The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-12-15
F.psisIafiye-.-The Lien Law. &c.


worked great good that time would
co,s.c for It's repeal, but now Is n"t the
tir.c Mr.. Allen, Of Spartanbure.
spoke on the same side, and said it
would be great hardship on the poor
man to repeal the law aud thas de-
prive him Of the only means of credit
be has. Mr.. Wilson, of Newberry,
opposed the repeal If the law were
repealed many poor white meu as we'll
as blacks would be compelled to work
for wages. The merchants would not
be hurt by the repeal Of the law, aud
the farmer would not be benefited.
Landlords would give no b. cter terms
for supplies furnished than merchants
give He thought the effort to repeal
was au effort to build up the landlord
at the expense Of the merchant His
colleague (SIr. Sligh) had said that
the profits of the Newberry merchants
were FROM 90 to 50 per cent. This
was either gross ignorance Or gross
Misrepresentation. lie (Mr s. had
said that the days of the Lien Law
were nun bered. The advocates of the
bill say that if this Legislature do not
repeal the law the people will send
representatives here who will. He
(Mr. w. hoped the people would send
representatives TO til ke care OF their
interests, and if they chose to repeal
the law the responsibility would oe Oh
them. Mr Scarborough was opposed
to the repeal Of the law now on account
OF the short crops. Mr.. Dargau, of
Sumter, was opposed Oh the same
grounds. Mr. Rucker, of Anderson,
favored the repeal because CD by put
ting the farmer in the power of the
merchant to whom be had given a
lien it prevented his getting the beue-
fit Of competition (2J it compelled
the farmer TO raise nearly all cotton to
enable him to pay off the lien; (3)
the law induced many to undertake
the running Of farms who were not
capable Of doing so successfully. Mr..
Murray, Of Anderson, opposed the
repeal. He said that the advocates OF
repeal claimed the law WAS injuriug
the poor people Of the State, and yet
these poor people we're not the ones
asking for repeal. The law has eua
bled many man to work himself into
the possession of home aud land. Mr.
Hemphill, Of Chester. favored repeal
now. to take effect d: future time !;
so did Mr. Werner. Of Ocopee. A1r.
Hotson. Of Hampton, said that SO far
as he could see the only persons who
would be benefited by the repeal were
the lawyers. Mr.. Sigh replied to his
colleague Dir. Wilson, who had
charged him with gaoss ignorance or
misrepresentation lie said that he
(A1r. S. had not confined his remarks
to the merchants of Newbery; nor
had he confined his statement of the
interest charged for advances to any
one year. He intended his remarks
to cover the whole period Of the exist
ence of the law: and he was prepared
to substantiate what he had said Mr..
Rucker stated that if the advocates of
the repeal failed in rcpealiug the law
at once, they would then ofe.' an
amendment that the repealing act
should take effect Oct. /, 1882. 4
vote was then taken on the bill to
repeal the law Immediately, and was
lost by 20 to 81.
A bill to simplify and amend GRIM
inal pleadiDgs, the principal object
being to do away with the long and
tedious method of drawing indictments
and to substitute therefor simpler
forms, was lost il the House Saturday
by a vote of 48 to 26.
Mr.. Johostone, of Newberry, Chair
man Of the Committee On Ways and
Means, reported the appropriation bill
Monday; the total being sG95, 5,G40.5O.
In the Senate Monday the bill to
repeal the Lien Law was Indefinitely
postponed.
Mr.. Devereuz, of Charleston, gave
notice of bill to prevent merchants
charging lienors more than 7 per cent
over the cash price Of the goods sold
on liens
The Geueral Assembly has accepted
an Invitation to visit the Atlanta Ex-
position, and the members will 60 the
Goth instant.
The bill providing for calling
Constitutional Convention is under
consideration, with very little pros
poets Of being passed.
The bill to make the Stock Law
extend over the whole State will pass;
a few Counties, Colleton, Georgetown,
and one or two others in the low
country, will probably be excepted,
with the proviso that they build the
lioe fences.
The election bill passed the Senate