Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-01-21
THE LEGISLATURE.
DEFEAT OF THE CENSUS BILL.
GAbbeyille Medium

|
perpetrated on the State by the defeat of the
| bill to take the census, the friends of Charles
ton are trying to disguise the true issue and
are now saying that localities should be
represented in proportion to property as
we'll as population. It is a lame conclusion
and wholly contrary to true Democracy.
1t is the English idea which promulgates
the doctrine that the rich must rule and
the poor have no rights worthy of respect.
The people should arouse themselves to a
proper appreciation of the Importance OF
the situation. If the wealth, industries ana
manhood of the up-cOuntry are to be doml-
mated by the bondholders, factors and brok-
ers of Charleston, tits time people should
realize it, so as to take steps to prevent any
such an unhappy result. If American liber-
| ty is to be maintained it will not receive its
support from the money kings of the cities
We should jealously watch the least en-
croachment upon the rights of the masses:
"Fair play is jewel" but we have moth
ing of the kind now so far as the compost
ton of the General Assembly is concerned.
The wicked may flourish for time, but
there is a day of reckoning in the near fu-
ture. Charleston may hold on to her extra
representatives for few years but time
will bring about its revenges. Then we
will see if it pays to take an unjust and un,
constitutional advantage of free, patient
and long suffering people.
UNSATISFACTORY LEGISLATION.
[Anderson Intelligencer.]
"Our State is passing through q very crit
ical epoch in its history, and If 1T passes
the crisis without some great convulsion, it
will be because the people chose rather to
bear those ills they haye' than take part in
the convulson which seems to be the natu-
raj result of our present legislation. More
dissatisfaction is expressed with our legls-
lation now than has been heard since 1876.
| Why is this? It's because the government
of the State seems to ignore demands made
for legislation from classes that have right
| to be heard and the legislation of the State
seems to be more in the interest of the few
| than of the many.
DISGUSTED LEGISLATOR.
| Representative B. II. Rice, in Union Times.]
The last legislature did less good and more
mischief than any that has preceded it
Republican ones not excepted. 1t has en-
throned .agrarianism it has ignored the
principles of English liberty and re-estab-
| fished taxation without representation, a
doctrine and practice so abhorent to our
| forefathers that they secuted it from their
presence and sealed it, as they thought,
with everlasting condemnation. Thus it
has remained with only occasional spasms
of vitality, until now.
A STAB AT THE TENANT FARMER.
[Aiken Recorder.
The amendment to the lien law passed at
the last session of the Legislature destroys
the ability of the tenant farmer to raise sup
plies upon the security of his growing crop,
| inasmuch as it vests the landlord with such
privileges that any. merchant making ad.
vances upon lien of the crop would have
| to wait until the landlord has obtained all
that he claims. 1t appears to us that the
| old law had better have been allowed to
remain as it stood, as it has been great
source of relief to thousands of small far
merS.
SOME KIND WORDS AT LAST FOR THE PRI-
ORITY LIEN LAW.
[Walhalla Courier.l
Wenotice large majority of the journals
of the State condemn this Act as oppressive
to the poor and as virtually repeating the
lien law. We are unable to see wherein
the law is so Objectionable. The law, before
it's passage, gave to landlords lien on
the crop of his tenant to the extent of one
third, without writing or recording, or to
larger extent when the contract was written
and recorded. Laborers then had lien
also on the crop for their labor without re-
cording. The present law extends the lien
of the landlord for rents to the amount stip-
ulated to be paid, without recording, and
gives the laborer second lien tor labor
Where he records his contract If the land
lord makes advances to his tenant he does
| it as the merchant now does, by an agree
ment in writing duly indexed. AS to such
advances the oldest lien holds, provided
it be indexed first or within the time
limited by law. Where is the wrong? 1t
is said it offers an opportunity for the land
| lords and tenants to cOnspire to defeat out
side liens for advances. There may be ex-
ceptions, but, as 4 body, we believe our
land owners to be honest and not likely to
claim more as rent than stipulated to be
paid. Were it otherwise, what better op-
| portunity would landlord and tenant want,
| if so disposed, to defraud a merchant than
the old law furnished? They have only TO
claim that the tenant, so-called, is labor
er working on share or shares of the crop.
| When this is done the whole crop belongs
! to the landlord until rent advances and all
claims are paid. Besides, the rule of rent
| ing in this country is 80 we'll known and
| fixed that a merchant would be safe in con-
Guiding that the rent was one-half or one
third of the crop grown. If standing rent
is paid there are very few men who would
refuse to tell merchant the amount to be
paid by his tenant. We think the law is
unobiectionable and saves the tenant some
expense in the filing of liens. 1t certainly
will not injure the merchant, but may ben
eft him in making him more cautious in
advancing supplies before inquiry.
OTHER CRITICISMS.
From the Marlboro Democrat
Charleston is certainly a power in our
legislative body, and principally for the rea-
son that she is represented by statesmen,
men of brains, who are not afraid to assert
her claims, and to speak their opinion on
any subject that arises. The great trouble
with legislation in South Carolina to-day is
lack in the two bodies of more men like
Smythe and Buist of Charleston. The rep
resentatives from all the other counties are
good men, pure and honest enough, but in
most instances they are deficient in general
information, that great essential to inteli-