The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-08-11
The Lien Law---RspcaI Il, or Favor
the Exodus of the Colored Man

war the farmers OF Mississippi haa hothiEg
and they knew nothing but their trade 1
vas necessary TO operate their farms o
starve. The Lien law, which Is move
process, invented by our Legislature. to en-
able a man To realize upon something which
he does not possess, WAS apparently the onI.
means of getting over the difficulty ane
setting things 10 work. | will admit =
first, it answered good purpose but iik'
y dose OF medicine prescribed for certain
object. that object accomplished the further
use of The medicine. 50 far from being bene
fetal, is positively Injurious; ami seen
only 10 enfeeo.e, deblitate and finally de
stroy the l,atiel.t will endeavor u show tha
the continued operation of this law, has
impoverished the many, and enriched a
+ few; aud that it has done more to prevent
+ return OF prosperity to our State than all
else combined. Understand, l speak in gen
erai Terms, and with reference to the effect
OF the law in Kinds county especially.
f There may be, no doubt are, many exceP
( tions but the facts l will proceed TO state
are facts It ) well known that the credit
prices charged To- supplies furnished under
Il crop lien, are enormous; in many in
stances 100 per cent. on the cash price, and
rs credit for the farmer is impossible, except
on len, and having given the lien to A,
it is absolutely impossible with 3. c. or d
The farmer has, therefore. To consent 70 the
extortion or do tcithout the supplies. Now
the supply business begins in March, and
4
brought in. The farmer pays, therefore, loo
per cent. for the means Of making a crop
for five months, or 20 per cent. Il month for
the use of money (or lis equivalent. supplies
and facilities for making and gathering his
cotton.) Put it in another form his cot
ton is paid for in advanee-before it is made,
in fact; take ten cents rs the average price
and estimate as above, and it will be seen
that he has sold his cotton at about cents
pound, whereas il cost ID cents TO raise it
and put it in market. 1t requires no argu-
ment to convince one, that raising cotton
under such circumstances is ruinous to the
land owner, or renter, and it is only mat
ter of time, when he will be literally 1ciDed
ont, as thousands have already been mean-
time the soil is exhausted; these corunorants
taking cotton seed and all, returning nothing
(Which Is another name for mortgage) j.
literally, as the word means, in the death
grip! kn0to that he is almost prohibited
from planting corn, or any other kind of
supply food, because the planting of SO
much cotton is the sine qua non to getting
credit. II he does raise corn, meat or POI
tatoes, they are As much bound for the debt
as the cotton and do not pay SO well. He
mast plant cotton all cotton or get no sup
nd haa Fv,fn ali
therefore he has no chance ofever becoming
independent of his supply man by provid
ing tor next year.
When man with capital can dispose of
it at 20 per cent. month, with a movable
security, convertible into gold, instantly,
and without canvassing, is it likely that
he can be induced TO lend it al legal interest
on any other security? Real estate for in
stance? Not at all. Experience has dem /
onstrated that so far from its being profita-
BILE tn own plantations, hereabout at least,
1t IS absolutely ratinous and no one wants
to lend money on land, for fear of having +.
to take the ioHd. Is it not very clear that 1
farming. then, under the present system, is I
serving to depreciate land, and every kind |
of real estate? Both as investment and Sc
curity? Take away the possibility of a |
cotton security Capital must seek invest
ment) what is the next best ? Real estate
It's value would then advance and of course
the ad vdtoram tax would demand it, The
State requires so much money to operate its
machinery. That much must be raised on
the property in the State. 1t seems to me.
that if the value of taxable property in the
State should double itself, half the present
assessment of taxes would be sufficient to
raise the amount Of money required by the
State.
But the most serious phase of the cues
tn 10 MI Z
VIII be called upon in the future, to solve
the problem, IS, under the present system
OF farming to--wlt: lalslHg at cation, gu a
llenl az about d cents pound, paid for in
advance, in meat aud meal, the farmer, aud
especially the colored farmer, Is as poor as
ne was fifteen years ago. 1t is impossible for
him to accumulate property, or to provide
for his cid age, or his family; aud it is only
a matter of time, and short time too. when .
the entire negro element (the farmers / {
nean,) Will become so many p1upers for the
State to take care of A colored farmer |
say at sixty, can earn support. In ten or I
lfteen years more, what will become Of /
AIM l say therefore, repeal this law: :
give the coiored farmer a chance to make G
something over and above his meat and meal t
or hVe months, or if no other means can be h
procured. let the Legislature pass an an ,
3TofzsaFEaG Ia eHatle him to emiqrate en- ,anss>
% Kansas, or elsewhere The presence of
he negro labor in the State-thev can and o
10 work for a pittance, and live in huts Y
md go naked nearly-dopktieSs prevents the b
immigration of white families white men a
'annot and will not live as they do, and y
work as they do. Remove this obstacle Il
md 10 my, Judgment in short time, the Y
ands which are now vacant, and dirt cheap
would be bought and settled upon by white
people, who would do something beside try
o raise cotton, say, diversity their cron. I
Engage in fruit culture, stock-raising. facto, I
les, etc. We see that those farmers who o
ire independent of the meat and meal man r
md who do diversity their crops. are the |
MY farmers In the country who are doing
veil, except stock-raisers.
1t is answered to the foreqoing nronosi- !
ions, = Is the negroes fault he remains ;
'oor. That may be, and no doubt is. part y
y true; but 1T does not alter the fact nor I
Viii 1t prevent him, in course of time he q
oming burden to our State. 1t il said II
the negro is the oa,y iabOFer At for the ',
otton held and we cannot do without him. ~
hEt may be true. | have been endeavor-
ng TO show that we should raise cotton on !,
different plan, or not at all and that our u
eople should raise something else beside cot W
On, unless they expect always to be poor 81
nd IN the power of others. [ will admit u
hat, with the departure of the negroes la I
or would be deFauged for a while but in v
me, there WOULD De more healthy condi- -
ION of things. The surgeon recognizes a Is
amor say, on the neck. The tendency of y
lat tumor is to ultimately destroy life. c
n operation is painful. and is attended n'
18th danger, and will keep the patient in %
ed greatly to his inconvenience, perhaps M
ear but his life will have been prolonged, Y
nd his health and happiness greatly i'm
roYed, ] repeat therefore, assist the negro 70
teave the State, or change, radically change 80
he system of agriculture and give him a >,
nance as well as the white farmer. l am - -
equently asked by strangers, What il the ~
after with MissisSirpi; ne aear nothing %,
hare times eiseWhereT p The answer is, -,
e raise nothing to briag money into the com =,
y. Where are the forty thousand bales of D.
'tton raised in Kinds do you not call ~ ~
lat CROP Certainly, a big crop, and it n
presents tw0 million Of dollars; but it ia -
It sold and its equivalent in money turned a an
ose amongst u.s. it Is paid for in advance sei