments
in favor of the repeal are about as follows:
l. No tenant can get an honest living out of
the soil and accumulate property when he
has to pay 80 to 100 per cent. above the cash
price for supplies. O. This brings about
state of slavery to the merchant as bad as the
abject slavery of former days. 8. The ten
ants drawing their supplies from the mer'
chant cannot be controlled by the landlord.
4. This system makes farmers out of thrift.
less class that should he hirelings. 5. Ten
ants that always live year ahead will never
improve lands and prepare for the future
by sowing small grain and preparing pas.
tures 6. 1t tends to ALLEVIATE tenant and
landlord, tenant looking on the merchant as
his best friend, and his landlord as hard
hearted, grasping man that would take every.
thing made on the soil. 7. 1t degrades the
manhood of the laborer, teaching him to de-
pend on lien and not character, making
him careless as to whether he works or not.
If he can manage to settle his lien and ge,
credit for another year, he is contented.
These are few of the arguments advanced
on one side. In answer to these, the other
side states their case somewhat after this man.
ner: l. The lien law is optional. No one is
obliged to purchase under it. 2. The land.
lord has perfect right to furnish supplies to
his hands, and if he would do it as readily as
the merchant, and much cheaper, as he claims,
then the tenants would buy where they could
get the best bargains. 3. Many land owners
refuse to furnish tenants or 60 their security
for supplies 5, Often the landlord lives far
from his farm and pays no attention to it or
the land except to collect rent. 5. The land
lords force hands to the tenant system, be-
cause they will hire only in the busy seasons
of fthe year, leaving them idle the balance Of
the time. Then they will not hire the women
and children. So man with wife and a
large family of children is obliged to become
a farmer, and work everything that can raise
a hoe. 6. As general thing they offer no
inducements to hands to improve lands Ivy
ditching or sowing down or gathering up
manure, hence the hands float about with no
fixed home, looking to the merchant to sup
port him from year to year. 7. The lien law
is simple and easily understood. The hum.
BILE tenant understands its operations about as
we'll as the ablest lawyer. Neither the mer-
chant nor farmer will furnish supplies with
out some security. This law is, in the main,
satisfactory both to merchant and tenant.
8. Should the law be repealed. and the ten
ants be forced to hire to the landlords, pay
ments would have to be made weekly in order
that the families might be supported. One.
fourth of the landbolders of the country could
not meet these payments for hired labor un.
til the first of April. 8. The next year will
be very hard one for all classes, and it will
be difficult to get supplies on the best
and strongest securities. A change the pres.
ent year would be unwise, for labor would
thereby be disorganized.
Such are some of the arguments advanced
on both sides of this question. 1tis now open
for discussion. The Legislature at the next
session will have to decide it one way or the
other. They should not only be we'll inform.
ed as to the merits of the law as it stands, but
also as to the policy Of the repeal.-Spartan-
burg Spartan.
The PULsE.-Pulse is throbbing of the
arteries caused by intermitting pulses commu-
nicated to the blood by the heart. The arte-
ries being elastic expand for an instant with
the increased amount of blood forced into
them by each heart beat. and for the same
reason contract the moment after, producing
thus series of wave.like movements from the
heart outward toward all parts Of the body.
The enlargement Of the artery by the passing
waves of blood lifts it somewhat from its bed,
80 that il becomes perceptible to the touch.