The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-12-21
lien LAM. OR REM LAW.

We are constantly being asked II
1.-The Legislature will repeal the lien
law" This is a question hard TO an
swer for the reason that it IS dl1flcult
TO see how toe repeating of the law
can benefit those who are clamorlnS
for it's repeal. The landlord has such
an advantage over the man who fur
nishes supplies, that we have come to
the conclusion the lien law sas been
cboked to death, because very few
merchants will feel like risking tbelr
money and credit under existing con-
ditions.
The lien law, like every other law,
is taken advantage of, but who will
denv that the law has done good.
Many a man for years past has sup
ported himself and family by the
lien, and had it not been for 1t he
would have been forced into con-
ditio1. equal to slavery.
The complaint of the lien law IS the
exocbitant prices charged by the
merchants. Will those complaining
stop and think Of how few Iner-
chants succeed in the lien business?
Take the financial crashes, the mer-
camille failures and see if they are
not in majority Of cases among
those who have furnished supplies
on liens and have failed to collect.
Then why make the complaint
against the merchant? Very recently
we heard a man abusing the lien sys-
TEN and certain merchant who had
furnished him supplies; the fellow
said the merchant had charged him
two prices for his goods, and there
ought to be a law against such ex-
tortion. Naturally we thought the
fellow had, by straining every means
at his command, succeeded IN pay
ING out, but was left with nothing to
buy his winter supplies. On the
same day we heard the merchant
who had been abused say, that the
fellow had not paid him one cent,
and gave as an excuse that his rent
took all he made" So here is case,
which is one in many, where the
merchant and the lien system were
being abused when neither had re-
ceived even part of their just dues.
No. it is not the lien law that is to
blame with the honest man; many
such fail to pay their liens, it is true,
but one Of the greatest stumbling
blocks in their way is the eXtorclon-
ate rents charged by the landlords
who take advantage of the law max
ing their claim preferable, and there
by often prevent man with honest
intentions from paying for that which
sustained him, to make the crop. In
our judgment, although the idea is
not popular, it would be more just
and it would prove of greater benefit
to the people generally-landlord,
merchant and tenant, for the Legisla-
ture to let the lien law jog along on
its stumpy road, and some attention
be given to remedy the law now on
the statute books which, If it remains
as it is, will be bar against many a
poor honest man getting credit, be-
cause he is so unfortunate as to not
have been blessed with lands that he
can mortgage.
There are some landlords who see
that change must come, but there
are others who will not see, and these
will learn when it is too late. II a
tenant cannot obtain supplies, he
cannot farm and make crop to pay
rent, and if merchant will not fur
nish him, the landlord will have to,or
his lands will lay idle. 1t is easily
seen that idle lands cannot bring a
revenue for taxes and other things.
# the landlord furnishes the tenant,
he must be financially well fixed or
give a mortgage of his lands to oobtain
credit: business men must be secured
to get credit themselves; then if
crop failure comes the mortgaged
lands must he brought in to meet the
deficiency, and the result is ruin.
We therefore think it would be the
part Of wisdom for the landlords and
the tenants and the merchants to
have the protecting arm Of the law
to be fairly and eQuitably thrown
around them, that all interests might
be properly protected.