Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-07-07
For tho Advertiser.
Stock Law Interview.
praetlca. Views of W. e. Walton. Fsq.

MEETING ST., June 25, 1881.
QUESTION. Your ideas upon Farm,
ing were very good; now what do you
think about the stock law?
ANSWER. | have told some of my
friends | would write something Oh
the stock law, but have neglected
to 10 so as some people are opposed
to the law, and it seems to worry
them to see'anything written on the
question; but ! have never faile,! to
give my views on any matter touch
ing the public good.
G Do you think it wonld be to cur
interest to have the stock law passed?
A. 1t coald resnit in nothing else
but the interest Of our people, and it
is the best law the country could
Take. if the people would only look
at the advantages of it. and make up
their minds to go into it with
good will. There are some men
whom it would not benefit, but they
would be Just as we'll of with it as
without it.
O. Do you think it pays a man to
raise stock in the country
A. No, sir. This is not a stock
cou4try. Where is the man in this
country who makes his living raising
stock! !! Sir, the people of this coun
try make their living by their farms;
they neglect the stock and you see
but few; and what we have are usu
ally poor. And il surprises no one,
for the stock are expected by the
owner to get living in the woods,
whsre they get only bare subsist
ence. Take the COWS for instance;
how negltc:ed these poor creatures
are Yet milk and butter are great
things to :. poor man, in the way of
living. A cow on small lot with
little attention, is worth two that 60
at large. We do not have many
stock, but We do aot need as many as
We have.
9. Before the war We never hearu
of any one who wanted the stock law;
if we and our iorefathers could live
without it, why can't We now?
A. All Sir, there has been quite
change since the war, and that
change demands that weshould make
change too. Our very changed cir
cumstances demand the change. Be-
fore the war all the farms and stock
were managed and controlled by the
whites, and we did not have many
renters, and our farm fences were
kept in good condition; but you can
see easily the sadness of toe matter
now. Very much OF our lands is
rented and managed by colored peo
pie, little farm here and there, each
man not knowing that he will stay
on the place the next year, and, Of
course, careless whether the fences
ere n-good condition or not, Just 80
he can manage to get through the
year. Well, the fences are left lo-
down, and the stock learn 70 Jump
low fence, and this teaches them to
Jump high one, and the first thing
you know your young oat crop, or
some other crop, il altogether rui'.ed
by the stock. More than that, no
man needs az much land under a
pasture fence as ne would require to
encircle his farm; and as the tire is
at hand when we all have to work,
we ought to study every advantage
to make our work count, and to live
on the cheapest plan. There are
numbers Of rich apots scattered here
and there, some flat place. come turn
in the creek, and many places we
could work that we now cannot, and
we could leave ont also many old
hills that We do work. for these hills
cannot be 80 easily improved as level
land.
@. Would not this law work great
hardship to the men ~ho rent land
and work on shares?
A. fit will.auit any class Of peo.
pie in the world, it is that class. II
has always been mystery to me to
know that they oppose the stock law
The most of them have got no stock
anyway, and if you look or ask to
give every man his dues and Just
rights, | never thought,here was any
justice in compelling po)r, hard
working man to fence up his crop to
keep his wealthy neighbor's herd oi
stock from eating it up. Let eve. y
man take care OF his own stock, and
not require yon to fence ur your field
where you make bread in order to
sllow your neghbors stock to pick
their living where they please. l, is
true a few poor men have some stock,
a,,t +b. lar1 renpiaita for Dasturage