The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-10-06
A Criticism Criticised.

The Editor OF the ISTELLIGIHcER,
backed up by tho Ntis; aud Courier, has
undertaken Il task for which neither of
these papers are specially qualified, TO
enlighten the farmers as 10 tho policies
which they ought to pursue in tho man
ayeInent of their farms, and especially
insisting upon continuance OF the Lien
law unless . substitute shall be proposed
bv them. Now this is begging the qucs-
tion, so far as tho farmers arc concerned.
They never asked for the Lien law, and
now that experience has taught them that
it is q bad law, and they ask for its repeal,
they are coouy told TO produce d substi-
tute. They don't want the Lien law, nor
any substitute which the Legislature is
| likely to give them. All they ask is 10 be
let alone. But this is the very thing that
the ISTELLIGESCEK and .NeuS aud Courier
have assumed the special guardianship OF
tho farmers of the Stato 1t deyoives upon
them to devise substitute, not on the
farmers. for they want none.
The ISTELLIGESCER criticises "A Far
mer'' AZ being unfortunate III alluding to
| the bankrupt law, because it has been
| repealed, but tho phraseolOgy of our arti-
Gle clearly shows that we had referred to
| the past Bcsides, the repeal Of the law
has only given place to another form Of
| read dinstment. which IL practiced every
| day: to wit tho law OF assignments. The
principle in both cases is the same-it Is
| u readjustment under the embarrass-
ments Of trade, and MI equitable distri.
button of tho assets OF insolvent debtors.
The design of such laws are humane and
just; but frequently these humane and
just laws arc used as q cloak to dcfraud
| creditors OF their just dues. AS evidence
| of It, how often does tho debtor come out
l IF hn nj ,l-r ttr,tn Il Ion
ments, only paying about 25 cents on the
dollar, better off apparently than when
he went III He enlarges his business,
builds finer houses, and, to the unsophis-
ticated observer, seems TO be greatly i'm
proved financially. And yet 1t Is really no
| valid objection to the law. Imperfection
| is tho characteristic of human laws.
Many an honest, but unfortunate, debtor,
under the benign influence of these hu-
name laws, is enabled to prosecute his
business. support his family and add to
the wealth OF the country. 1t Is not to
! the interest of the country that the hon
est debtor should be stripped even to pay
honcat debts. Tho Savannah township
people, acting on these principles, pro-
pose to mako these readjustments with
| their creditors, without the Intervention
OF the expensive machinery Of the law.
And herein, it may bo, Is tho great mis-
take they have made. If the creditors
ere wise, however, they will gladly meet
| them upon their proposal.
Whilo we do not accord to the Editor
| OF tho INTELLIoENcER any special quail
fication to instruct farmers on agricultu-
raj matters, we do appreciate his political
| and legal acumen. And as such, we
would ask few questions bearing on
the points under discussion:
lst Can an uESati5ti6d lien upon the
growing crop hold over on O succeeding
crop, and thus vitiate tho lien under
which the crop Is produced?
4 End. Can an unsntiSfed lien upon the
growing crop attach on other person l
\ property than that specified In said lien
Bird. Does not tho Constitution itself
| provide that any obligations incurred in
| the purchase OF land or .'e production
OF crops shall be excepted from the ex-
omptions of the Homestead law?
II tho latter question be answered in
the affirmative, AZ we think 1t will be,
| then there never was any necessity for o
Lien law. There might have been q gen.
eral statute defining the obligations con-
| templated in the Constitution-nothing
more. Although not q lawyer, nor tho
If the Legislature had simply performed
u constitutional duty, most Of these diff
| ficulties would hsvo been avoided.
| We think we have pretty fully answer
| cd The criticisins of the tsTELLIaENCER
upon our articles, and do not propose to
/
have had their say, and tho merchants,
through their able advocates, have had
their say, and at last the responsibility is
with the Legislature. It Is for them to
say, with all the light that has been
thrown upon tho subject by discussion,
what shall be done. Whatever that de-
cision may be, we shall acquiesce.
| But before shall close this article, there
| 10 one remarkable fact connected with tho
discussion on the part of the INTELLI-
oENCER that we do not understand. He
gives great deal OF attention, and ably
discusses the economic and financial
questions, with an occaRionai fling Mt the
political aspects of the case, but passes
by unnoticed the moral precepts quoted
in our last article. Perhaps tho Editor
does not find this law, the law Of charity,
In his books, and 70 aid him in his further
researches, wo will give the references,
SO that If no has not tho book in hand,
by calling upon Mr.. Towers, the agent
of the American Bible Society, he can
easily procure 1t. Tho first quotation,
"Bear yo one nnothers burdens" &C.,
will be found in Gal. 6:2. The other will
be found in Matthew 7:I2.
4 FARMER.