The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-13
DESTRUCTION OF OUR R1aHTs.
Has 1T Comes TO this, that a Man can
Enjoy His Property only by Per.
mission of Meddlesome Neighbors,
and Oficious Health Officers, So
called.


and Oficious Health Officers, So
called.
We ask attention to the law in reference to
drainage which we publish in this paper.
That law may be regarded as q direct infringe
ment upon the guaranteed constitu.
tional rights of the citizen to hold property.
The Car of Russia, we think, could not in
vent or concoct an edict more arbitrary or
unjust The German Companys plan OF ac-
ouiring the lands OF Somoa, and which has
brought about bloodshed, seems not more OPP
pressive or UBIQUITOUS In Its provisions than
particularize. Every sentence from begin
ming to ending Is wrong in principle. oppres-
sive in fact, and violative or the fundamental
tion by "one-thlrd Of the landowners" is in
violation OF the spirit and letter Of the con.
stitution which guarantees equal citizenship
to all. The levying OF the proposed tax on
the landowner by the County Commissioners.
to please their neighbors, is simply contrary
to reason, and common sense. or course q
selfrespecting Court would declare the law
unconstitutional and subversi0e OF the rights
of the citizen 10 hold property. But why sub
of going into Court?
For instance, II the County Commissioners,
with corps OF engineers were TO 60 fooling
along the tortuous route OF HardRLabor creek
at the expense of the landowners and were to
conclude TO ditch that stream, there Is scarce.
ly O landowner along that water-course that
would not be financially ruined. II will be
noticed that there Is no limitations TO the fees
which the County Commissioners may award
to the tavorite man who may claim TO be
An engineer OF little creeks and muddy bot
toms.
tial flood gate to mill dams Isl q sumner. The
| Idea of opening the flood gate OF any mill
dam to uncover and to expose the mud and
decaying vegetable matter, at any time, but
more especially to the heat Of o Summers
sun, to improve the sanitary condition Of the
neigh hborhOod is;worthy only OF Health Com.
mission. The necessity for temporarily open.
! ing a mill dam does not occur except when the
dam needs repairs or when "the boys" wish
| to catch the fish. II the dam Is nuisance
| cut IL down, pay for 1t, and be done with It.
But the doctor who would certify that the
ogsnng Of GoS ea1sd ,S
the health Of the citizens within two miles,
either should be prosecuted In criminal ac-
tion, or else he should be Immediately sent to
the lunatic asylum.
II we had few more drainage laws, by
which our lands may be conflscated, and
wherein idle and mischievous neighbors may
trouble and annoy Us, 1t would be better fol
us, II we turn our bottoms over to them or tc
when man can possess his lands in peace
only by the consent OF "one-third' or h1s
neighbors? II man owns four and three
quarter miles Of both sides Of q creek, and
nelghbor owns hundred yards, by this laW M
|
| to ruin the larger landowner.
| II may not be amiss, In connection With
this, to say q word about ditching bottom
lands, which are wet and subject to overflow
cultivate such lands. II only one crop in ter
is lost the farmer losses ten per cent. OF hit
| time and labor. But when the crops fali Of
are ruined two or three years In succession @ On
where; more than one crop in eight or ten are
lost should be abandoned for the cultivation
Of crops, and should be enclosed for pastures
This class embraces perhaps p & Ionf,nitns OF al
| Where lands are ditched sufficiently to pre-
vent all overflow, they soon cease TO be bot
| tom lands. In o very few years they losi
tive as any other level or fiat lands. There II
something in the overflow OF the land ina
makes it fertile, and without that overflow
| the crops are sure 10. diminish. II the over
flow can be arranged for the winter-al rlgnt
| But oyerflows in the summer Is what Is TO bt
dreaded.
The low fiat lands are always valuable fol
pastures, and the wetter the better. Ditchins
the creek would injure nearly all lands whlct
are enclosed in pastures, and thousands o.
acres of the best grass-produclng lands may
be virtually ruined by drainage.
| The Almighty arranged the course OF onl
lines. for wise and benefcent purposes. I'm
mense quantities Of land Is thus watereo
that would be otherwise dry and nnprohtaolf
and the water Is thus allowed more graoua
descent to its homo in the sea- II the streams
were straightened for any considerable dis
tance the fall would be 80 great that deer
channels would be cut and vast areas OF lano
would be ruined Tor either pastures or for cul-
| tivation. - =,
stances 1t would be well for the Landowners
| IL they would fence their low lands for stock
and cattle, and then lei them alone The
grass crop never fails Mules horses cows sre
ever ready TO gather 1t without cost to the
owner: They do not ask to get on Lon on satqr, -: he
walked up on Monday morning They go 70
work most cheerfully seven days IN the week
each animal being q mere machine for
gathering the grass and converting IT into
flesh. All flesh is grass, and we have enough
grass In Abbevlle county to make all the
flesh that we need. If we can be saved from
the Health Commission, and protected from
"one.third" of our neighbors, while guard;
ed against the "engineers" OF little creeks and
| muddy bottoms, we can utilize our grass, and
the owners of bottom lands can hope to make
living on their farms, and be at peace with
all mankind.