Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-09-01
The Lien Law.

JosiSy VI Iuo pEooSs Wu1Cn IL supposed TO re-
feet public opinion, favors the repeal of the
Law and regard its continuance detrimental to
the farming interests. In number of the
counties the law is considered necessity,
furnishing tho only and cheapest means Of
credit to largo body of our population and
whilo oil admit its OWLS and abuses, they
claim 1t forces no man to avail himself of it,
leaving it optional to oil to spend their pro-
ducts as they prefer.
There is much plausiblity in the idea
that to repeal the law afFeots the absolute
rights of individuals by impairpg their credit
and denying them the right to do as they
please with the fruits Of their labor, thereby
forcing them to become tcnunts or laborcrs
for wages. Could not tho samo objection be
put up to q usury law? Why should tho
State limit tho price of money by legal en-
actment? Has not every man the right to
use his property to the best advantage and
get for its use or hire any price tho market
affords? Could not tho same be said of
tho homestead law7 What right has tho
State to say that man shall not waivo his
right Of homestead except by solemn in
strument, which is in effect sale, thus de-
stroying his credit and substituting pre-"
carious credit ih it's stead7 Why should not
a man be permitted to make and soil whis-
key, or ut most, to mako ind use it without
hindrance by tho State? The loan Of money
athigh interest encouraged speculation and
impoverished the State. and 80 does not the
lien law encourage extravaganza and spccu>
letion in farming causing too many to full
instead Of prosper? We have no personal
interest or feeling in tho repeal or continu.
ance of the lien law. 1t is question for
the farmers Of the State and concerns their
interests. We want what is best for all
GLASSES done, 80 that wo may become pros
porous people.
a correspondent Of the Ne,us and Cou,tcf,
writing from Abbeville in opposition to the
repeal of tho lien Inv, proposes to answer
several QUESTION: suggested by objections
presented to the law by tho farmers in
council at Greenville. The following is his
first query: "Does the great number of liens
fled or the vast amount secured by thom
provo tho necessity of the law, or docs it
prove it's worthlessness as means OF crodit2"
The writer says: "What more conclusive
evidence could bo produced to show the ne
cessity and popularity of the lien law than
tho fact that over $4,000 small farmers avail
themselves of it's use?" And estimating
seven persons to each lien, he reasons that
nearly 500.o 900 human boings {half our pep
hlation) are dependent on the lien law for
their daily support. If tho necessity or
popularity of q law depended on the number
who availed themselves Of it, the liquor Ii.
cense law would occupy the front rank
among statutes, for it draws its patrons from
all classes and conditions. 1t may be said
that liquor is not an article of food, rainent
or of necessity in any sense, but is Injurious
alike to the moral or physical man. This we
admit. but we believe if tho true considora.
tion of all the liens given in this State was
known large proportion of it would be ar
tcles neither of food nor necessity, the pure
chase Of which injured the lien or by absorb
ing oil his earnings, and which, without the
opportunity to purchase on credit, would
have been dispensed with without injury or
inconvenience. The necessity and popu-
)arity Of the law proceeds from the erroneous
idea that wo cannot grow profitably our own
provisions, end to this idea is traceable tho
greatest injury of the law, causing our
pooplo to look abroad for articles Of neces-
sity.
Can We grow our bread and meat at home
profitably? Before the day of railroads we
did it and We think we could now. IF up-
lands will not grow corn profitably they will
wheat, oats, rye and barley, which are am
pie substitutes. In tho old country but little
corn is grown, and tho same is true in phrts of
the United States. But properly cultivated
There are enough lands in our State adapted
to corn to supply our wants. Soon after the
war thousands Of bushels wero shipped from
Walhafla, while now large quantities are
brought from abroad and sold in this market.
A few years ago an old merchant of Green
vile told Us he shipped to that place tho first
tlefce OF canvassed hams ever offered for
sale there, and that ho used most of them
himself, finding no market for their sale.
Now Thousands Of pounds Of hams, shoulders
and eidcs arc sold even in tho upper counties
Of tho State. Some say hogs die with
cholera. so it is no'loDger profitable to raise
them. Drought ruins corn on uplands and
wheat and oats are so subject to rust that to
SOW them is risk. Does not hog cholera
prevail in the North and West and do not
thoy suffer moro serious dtoughts often than
wo have here, resulting in forest fires, de-
stroying all vegetation, and have not tho
grasshoppers frequently made their country
q desert destroying tho very blades and
stalks Of corn and wheat2 They DO not givo
up. but pant again, and ,wo bolevo with tho