The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-01-12
SHOULD THE LIEN LAM BE
REPEALED!

,nent seems TO be IL Iarcr OF rePea!-
ing the lien law. Will the Leglsias-
ure do it? Nearly every county IN
South Carolina has given voice TO the
idea that the lien law is not for the
peoples interest and that our law
makers should wipe it from the Stat
ute books.
In all agricultural sections credit
seems to be almos! q necessity, and
if the lien law was to be abolished
the question would be, what would
become of that class of farmers who
have nothing but personal property
to offer as security to obtain credit!
We realize the fact that under the
lien law credit is too cheap, and many
a good field hand is spoiled because
he can give lien, and the result IS
he makes nothing for himself nor
does he pay his debts. 1t IS all very
well for men WHO are able to help
themselves to cry out fer the repeal.
of the lien law, and if these men will
only arrange against any probable
suffering among those who must de-
pend on the lien, then we will join
them in the demand. No man IS
forced to give lien unless his fnan-
cial condition demands it, therefore
we see no use to place an obstacle IN
his way. The farmer that can make
his crop without lien is fortunate,
ard he would be foolish to place his
crop in jeopardy. At the same time
we cannot see why be should under
take to place obstacles in the way OF
his less fortunate brother.
In our opinion It is not the hen
law where the trouble lies; it IS the
management of the farmer himself
and if our farmers will devote more
of their energy to raising such things
as they must have, instead Of wasting
their toll upon cotton, they will find
that with the lien law or without It
they will get along much better We
never did believe that our Legislature
can make laws which will affect the
price of produce, nor can It increase
nor decrease the quantity raised. All
these things must be done by the peo-
pie themselves. We would hail the
day when every farmer could obtain
credit upon his honor; that day is
not at hand in this or any other coun-
try. AS with the farmer, so with all
classes. Credit is obtained, not upon
sentiment, but upon the solid basis
of security. The farmer is not alone
in having to furnish security; every
merchant, banker, broker, or any
other class that does business upon
borrowed capital No nan who has
money to loan will part with It upon
an empty promise; he must have
something he can get at in case OF
default in payment, whether the de
fault comes from rascaEty, inability,
death or otherwise.
There was time when everything
man had was good for his debts,
and ne could be jailed for debt. We
do not want to see return of those
days, and in our opinion if our law
makers get to tampering too much
with our credit laws, the tail of the
credit animal will be chopped of by
degrees, until the homestead exemp-
ton is wiped away, and when that is
gone jailing for debt Will follow.
Il the lien law is working hard
ship upon the people, let those who
must give liens say SO and ask for re-
lief. At present the demand for the
repeal comes from those able to get
along without such credit.
There is an idea abroad that if the
lien law was abolished, it would force
a plenty OF labor by making many
who now run farms go into labor
contracts. Ii there was no other rea-
son for being opposed to the repeal
of the law, this would be sufficient;
this country has progressed too far
for US to now go backward. If a law
was passed by which men would be
forced to so into labor contracts, it
would not be lorg before thousands
of poor white men would have to
sign contractsin order to ootain meat
and bread for their families. It is
not necessary to undertake to show
what would follow. Ii oppressed by
the lien law, where would they go for
relief? Certainly not to the ballot
box, because if they have not COM
piled with the law and they cannot
read and write, the ballot box is shut
against them. The trend of legisla-
tion is not in the interest of the poor
man. There seems to be a desire Of