The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-28
Fos THE CLAmos.l
The Lien Law.


chief merit of which seems to be that it
has so impoverished landlord and tenant
that neither can live without il. 1t is
wondrous, that one who thrusts himself
forward as a leader, should so earnestly
deprecate an aggregation of lands into
the, hands of the few, and with the same
stroke of pen, affect ignorance that
larger landed estates are being piled up
all over this fair State than have ever
been known in even this fair western
world outside Of Railroad Grabs, under
Radical misrule. Aye, estates that vie
with the Kedive of Egypt, whose crop
affects the markets of the world. Look
to it, says "Copiah," in the midst of
two as ''assertive" full column articles
as one would find in a quarters news
paper reading. "Let US have Arguments
and Reasons" The abstract Inetaphysi-
cal methods of Carlyle whose ironical
nature prompted him merely by most
abstruce methods to dig about error
and dimly expose its roots that he
might laugh at you while you sorted
the precious germs, or of Macauley who
could find virtue in Machiayelli, will
do very well for Quarterly Reviews, or
for those who would aspire to distinc-
ton through channels of lOgamachy,
but ! and you, Mr. Editor, prefer the
simpler methods of the appeal of history,
the stern logic of facts. BY their fruits
shall you know them. Surely no worse
fruits could be borne than for man of
"Copiah's" intelligence to be found
syseering at confidence and honor" as
basis of credit Impugning the honesty
of the motives OF the farmers who
differed with him in opinion in his
opening broad-side, we thought was
enough-now comes this Confidence"
sneer, coupled with the assertion that
"most Of the farmers" are so ignorant as
not to distinguish bewteen this Lien
Law and old Teudal laws existing since
Anglo-Saxon civilization had its origin,
Confidence" etc. Does "Copiah" not
know that all true credit is founded on
"confdence-(in the debtors ability to
control his resources, wisdom to plan his
business, energy to execute his plans, }
and honor" to meet his promises. The
United States is the second largest
debtor in the world, yet its credit is
based solely upon Confidence and
Honor" There is not supply mer-
chant in Copiah county but has his
"giltedged' debtors to whom he sells
on credit at much lower prices than
his deedtrustees. Is this assertion? If
Copiah is ignorant of it, he is the only
man in his county. In fact, the Lien
Law does not give credit in any ethical
sense of the word. 1t is a spurious,
purchased article and here is its gravest
power to iniure. 1t costs too much,
and the hackneyed assertion that it does
you no harm if you let it alone Is sim
ply gush. The sophistry of the whisky
man-you can't let it alone-the mer-
chant and producer are too closely con-
nected for him to babitually lose and
the latter not suffer--go to any mer-
chant, examine his ledger, the hecatomes
of bills to account of "profit and loss,
and still he does not break, who fur.
nishes the cash to checkmate this waste
His paying pdtronsi Is this assertion
or a legitimate deduction. Nerlest
twadd!e is this talk about merchants
taking the risk on the tenants mortgage
not ten per cent. of the supplying an tht
| hill country is done without the land
| lords ''waUer." What prudent farmer
can feel confidence" in his own ability
to meet any claim when he sees meat
| that is sold on a legitimate credH at {
cents and brown shirting or calico at
cents, sold to men against whom his
rents or share is "waved," charged ur
the year round at 12A cents. Is this
"assertion?" If it is to "Copiah, we
repeat, he is the only man in his county
| ignorant of it. All, but says the rlyel
man, we don't "wave, no indeed. 1Ot
sell to the merchant at from 10 to Y
per cent. the trade of your tenants. Caf
a country be prosperous and It's farmer'
buy their corn and meat and pay oU u
rs per cent. TO the middle MANI I'M
is trying to do it, the Legitimate produc
of the Lien Law. But, says "Coplah,
the law protects the debtor where NOR
than is "just and customary is charged
Who are the witnesses as to what is just
etc.? Who are as competent witnesse
as the men who deal in these thing
and who feel that they have been forces
to the same apparent extortion by th
uncertainties of collections. Their ledger
demonstrate it, hence this is equal
gush. But these wonderful philanthro
pists, throw up their hands in hol
horror at the starvation that threaten
the poor. For once we assert" tina
any man, black or white, who has il
spired sufficient confidence" in hi
energy, Judgment and "honor" to enabl
him to ''get merchant" now without
"waver'' of the landlord, has enoug
credit to answer his needs. Anglo-Saxo
statesmen have always recognized thei
responsibility to secure credit to tn
, acorthy but have studiously avoided Ell
couraging laziness and dishonesty, pc
centra. No statute has ever been write
| in English more promotive of downrigf
dishonesty, and corrupting to societ
than this, s'Assertion?" "Copiah"
, too good an American not to know ths
the tendencies of man is to corruptlo
} and that "Money is the root of evil
| This law gives to the merchant the ol
( portunity not only to supplant all otht
, claims. whether of doctor, preacher {
5 undertaken, but failing by encouragin
D textravagance to absorb the entire erol
. of covering it up, condoning and e.
couraging rascality and fraud, an
Q cheating honest creditors. Does "Copiat
3 not know that this is done not seldom
. IL he does not, / pity his ignoranc
| Admit. if you choose that the repeal
!. Of this law would dispense the share sy
q tenn and reduce wages to six dollars
n get ten dollars, the laborer, the prese
s Tenant comes out in the end much bett
: than the merchant lets the average o.
r now. What friend "Coplah mas D
, come all at once of the poor" to becon
9 his champion against the only mi
y whose interest it is that the tenant sh'
$ be selfsustaining, have his own mu
/ wagon, corn, hog, COW and credat, mol
r spurious purchased article, but
n based on confidence and honor con
Ii dence in his energy, judgment, abill
r and honesty Then would his tenal
Q feeling that his independence, his me
% and bread, his credit hinged upon The
g qualities. 90 to work on the first OF ia
q nary and not wait as now till the lst
'r March for acredit to OPEN" then wor
70 he save his fodder, hay, potatoes, cott.
d seed. corn, etc, instead OF as now letti
le ali these and a hundred other things
'n the way of indifference; the landie
ID would receive his rents, the merch;
" his nav at per cent. founded on a
81 basis. And the thriftnessY lie wo'
r have to .sroot hog or die" but whlie
mt rooted he would see that there
es better things for him if he would o
IN -, nm and nassess them. There would
d. rsward in merit. But this is L
ne enough. If some one else does no.
er will answer Copiah's categorical q
re ton ere long. In the mean time | " "
ea TO record here, that / have no aec'
On lions to make against the mercn,
y. He He i as fair dealing as the difilcui
ne ne and temptations will permit hum 60 !,
no n i the lar that forces each OF Y
ne mon him. He is heaping up to MIN