Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-08-04
The Lien Law.

..5f "A Sofieopouuent VI tuo Solumpin NcgtStcT
writing from Ridgeway, expresses the hope
that the Register will advocate tho repeal Of
the lien law. and says "nearly every evil we
arc now suffering from 10 our agricultural,
comaorcial and financial affairs can be traced
to its baneful influence" This law was en-
acted in 1865 as q temporary relief from tho
loss of our banks and personal property by
the war. 1t was designed to give o credit
until q crop could be made, and no one an.
ticipated it's longer continuance, much less
the expressions which have since proceeded
from its operation. The enactment Of tho
homestead, in destroying credit still facther,
caused its continuance in force. and now for
fifteen years II has operated to impoverish
the farmer and demoralize labor. II has been
several times repealed and re.onacted, on the
ground that il is tho only basis of credit
available to q largo majority of our people.
We are told the people are too poor to live
without it, but when can we hope to grow
richer under it's operationf Where one far
mer hos made money updor liens nineteen
have failed, and from the drought of the
present year and tho largo number of 70.
ported liens 10 many counties, next fall will
than at thesclose Of 1867. A heavy debt
will take their crops and leave them to start
'eten or behind with the world.
n, We have opposed the law for ton years aud
have always been satisfied there would be no
'actual prosperity while it continued of force.
Experience has so FIR borne out our opinion,
but we have little hope of its repeal. Wo
have believed both it and the homestead law
worked harm. and that every one would
'prosper sooner without than with their pro-
lection. The homestead law destroys credit
and.the lien law gives credit based on Sc
-curity go precarious that large profits are do
manded' for the risk. TO the honest and dill
sgent This is drawback. The homestead is o
meroful provision which often secures to the
'improviaent a roof to protect them, but these
are few compared with the great bulk who
labor hard and who with unK,paired credit
would prosper, but are kept down by high
prices. 1t seems to us that both laws injure
the very class they are designed to benefit.
Without either evcry man would have credit
'as before tho war, would trade cautiously and
'toan extentho could reasonably hope to pay,
and at tho end Of the year would pay. Such
was the case before tho war. The poor were
not oppressed, made better crops and were
rarely sued. As the homestead is fixture.
let the lien law be repealed and lot men seek
paying. This is the best Of credit and often
is preferred to that of men legally RESPONSE
tble but slow to pay.
Tho main objections to the lien law arc
'tho following: 1t breeds extravaganza. Men
trade with recklessncss as to quantity and
prices, which is ruinous. The bost calcula-
tors are surprised at tho amount of their ac-
counts when the little items Of q year arc
'sun,med up, much more with those who give
1iens nt larger profits. Not only do they pay
moro for articles, but they buy more and too
often many things thoy do not need. All
admitthis and even men from whom 10 lien
is asked will buy on credit much more than
if purchase day and pay day stood together.
It's tendency is also to breed idlcness and
thriftlessness. Where men can get supplies
on future crop they not only feel less de-
pendent for living on diligence, but in cases
of severe drought, when tho crop promises
to be too small to meet tho obligations in-
Cured in its production, they loso interest
andspirit in their labor. In counties this
year where the crop has been cut off one half
go three tourths, and it appears impossible to
meet their liens, who could feel like laboring
for no reward3 In such cases many arc APT
TO pail up stakes and lcaye both country and
debts behind.
Perhaps the greatest of all objections to
tho lien law is the decentralization of labor,
ofton referred to by US. Under it's operation
mon without capital or farm implements un,
dertake with their families to make q crop,
often on poor land. Failure is tho probable
and necessary consequence, the yield being
rarely sufficient to pay the schnty advances
made to them. In the employment Of our
limited supply of labor in this way the pros
duotions and wealth Of tho Stateis decreased.
Apart from the lien law this labor would seek
wages or leases on good land, whore tools,
stock and wholesome provisions would be
supplied to them. The consequence would
be they could annually improve their condi-
tion and odd to the wealth of tho State.
The repeal' Of the lien law would also have
the effect Of directing our farmors to the
Importance of growing their wheat, corn and
bacon at homo as far as possible. Finding
they could'no longer run to the store and get
these articles at will, they would strive to
make them at home. The cotton orop would
then stand as q surplus to pay taxes, buy
groceries and other necessities. Wo know
our uplands will bring but little corn, and
that generally they should bo planted in cot
ton, but they will grow wheat and oato and
Al