The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-16
The Lien LaW-Reasons Why II
should not be Repealed.
v.1nrs January s, ISs

GUgAN4 A1Gk ~ - 81
yArpEs. January s, 1SsL
r,,~opa CrtHroy: noticed commu- :
.;a.t;an Il vour paper from Hon. d. L. {
s,,y,the of our ne;ghboring county, Attala, .
= 1rhirh he offers some good reasons why :,
he Horticultural Lien Law should not De Y
-s,,saIed. and urges the exercise OF good I
.ease and fair dealing on the part OF the |
members Of our uresent Legislature on TINS 1
,resfior and states that he il fully satls- !
IA thst the people Of bis county want the :
l,vr ~ stand a ii Is. | am fully satisfied |
that the sentiments expressed by him hnd !
. hearty Response ia the hearts Of the people
~ Carroll. and that they stand on the
zane platform with the good people OF
4ttala and would consider it great Ca
Iamitv if the Law we're repealed.
II i trne. we have some men IN our
county whose heads are above water, nnah-
cially. and who are able to furnish Ianas,
mules, and supplies to tenants, obtain pay
ing rents, and enjoy the full dement's OF the
infallible protection that i throNn around
then by the Landlords Lien Law,
who oppose it THE Agricultural Lien
Iaw4 and hnrl their envious invee-
tires Al il. calling it "ruinous, oppres-
siye. unjust and vicious and there are
others-and they constitute an important
mart OF the opposition-who, through lndo-
ianca extrayagance and Encouragement,
have fallen victims to il. This class, YER
ifvios the fact that men who fail at bust
meas Of auv kind. even those who are prac-
teal failures at everything they undertake,
ALWAYS attach the blame 10 something else, |
in this case. to the Agricultural Lien Law |
and thus endeavar to shift from themselves
/ the dire responsibilities which justice de-
/ mands they should carry on Their own
shoulders | don't think either OF these
| classes should exercise any influence IN
passing upon this question, because the
former is prompted by hope OF gain, and
the latter moved by malice and revenge.
There is vet another class who oppose II,
no doubt. with honesty OF purpose, think
ing if it were repealed the good oil the
country would be enhanced. This class, by
force Of circumstances, OF superior mental
and physical endownments, have reached
that point in financial concerns, where they
are Independent of the benefits accrulng
from such laws And they either take 1t
for granted that every one else is in their
same good condition, or they have an idea
that such a Law Is a sort of disgrace to a
civilized people, and should be blotted as
a nuisance from the pages OF our cIyll
Code for pride's sake, regardless OF cir
cunstances or results; and / cannot
: refrain from expressing a deep and pro-
, found admiration for that glorious prin-
. cipie thai steals its way into the bosoms OF
q sue patriots, and moves them to be proud
, OF .eir country, and jealous of her honor
. vet | do not think that this pride and
'ralousy, however c0mmendable, should
1aucnce them more than the actual neces-
stiles oil the poor people about them.
l. :. .,f yuh !
desire to invoke, | will not further COM
ment upon what | consider to be the OPP
: position to this law, but will try to offer
some reasons why it should not be repealed:
Ist. The people of our State do not pos
J Scss sufficient capital to buy mules and
farming implements, cultivate and gather
l crop. and consequently are forced to
e invoke the aid of foreign capital. As proof
! Of this, when our various crops are made
e and gathered, and our great cotton crop
4 which is worth annually about two hun
k dred and forty millions of dollars, is mar
e keted. it is mainly absorbed in replacing
Y the borrowed capital used in its produc,
v ton. and the State is left comparatively
bare Of money, and the people as mass
4 helpless as to their ability to carry on this
= their paramount interest, without financial
assistance from some source.
! 81. This necessary capital must be OBJ
: tanned aud distributed among the poorer
= classes OF the laboriug people, and this enc
; cannot be reached, without the aid OF thl
x law or something similar. While cap
e itai seeks investment, it at the sam'
Il time seeks security, and cannot be OBJ
', tanned without It. Then if this law wer,
; repealed this class land l believe i
constitutes 4 majority Of the citizens o
Of The State would have 30 access whateve
lie to capital, for they have nothing to pledg
d eycent their labor and its results which
n are only realized in their crops after the
II are made and harvG sted, and CROWN
d crop, il properly cultivated, is just as niue
b. certainty, and IS just as reliable security
If as any thing else, except the land upo
"a which it grows for never, in the history G
"a our State. has her consecrated soil talie
to resoond to the touch of honest industr
with haryests sufficient to meet the ord
nary wants Of her people, and supply thef
le with the common comforts and necessarle
of life. even under the most untayorabl
circumstances.
Sd. In face OF the fact that the people c
the State cannot conduct their agriculture
oil interests without the aid Of borrowed cap
es tai. another reason is presented why tn
law should remain as ii il. II they coul
: ! not pledge their crops as a OASIS IoF CIeul
u it would inevitably involve the real an
v personal property Of those who are $
n tortunate as t. have either or both to sui
lI pjy this capital, and that would certaInl
~ he no irnprovement so far as the Interest
~ Of the people are concerned, for of all tn
10 evils that can beia!l people, there al
- none so great 80 that which places thel
= lands and personal property in the hand
" Of. or under the control OF capitalists.
70 In conclusion, in order to more fully IN
Is preas this main argument against, the r
~ peal Of this law upon the minds OF tn
!! people, and make them think about 1t,
Il ask the following questioa, which ha'
already answered: How il the aeeessar
~ capital TO carry on onr agricultural iHte
= ests to be obtained, ii the absence OF tn
- law?
y ask the people Of Mississippi to arsw'
"e this question? ] invoke the members
the present Legislature to careful consit
81 Grafton Of II, ani ask them not to repe'
=; ~ this law until they have reached sati
- factory solution. that they may not, b
:. hasiy or impulsiye action, precipitate
- majority OF their constituency into Il
vortex Of ruin aud utter helplessness.
u ST.RScRIBFR