The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-21
The Lien Law.
OsYKA, Oct. Sd, 1885

Inc Lien Law.
OsYKA, Oct. Sd, 1885.
FnrroR CLAgIoE In your paper Of
sont Goth. in an article headed, "Agri-
rDitnra Lien law" and signed
aConiah. - / note the following pertinent
;,cniry based upon the assumption
b5t his law is to be repealed: when
~ i the case" says 'Copiah,' twill
rot farmers who have heretofore bought
Ia borrowed by means of crops, be
forced to mortgage instead, their land,
tbair houses, horses, mules and wagons%'
Kov tb re can be but one answer TO this
,rastion. and that is, that if the majori
y, of farmers continue to ask credit,
G,d nobody will dispute that they
,onsO then they must continue as here
tofore 10 give security OF some sort; and
The mower to give deeds IN trust and
mortgages on growing crops abolished,
What remains but TO mortgage land,
bouses mules, wagons, etc? The only
nav 10 dodge the issue etfectualiy is TO
sbov, hat merchants and farmers, after
The repeal Of the growing-crop lien law,
wilI be forced, because OF the repeal, TO
cut loose from the secured credit
svstem as it now stands in Mississippi.
Tbave reference Of course to that class
of farmers land fear they are in the
msioritv), who buy their yearly sup
rIies on secured credits. Do those who
want repeal of the growing crop lien
law expect the secured credit system
m die out as a consequence? Or do they |
vainIy imagine that by repeal of this
law the credit system will be killed by |
The blow? Unless they contend that |
come such benefit is TO follow, and prove |
IL their position is untenable. The |
argumept that the law should be re
nesled because il will place the mer
chant and farmer in an Independent |
attitude to each other, and enable the |
farmer TO sell his cotton and other
prodncts in an open market, to better
advantage, as he would not be compelled
then 10 let his merchant have these
nroducts to satisfy his Indebtedness, Is
Himsy and weak; because it assumes
that farmers will then get out of debt,
and ouit giving security for supplies
Farmers must and will have credit, and
If they cannot mortgage one thing to
get it. they will mortgage another. Be
fore the average farmer would suffer for
supplies ne would mortgage his home
stead. ave, his very head, if he could,
and the wife. being involved of neees-
sitv in the husbands trouble, could
very easily be induced to sign away her
homestead right. And in the wind-up,
perpbaps, the family would be minus
home. Can anything be palmer, there
fore. that the evils of the credit system
based on security, cannot be destroyed
or even crippled to any extent by
repeal of the lien law? Would to God
thev couldl Their roots, however, strike
too deep for that More potent circum
stances than the fact that we nave this
law upon the statute book (the benefits
or curses of which you may possibly
avoid, if you try,) conspire to keep up
secured credit system in Mississippi.
That system grew out of the necessities
born of a devastating war. Get rid OF
the necessities, and then the worst
features of the secured credit system
will die q natural death.
But il is contended that this growing
crop lien law is a dangerous temptation
to the farmer, snd a veritable thumb
screw in the merchants hands; that as
long as this law stands, it will be used
To the farmers hurt, as he may, on the
strength of it, buy things he don't need
This argument, however, is of no more
weight than the others, for the reason
that if the farmer should have NEAR
bankering for what he don't need, veal
human nature would be as quick L
mortpage a horse or tract of land as
bale of cotton to be afterwards grown
Don't play with edged tools. If yo'
are afraid Of this lien law let it alone
1t is an innocent thing, as long as yo'
keep your hands off; and there ar
bigger scarecrows of the kind in our LAM
than it. Besides it is not lien b.
simple operation of law upon the far
mer's growing crop, or crop TO o
grown within fifteen months time, :
satisfy the merchants claim. 1t requires
before lien attaches, that the merchan
and farmer, both presumably, with thei
ewes wide open, shall do something
and that something is to first talk tn
matter over, and then to sit down an
deliberately write and sign long winde
document called deed in trust, or
mortgage. 1t gives the sensible farme
as long n time as he needs to refiec
And then to contend that so long ;
this particular law stands, the farmer
at the mercy of the merchant, Is a
surd. Repeal the law, and the farm'
is still at the mercy of the merchan
The Legislative knife, in cutting
this law. cuts only one weak cord los
out of a number of stronger ones, le
uncut. which bind the farmer to
merchant. 1t is in the very nature
things. as they exist in Mississippi
day. that the farmer is in this CONDITION
but the poor, abused lien law is not
blame. 1t cries out to the farmers
Mississippi. in the language OF Macbe
TO Banauo's ghost: "Shake not yo
gory locks at me; i never did it." IL
farmers themselves are in many lnstant
to blame. 1t is not in this law, but
themselves, that they are underiinI
The truth is, that to bad system
farming and management, (for proof
which listen to the complaints ON eve
hand and read the agricultural pap'
of the State), begun after the war d
revolutionized our labor, by freeing I
slaves: when the farmer had nothl
in most instances to go upon put ps
land with the fences down, are we
great measure to attribute his depel
ent condition to-day. In plain parian
he has never been able to "cateh u
And this brings us back to the first
position. that even If you repeal :
particular lien law, others remain
sides, the lawyers III the Leglsiasuie
winter pointed out that simple rep
of the growing crop lieu law would
debar the farmer from giving M
gage upon crops to be grown, nor
Consequent right of the merchant
enforce the same in court OF equ
So what is to be gainedG As
might we say that the Legislature co
prevent drunkenness in Mississippi.
stopping manufacture and sale of Y nl
alone, while gin, brandy, ana wlne, ne.
left to be made and sold dd hos'
Then if it results from this discus
that the growing crop lien law y
the true cause, or even one OF the
causes. of the present state OF nae
affairs with the farming class, Why
per with it? Let it alone, and (un
whisky, and according 70 LuInel
sonl. It srHl let you alone.
C0NsERvATIv