The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-06


of crops, which is the basis of prosperity.
: was out of the question. He was controlled
by law as inexorable as fate, and failure
of the favored crop from uncomfortable
! events frequently proved disastrous to both
, farmer and merchant. With the time
given in this bill for the repeal of the law,
no disastrous consequences could ensue
And now, said he, let US repeal the law,
and see if the good consequences confident
ly expected will not ensue."
} Mr.. Wilson said: He was in favor of the
bill that the lien law had worked detrimen-
: tally to the farmers and the merchants
that it enabled men without means to car
~ on a large business-and the result in
r almost all such cases was, the man had to
| give up all he had and still be in debt.
That the law furnished an easy credit
| which invariably involved the person in
debt to such an extent that he could moi
pay out.
That the State Grange, the only organiza-
ton of the Agricultural class in the State
had carefully considered the law-and had
declared against it, and in favor of its re-
peal-That the best security we have is that
upon real estate Next to that should be
honor among the citizens. That this law
destroys all distinctions and allows those
without am character for faithfulness in
conn lying ~with Their promises to obtain
credit on equal terms with men of I'M
doubted integrity and honesty.
= Mr.. Boyd said: That as the representa-
tive on this floor of people whose chief
pursuit is agriculture, and a people COM
posed largely of that most useful class
known as small, or homestead farmers, he
would be recreant to his trust, false to con-
stituents, and as he believed to the best ia
terests of the State, if he failed to enter
his p .otest against the proposed cction of
the Senate in repeating section 1859 of the
Code of 1880. If half that had been said
of this section, by Senators who had so ably
acclaimed against it, were rue, then he
would admit that it ought long since to
have been stricken from the statute as an
enemy to her progress and the consequent
| happiness of her citizens. The honorable
Senator from Marshall he'd indeed drawn
gloomy picture of the depressed condition
of the people of that good old county with
her farmers, her merchants, her mechanics.
| her lawyers, her laborers, and her doctors
all busted" ell gone down in the vortex of
| one common ruin, and when the last spoke
of his facile brush has been given to the
picture-turning to the Senate he held the
agricultural lien law up as the producing
cause of ali this trouble. 1.-THE Iliad of all
/ his peoples woes" Another, the Senator
from the 24th District, conceded that the
time was when it served a good purpose,
but commended that il had outlived the day
of its usefulness, had become, so to express
! it, fHRctus otfcio, and hence he argued ought
to be repealed. Other Senators denounce
it as an unmitigated curse to the country.
| If any one of these positions were true, he
would cheerfully strike hands with the
enemies of the law and aid in its repeal.
But he held the agricultural lien law in no
such diS-esteem; he did not regard it as the
monster we have heard it here described
On the contrary, he held that it had been
and still was with emphasis the poor mans
friend, enabling such as use it without
abusing it, to work out for themselves an in
dependence, which, without it they could net
have obtained. He held that the law was
equitable, because while it furnished
basis of credit to the laborer, it equally |
protected the rights of the capitalist who |
made to him the needed advances. In |
order to determine whether he was right or I
whether Senators who differed with him |
were right, it seemed to him that we had /
but to retrospect the history of the States /
progress under the operation of this now
so-well abused law. Success is one of the
surest and safests tests of merit, and meas
ured by this test, surely this law had moth
ing to fear. As stated by the Senator on
his left, Mr.. Luse), this law was enacted
more than decade of years ago, at time
when the business interests of the country
were languishing from the prostration of
war and the lack of capital to develop the
ordinary agricultural resources of the
State. 1t was admitted that at the time of
its enactment it was a necessity Now for
the results. Had it crippled the agricultu-
7 Il and productive energies of the State!
Compare he said, IF you please, the
condition of the country and the amount
of her products ten, twelve or fifteen years
ago, when men with strong arms and willing
hearts had neither money, credit, nor a
basis of credit, with its present prosperous
condition, and then answer me If the law
which you now propose to repeal had no
agency in strengthening the native recuper-
alive powers of the State. Why, sir. under
the influence of its beneficent provisions |
the products of the State have gone on in
creasing from year to year until we not
only astonish the world, but We are actually
a marvel to ourselves. Who at the date of
the enactment of this law could have been :
made to believe the reality of to-day the +.
cotton States nearly all with laws similar /.
10 our own. producing over seven millions
u cotton bales, with food crop ANNUALLY
and every year approximatipg !.
more nearly the full measure of the coun-
rvs wants. Do you ask why all this Ia
answer, that for our own State, it is 2
because, under the lien law, no man with :
strength and viii to work has been 50 poor e
hat he could not pledge the coming fruit n
# his labor and secure the means necessary 4
o enter him in the race for competency {.
md even fortune. Look all over this coun- q
~ and note the vast numbers Of q
men who By the aid of this Law
ave worked their war from nothing mp Is
he point Of successful independence And =
Ct me ask are there not thousands of 9th r.
rs who to-day are equally deserving and
rho equally need the benefits Of this law 2,
Why may we not expect for the future. re- q
alts to individuals and to the State equal g
q satisfactory as IN the past But he q
oticed that some Senators had said that q
e must repeal the law to prevent tbs pro- y
action Of % much cotton, and to force bi
mr. people % take new departure. II bsz n
alt Of diversity Of crops. To this he re- ii
lied that the benefits or the lien law would 81
nable parties the more easily e mako the fof
eslFed departure as all changes from well y,
ettled and fixed customs were attended / ~
nth more or less business skaqnafion. and ! =
inc and capital would be nnaded to bring a
bout snch revelation. Indnstrr and
apltal went togelher hand IN haIsd, and the
lbozer who had neither m0ney, credit. nor %
bass Of credit Vas placed. 30 far 6 fke e.
Eoa1cta Of his labor wers eoncelnei: Al g
q mercy Of bis more Fortunate neirhbor. @
I'D With tie repeal o. this law would Sc -
ut Lil1le removed from tie condition 81 az
e sIa1e. Strike down this lau ana ron q q
d only IMPURE tie vast bosiy q non-Izli,i.
'ldlng iaboEer bur yol strike terfihls Pc
'oN at that most useful class Of sIl 81
nd-oNnsEs. WAC Ntle. ia his opinion. "a ct
g more e b1II1 up and Strengthen de 4li
alesaai Interests q ~ seanttf than an1 al