The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-11-20
IS IT BEST TO REPEAL The LIEN LAW

ISDCIl Cl GllS IlCN 1IN 444ts'
suit in affecting q better system
Of credit than we have now, ooI
to our mind the advocates OF the
liew laws repeal, do not strength
en- their cause by baSlnS tnelr
contention on the idea OF forcing
those who will be unable 10 Sc
cura advances on open accounts,
to Work for wages. We would
direct the attention Of those so
contending that we have two ra-
ces living in this country, and
we need not shut our eyes to the
fact that the very race those
contending the repeal Of the lien
law, hope to force into the fields
to labor for wages, are not so
likely to be so forced, as are a
class Of poor whites. The ne
gro who gives a lien now: and has
the reputation of paying up will
be able to get credit without a
lien, while the poor class ofwhltes
as a rule are not regarded the
best Of risks with or without a
lien. In our Judgment this clam
or for the repeal of the lien law
comes largely from the landed
interests and if it succeeds, it will
build up a landed aristocracy as
intolerant as that Of Ireland
where the lands are owned
by the few, and the tenant
class have no show Of ever be-
coming anything else. The great
tendency of the average south
erner is towards landed propri-
etorship, vast landed estates:
that was all very well under the
slave system, but in this day and
time, the competition offers all
manner of inducements to draw
labor from the farms. Therefore
if easy credit is taken away from
the Ilaboring class the wage in
ducement will be so great that
other occupations than farming
will secure the labor, with the
result, that the lands will stand
idle, and become a burden to
their owners.
This clamor for the repeal Of
the lien law is so insistent, that
many who are urging it have not
given the subject the serious
consideration such a change IN
our business system should have,
they look upon one side entirely,
and, that side of the subject is
the one which appeals to the sell
fish interests of the large land
owners alone. There are very
few Of the "small farmer. class
the main-stay of the country,
who have stopped to think of the
possible future consequences of
preventing the labor classes from
getting easy credit.
Let US look into the future,
and reason out this perplexing
question. In response to a, pop
ular demand the legislature re-
peals the lien law. without taking
with it the law which permits a
mortgage Of the growing crops,
in that case no advances would
be made until the seed for that
crop has been planted. and those
who will be able to have their
advances made after the crops
have been planted, will be the
class that have stock and other
personal property to give as Sc
curity, and can get credit any
way; the class who depend on
securing advances with a lien
will be refused unless the land
lord will endorse for the credit.
The landlord cannot afford to let
his lands stand idle. depending
himself, upon his rental income,
must either furnish his tenants
or become security. If he does
the furnishing, security will be
demanded Of him, and if he en-
dorses, security will be demanded;
what then will be the natural
consequences? The landlord to
keep his lands in an income pro-
ducing condition must mortgage
those lands taking the chances
of losing, either through bad
crop year, or the Incidence Of
his tenants. If he must mort
gage his lands to secure advan-
ces for his tenants and from
any cause they do not pay
those lands will be forced upon
the block leaving the landlord
in a far worse condition than he
is now under the present lien
law.
But granting the repeal OF this
much abused law has the effect
of cutting out a lot Of zone OK
farmers" that they will have to
work for wages or starve, "does
it not follow that the demand for
this labor will be so great that
wages will go bounding up to
the point the small farmer can
not reach: Think Of a small far
mer IN this country paying a hand
twenty five dollars a month, as
IS tie rate Of farm wages now in
some parts Of this State where
laoof IS scarce, could he stand it.:
Then think too, the wages being
paid by the other industries Tor
labor, rarely ever Less than one
dollar a day. Can the farmer