The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-09-08
some Objections 10 The Lien Law.

| :cocs>!,y under III l:rS".. sira'cr.'
, rOniitio" nf .Ac country. On the ground
/ Of cxpc,!icnry We arc willing 20 leave
tia, matte. 10 tho discretion o; the lrt
i,.a.urc wh.n a,>orihi"i :. H. ali
i'r' - 'tc ,'r'.r of n,ircir!" ;hc l.N i
| tu.ally inic'.'i>ihic, i, .'.i!ae:ia! york
! iuv tpra >cri", ct r,.a,- i,- siio~n TIA,
/ !, ncy,i Wili rr:iunn.n,'v iiNvr.'r ~
/ 'o"',: :; .: ll.r poor iaan. The very has
( ii was intended L. hcnc.i, Hence the
! Legislature >hpu!i hay- icirai, i the .Aw
! long ago. Tic following M" som" nflhn
! ubicctiou> t. Inc i.u ~ n,aniG--'.'l i'',-
: i:ioticai workings III the past
/ FIRST. Il EFFORTS from tAc poor mam
cXcrs-iv, profits on til. II, .c>saiic, of
/ life. ranging AL tho way from ~ - @"'
/ per cent. Eyanl;rc tnc lien charges OF
! merchants ever since. the law VA, frs;
! and compare those with the cash prices
/ oi III" same articles. ana the ohjcl ton
! VIII be fully established. corn, for in
I stance. When selling ~ - cents nrl oven
/ less, per hushcl was charged Tor the
/ irrie. lAil Sl.ll t. sI.2j per lu>hcl 50
( with hour when the cash price was from
| u 20 dGilars per barrel. the lien price
ranged from IL To II dollars per barrel.
Bacrn abomt the SAME proportion cash
I price ~ 10 :, lien price from u 10 Is.
/ -itlil 80 Nti III tnt grocery INC. lItSi
/ quotations are mostly for The last twn
! wears. Now these differences be- il re-
I nicm!crcI, were paid on Il few months
/ credit. ranging for ia" most part from sIN
/ months to one month. 50 cXtrava9aut
I has been tie prices charged. in some
cases. tlia; III Mississippi II ease was ear
Rcd up 70 the supreme Court. and The
, court reduced the prices agreed OH be-
tween the parties "a; the ground tia. the
! debtor party had 10 option In Tie matter.
Second. ic lien law gives the mrr-
chant monopoly to TIN. dctrin"nt ~
"iher classes equally inrriioriuus. For
instance. the mechanic. the doctor. the
teacher, and even the stock dealer Tor il
i doubtful whether an obligation con
tractc'l in the purchase "f Il horse or
mule for tic cultivation OF the crop
would come i'll under it's provisions
And 81 with milch COW, the prodICt q:
of whose bounty Is meat and bread. too,
for 4 family. The principle of legislation
which builds up and protects one class
OF The community at the expense Of
others equally ncritous i Odious To the
principles of Republican government.
Third. The practical operation of the
lien law l. To give the control of our
farms, III grca, measure. to others than
the owners thereof, and those. too, WHO
are least qualified IL exercise wisely such
control. The farmers know by sad ex-
pcrlcnrc the evil effects thus resulting to
them i'll this way. Tie trnan, is satisfied
II he makes cotton enough to pay the
lien, and is indifferent To truck patches
auu improvements Of any sort. And this
brings MS To the fourth objection to the
lien law, because il has established aud
perpetual g. the all-cOtton theory to the
hazardous neglect Of provision crops.
This suicidal l,olicy, together with the
short crops. is likely 10 bring the wolf 10
the door "i many Il household hitherto
strangers 10 want.
Ia, ,i.,,. Il 1
or substitute Tor the lien law. We say
unhcSitatinlv cash vS. credit PAY n> YOU
go Is the philosophers Stone that turns
everything to gold that it touches. But
how can the poor man without moucv
and credit practice this beautiful theory?
We answer, he has a failing mine
OF credit in the bone and muscle of his
brawny arms, coupled with a brave and
willing heart. which Will command the
money anywhere. The demand for farm
laborerS this ycav could not bo met, and
to-day there is Il cry coming up from
every quarter, send us able bodied labor
erS. They "r: wanted in the farms,
work shops, ountng rooms, railroads,
factories. ever where there is an ncrcas-
ing demand iDr male and female labOrcrs.
nj rcmuncratirc cash prices. Here is u
means of credit that will never fail so
long as God gives health and strength
l'ut II the iarins are deserted for these
other avocations, is there not danger that
many OF onr farms may lie idle for the
want OF cultivation? Not likely The
occupation of cultivation of the soil pos
sesses attractions for the average laborer
beyond other occupations, hence the va
cant farms will be first occupied But
how is the poor man to run his farm /
We answer. again, by his labor. In an
average family of six children, niue
times out OF ten, one or more of those
who are able to plough can hire out and.
by the monthly stipend, pay cash for the
bread ior the entire family. Indeed, the
landholders are lluw Offering to women
and children ii share of One-third t. one.
nth IN as much land as they can culti-
vatc, the landholder being ut all the nx-
penSc, except the hoeing and gathering
OF the crop. In this way tn" weakest
labor OF each family can be utilized.
white line more abie-bO,iied can make Il
: support for the family by hiring. II,
however, the tenant desires il, and :he
labor of The whole family can be best
utilized al home, the interests of the
landlord will bring him readily to the
assistance of his tenant in procuring sup
plies at Il very little advance on cash
prices. where the cash cannot be had
Usually, the money can he had on good
personal security ut the lawful interest,
thus saving 10 the tenant, mt tho very
least, fifty per cent. on his purchases
Who is so much entitled TO this saving as
thc man who digs and cultivatcs the sol, /:
None. none,
One other view of the matter and wc
have done. When hard pressed the adj
vocatcs for lien law say, we'll would
be in favor Of its repeal, if the homestead
law goes with it, There is this difference
between the two: one is a legislative act,
which can be repealed al any time by the
enactinE body, while the other is eri bed
ded i'll the Constitution. and cannot lie
changed except by a change in the Con-
stitution. And we notice that the Judi
ciTy Committee, appointed by the last
| j. 'Sislature TO revise the Constitution and
suggest such changes as they think best,
docs not propose TO interfere with the
| homestead law. Nor DO we think it
necessary or desirable. According TO the
construction of the Supreme Court of this
State, the head of family can waive his
rights under the homestead il he sees
proper and tho waiver will be enforced
b. the Courts. SO the argument that the
/ II law and homestead huvo Il necessary
| connection falls To the ground
II is high time that we should, as a
State, return to the old beaten path Of
our fathers. make our supplies nj home,
spend less than we make, ant pay as we
20. \ FARMER
Furman University.