The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-04-19
the CONDITION or FFAIRFIELD,
Is Sho oProspcrlngH--If Not. What Rcmetlic.
Must be Appl1ed:.-Lcttorsf from Farmers
LETTER NUMBER 3,

LETTER NUMBER
DEAE SIR: Your note asking my
views on certain questions, relative TO
the prosperity of the State, reached
mo some time ago. What l may havo
to say on the subject must of necessity
be hastily sketchcd, and therefore,
perhaps, not as neatly dressed as it
should be.
am not, from my point Of obscrva-
tion, prepared to say that there is any
thing like general condition OF pros
pcrity in the country. Still there is a
better feeling. financially, throughout
the country, because OF the increased
yield Of cotton, this though, is mainly
due TO increased use Of chemical fer
tilizcrs, which with, tho lien to make
tho crop, has in large majority of
cases consumed the whole crop and
left no margin, if it has not left the
parties still in debt for either supplies,
fertilizers or rent. There are cxccp-
tions to this general state Of affairs,
and VIC, here and there, find parties,
who not only cntlcuvor to make the
tarms pay by judicious system of
terlilizing and raising all such supplies
rs can be profitNbly be faised ut home,
but have also wisely resolved to use
strict economy, both in the household
and on the farm too. This strict
economy, with intelligent and Judi
clous management on the farm. push
ing every acre up to its maximum
and diversitying the crops, will soon
make ours prosperous and happy
people. l am constrained to attribute
our want OF prosperity chiefly to this
one fact, that the Lien Law Of this
State gives universal system Of cred
it, not based upon financial ability Of
the party applying for credit, nor
upon his honesty and integrity; but
simply and solely upon the right the
law gives the party making advances,
TO enter upon the premises and seize
inc Gro } which is made subject to the
lien. Moreover, the party advancing
universally demands cotton in pay
mcht OF advances, which, in q manner,
forces the licnor to continc and direct
all his energies and resources to the
cultivation Of cotton, and thereby to
neglect the raising of his own sup
plies, to wit, corn, wheat, oats, peas,
potatoes, hay, ETC., etc.
II. rs farmers. we arc even TO be-
come q really prosperous people, we
must, as infimatcd above, have our
granarics at home, and not in States
tar removed from us, for we can raise,
successfully, and much cheaper than
we can buy, food both for man an beast,
(possibly may except bacon.) We
must practice economy in everything
appertaining to The firm, use every
means in our power to secure better
labor, which must be under intelligent
control, and above all abolish the
l1cl l.aw; for really believe it is
the prime SOURCE Of failure in reaching
that condition Of Independence and
prosperity, which we should now be
enjoying from tie large crops and
renuncrativc prices Of the last few
years. This law has completely
bafllrd all attempts at successful farm
ing III this section, as it enables the
most impccunions and incompetent Ia
borcr to pick up calf and get some
one to give him lien, (no hard mat
tcr,) thus enabling him to laugh at the
man who proposes to hire him for
wages, or to control his labor when
hired, thereby freeing the land-holdcr
who could and would successfully cul-
tiratc and improve his farm, to rent f.
to irresponsible and incomp pctcnt la-
borers. l really believe that the hir-
ing OF our present laborcrs for wages
throughout this State (providcd the
Lien Law is continued a blot upon her
statute book) is simply question Of
time, and at no distant day the whole
State will find itsalf in the present
condition OF this section. Indeed such
are the facilities Of securing supplies
under a lien. that all labor ers will
soon demand their thirty acres and a
mule, or the land must lie untitled,
Very respectfully,
S. MCC.
Longtown, March, 1881.