The Negro world., 1892-09-03
CAVITY VERSUS MERRIAM.
.IustIce Aralast MronE.

At the session Of the legislature
which closed in April. 1891. there was
introduced bill currently known as
the Mechanics Lien Bill. Hon. Thomas
Canty was its author. This hill simpli-
tied the processes of law by which a
laborer may legally recover amounts
due him as wages from an employer.
The present law, available for such a
purpose was then in vogue. OF this
law, the author of the bill truthfully
said over year ago;
1.-The present law affords great op-
portunities to dishonest men to steal
the labor employed in erecting build
ings. Workmen have 10 settle for what
they can get when they work for such
men, and they generally get from % to
40 cents on the dollar--if they get
anything-whtle the material man gets
80 or 80 ceats on the dollar. The
reason is. that the working mans claim
is always too small to pay the expense
of filing and foreclosing a lien for it.
His claim is generally from $40 to $40.
while it is worth at least from $40 to
$50 to file and foreclose a lien. 1t is
easy to see that his claim is worthless.
while our lien law has always given
the laboring man right, il has never
given him any practical remedy, except
to forclose his lien by bill in equity,
as mortgages are foreclosed; and this
remedy is so slow and expensive that
even mortgages are seldom foreclosed
by it. but are foreclosed by the more
quiet aud simple method of statutory
advertisement.
"To fife and foreclose lien under our
present lien law. requires skillful
attorney, who cannot be employed for
any fee which the laboring man afford
to pay for collecting his small claim,
and as to him the lien law is farce.
Attorneys who have but little sympathy
or regard for the laboring man, who
would charge him the amount of his
three or four weeks wages 10 look at
him, have always assumed to draw lien
laws for laboring men--attorney whose
only practice under the lien law has
been to defeat liens on technicalities
for wealthy clients who employ worth
less contractors.
1.-The remedy under the present lien
law is about the worst that could possi-
bly, be provided. 1t requires that all
the liens on the same structure be fore
closed in one action; and If the build
ing is not completed. and all the lien
claimants brought in. the action must
be delayed until they are. The man
who digs the foundation must file his
lien within 80 days and commence a
suit within six months; then he must
wait until the last finishing touch is put
on every nook and corner in the build
ing, and the last lien claimant brought
In before he can try his action. To
commence such an action on large
building is generally worth several hun
dred dollars. No laboring man can
afford to commence ii"
This argument so convinced all who
heard il of the practical benefit that
could be derived by the working man
from this bill after its passage, il was
adopted by the senate without dis
senting vote, and. in passing the house.
encountered only the opposition Of one
representative--the agent of 81. Paul
money lenders; but when 1t reached
the governors Office, Hon. VIM. X.
Merriam, Republican governor of the
people of Minnesota. president Of q
bank that holds many mortgage on
buildings. chief groom to that mottled
gubernatorial donkey, Knute Nelson.
killed it deader than the proverbial
door-nail.
Why did Governor Merriam stop this
bill from becoming statutory law?
Let the iourneymen mechanics Of
Minnesota repeat this question and re-
iterate it until Merriam. under the lash
Of conscience. gives shameful answer,
or until. with Canty on the supreme
bench and the money ring ouCted from
control OF the state. the rights OF the
people. regardless Of class. shall stand
secure.
BEN HARRISON. THE NEGRO