The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-07-19
THE CONTRACT LAW.
Advance System Cause Of Trouble
Every One Now on Same Foot
ing-Repeal the Lien Law.
Mavbinton. $. c.. July lG. 1907.

Maybinton. $. c.. July 1G. 1907.
Col. Aull: I have just read an ar
tic!e ON the labor situation in your
valuable paper. At the beginning
will say that we had the best contract
law that existed, but to the greed Of
some few farmers making advances to
the laborer six months before the be-
ginnin" of the contract, lay BrawleE :
! decision as to the contract law in tins
state at their own doors. In my opin-
i"n Blawley'S decision and the repeal
Of the lien law to follow will put the
labor question light where it ought
to be. As it was, farmer who did
Mt have money to advance the laborer
at lie beginning Of the y'ear. couldn t
hire any; but as it is now, it puts us
all on the same basis, and if every
farmer will not hire his neighbor's
laborer after he knows that he has
begun work, Why RTaw!ey's decision
will not affect him at all.
Bear in mind that the lien law must
be repealed in addition to Brawley's
decision. AS to the lien law, it has
done more to demoralize labor than
any other law in the statute book, IN
ny knowledge and only benefits the
few and robs the many. Do YOU know
:hal t;,ere are supply merchants IN
your city who will buy negro mule,
furnish him feed, fertilizer, buggy,
wagon anl clohteS, all without a cent
# money and d wr:te farrer, owning
his own farm, can't get one-third the
same amount of goods, and why? Be-
cause the supply man is afraid to
charge him fifty per cent, and he can
charge the laborer fifty per cent and
get what he makes when he can't 10
the land owner the same way as the
courts won't sustain him; and then
the supply man is the first man to
Jump on Brawley and the repeal OF
the lien law. Why? Why self inter-
est. The man that. jumps on Braw-
lev's decision the hardest is the very
man that can't employ labor except
bv ad vances and encourages him to
consume his wages by August. of the
year that he is employed for, and
when he comes up and needs more
money. what does that farmer sayY
"You have consumed your wages TOR
this year, but if you will make con-
tract for next year, why I can advance
you what you want
To illustrate as an old adage, the
negro has his hand in the lion S
mouth and he has to pull to get it out.
But Brawley has put all Of cur farm
ers, as to the labor question; on the
same footing. Kill the lien law and
the labor question will be solved, and
every farmer in employing labor, do
unto his neighbor as he would have
him do unto him.
Another addition to the farmer
would be to make the vagrant law
wider and the mayors and mag1s-
trates see that it is enforced. Why
you can go to these towns and find
more loafing in one day among the
laboring class that ought to be at
work than you can find out on the
farm in three months. Why? Because
the vagrant law is too lenient and the
authorities fail to enforce what we
have. Those in possession Of the farms
could manage the labor question If
they would only do it and live by the
Golden Rule.
Another thing will have to come
sooner or later as to this labor ques-
ton. The farmer will have to be paid
high enough prices for the products
of his farm so that he can pay as
much for a days work as the manu-
facturer pays. Bear in mind that we
have two classes Of labor in this state
and we can't have a labor law that
will discriminate and stand the test
of the courts. Therefore, this is why
I claim that prices Of farm labor
and other labor will have to balance
each other. To institute Tillman'
passport system as to labor among the
farmers would assist the labor ques-
ton. too, not to make it law, but a
custom among the employers OF lab
o..
B. S. Hardy.