The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-24
AGRICULTURAL LIEN Law.
..Ne Rspealn -RerlaWed- -No. 9

30 kepeal -kssfleMea = =
I closed my last With the assumption
that credit ia the poor mans friend
financially, socially. morally but % be
such, it must be founded on proper
basis-a good name-which is the result
of certain conditions He who would
have a good name financially. must
have pere 8 Jtion TO conceive, judgment TO
plan. caution TO guide, pTompfness,
energy. wiII-in word, force of char
actef. to execute, and conditions posi-
bic for these powers TO overcome and
control. Now what we claim Is that the
Lien Law has produced. and is centin-
ming 10 nroduce O state of uncertainty,
that absolutely pretermits the passibli..
ity of any farmer, however cautious, Of
any merchant, however wise, making
calculations, that he can toorE up 70,
without adding margins that are ritanosts
to those with whom he deals. 1t y as
well to state here that it is the failure
of our people to appreciate this fdet that
is rapidly eliminating in feeling OF
universal distrust and jealousy between
the Iaborer. farmer, producer and mer-
chant. The producer is learning to look
Hpon the merchant as a Shylock when
be sees an average of at least 90 per
cent. difference between q fair cash
price, and credit price; while the n1er-
chant is looking upon the producer Win
distrust, if not contempt, when ne y
unable to meet the demands OF this aD-
normal margin,- with which the uncer.
tainty of the conditions forces him to
hedge about his business. My people
doth not consider" was not more appll-
cable to the conditions when the words
dropped from the pen of IsraePs bard,
than they are as applied to the laborer,
producer, farmer, merchant, U0ter, poll
tician, and especially the legislator,
whose responsibility is to 80 acquaint HIM
sslf with the laws of reciprocity, polIti-I
cal economy and states-craft, so as to en-
able him to adjust credit, on basis that
will warrant commercial confidence on
the closest margin of commercial pre-
MUM. There is no wiser teacher than
history If we will patiently study the
philosophy of the lessons she gives.
As a type of my class, let me give a
chapter Of my own history: In January
1879, carefully took cognizance of the
contents of my corn crib and smoke house,
and planned my business to their con-
tents; making Ioritten contracts, that was
to supply them. April lst, my corn ready
to work, cotton ready to plant my labor
demanded "credit." Three months
supply advanced, the laws Of Mississip-
pi offered me no protection, christian
conscience forbid the only remedy, my
neighbors (9) were anxious to gobbIe up
my hands, it was ruin if | abandoned
the field. / tOdiued my share, and
thereby made myself second tiddler-"no
man can serve two master" s"-to the most
conscientious and upright merchant |
knew. My attention was soon divided
from my business by that scourge,
typhoid fever. The hands refused to
take my meat-wanted fat Northern
bacon" / failed to realise 9 cents on as
good bacon as Mississippi can produce,
while I6 cents was being charged to my
hands, whose share failing, depleted
mine by 25 per cent. and LETT them
naked aAd hungry; and OF course
swindled out of their years work, The
next winter that merchant went to the
WALL" not because he was not prudent,
cautious, economising, hard worker,
who under normal conditions could
''never fail, (if / wrote his name thoqs-
and men in Kinds county would say he
was every way as worthy of success as
any man, but, the exccssiveness, OF his
necessary ''margins" broke down his
natrons, and sent him "to the wall" with
his portfolio full of deeds of trust.
I met sensible negro the other day
said he: lam distressed to death about
my people. They are going all wrong.
In the spring they get credit; think
they are going to get rich; go to work
in the finest of spirits; buy every
thing they can get on a credit; agreeing
to pay two prices for it; at the end
come out behind; honestly think they
have been swindled out of years
work: and that it is right to swindle
lie for. or steal from anybody to get i
back" And if by the "skin of thell
teeth" one comes out ahead and owes
| ANYBODY, whether for something to eat
the doctor, or coffin-maker, the mer
chant corers up what he has over witt
his d. THAT he may get it IN th'
| end" 81 tell you, sir, my people ar
growing ,corse, and most of them pooreI
every day." "How about you, Sam ]!
Il w ell, you seq 1 uOhC lOOASN
thing. Pll be old after while, II
| live, and not able to work. Two year
ago I saw was walking round the ol.
tfead-wheel; still owed about fifty dol
lars on my mule; saw-I had to get ou
ont of the ruts; determined to sell m
mule and work for wages till | coul
get cash to buy with; but by good luc
! found a man that was willing to loa
me s100 at ten per cent; got it, an
! went first to pay off my debt to me
! chant; didn't want it now, that ! ws
! able to pay it; but / paid it; and g
! along on the rest, with short ratioI
dnri1g the year; made good crop, pal
!, hack INV SiI0.O0 and have money lef
: buy entirely for cash and expect to, e'
3 cept may pay part for good lit
Mr.. Editor, Mississippi takes care
I ! one class of her lunatics. She won
: even confine one class of her suicides,
= = infanticides, and yet men who want
= = he considered sensible, assert witho
u blush: s'The lien law will do you
harm if YOU let it alone" Have y.
any patience with suchf | havn't.
nnf true. !. v. ENocHs-
Terry, Oct. 4th, 1888.