The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-28
THE HOMES rEAD QUESTION.
Governor Evans Makes Il Stron.
Plea for the Women and Chi

Governor Evans Makes Il Strong
Plea for the Women and Chil.
| urGn.
The homestead exemption came up
for consideration, aud Mr.. Slign
| offered an amendment, which provided
| that no waiver, mortgage or other
| lien shall be permitted to defeat the
| exemption in lands after the home
stead has been claimed" This created
| Der OF lawyers TOOK part. President
Evans took the lloor and addressed the
convention as follows:
MIR. President and gentlemen,
| feel deeply Interested in this subject
! FOR the reason that it is tho most i'm
portant question that we have had to
deal with. In all governments, in a
despotism or monarchy, the lands
arc held from tho sovereign; the tile
to all lands i'll Il monarchy comes from
the king, and to perpetuate u mon
archy tho fcudal system of tenure was
adopted 10 perpetuate republic
the underlying principle OF IL republi-
can form of government, the founda-
tlon stone | may say, is the patriotism
of the people. Now patriotism is
sovereign, and the perpetuation Of /.
republican form of government rests
upon thcir patriotism. In South Caro-
lima the peoplc are sovereign, and tho
title to all lands must be traced back
to the State. That being the case,
what is the theory Of homestead. Why
does IL republican form Of government
furnish a homestead to tho citizen ?
Congress passed u homestead act
giving to each man who would settle
upon it l6O acres of land. The country
| was vast plain-a Wilderness and it
was the intention of the government
to attach him to the soil. Our State
gives to the citizen O homestead in
| the seeds OF patriotism. Now, gentle
men, the false theory of those who
oppose this Is this: They hold that
homestead is givcn to u poor man. |
am not going to speak for the poor man.
[ am speaking for the young citizon
who has not reached maturity. | am
speaking for the wife and the mothers
of the citizens, for that principle with
out which patriotism cannot bo en-
gendered upon our soil. Who does
not know that the homeless man-the
husband--the tenant who has be
| raised on place that cannot be call
home has not the love in his heart f.
his country as he who lives under h =
own vine and fig treo. Don't you know
that the man who owns his home is
| the bravest soldier in war ? Don't
you know that hireling will always
| the man who fights for his own home
will fight with tho courage OF the man
| who loves his country
These gentlemen would have yor
bolieve that homestead was intended
| for Il poor man. 1t is not true. If the
homestead was intended for the Door
man why don't you allow tho old buchc-
lor and widower q homestead in his
land
A Voice--A widowcr Is entitled to q
homestead.
Gov. Evans-Yes, if he has anybody
dependent upon him.
Mr.. w. ID. EvansAnd 80 is q bachc-
lOr under the same circumstances.
Gov. Evans Yes, if he has sister
or Il niece or a nephew dependent upon
him. This is for the benefit OF those
whom the State has guaranteed a
home for the purpose of raising
patriots. The supreme court has
practically nullified this constitution
and construed it against its express
words. This constitution says that u
man who is Il head of ~ family sha''
have so much property exempt from
attachment, levy and sale. The
supreme court has decided that the
homestead is for the benefit of a mans
wife and family. Every lawyer will
admit that u man who holds properly
for the benefit of another is q trustee.
Yet the supreme court got around it.
They say "Oh, we'll that's very truo
flo 10 Il trustee for those people, but
the title is in him" That is true.
Yet they say while it is for your
benefit in this case because the Con
stitution does not say that the title
does not change; that for that reason
you cannot rob that man of his right