The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-01-22
The FIG ht on the Struggling Poor.

The Legislator who deliberately votes
to repeal the lien law, we think will have his
eptsph written for him on his political tomb,
or at least this editor believes that fate awaits
any man who would willingly destroys the
credit OF the poor man. This country was
never 80 prosperous Ns 1t is now, and there
never was q time when 80 many farmers
" ere In as good inaneial condition as they
are now, but the Good Book says that We will
always have the poor with us.
Ifa man need not give security for his
debts, he need not bother about the lien law.
It will not bother him.
Don't you think II oruel*to take from a
poor man the only security he can offerf
BY what right would representative OF
the whole people assume to Legislate for the
rich while depressing the poor2
Let honest aud fair thinking men Of what.
ever condition financially enter protest
against a mean eff ,rt 10 enslave their poor
neighbor.
Does an effort to destroy the poor mans
credit deserve the respect OF any body, who
does not ex2es. - p.b1t By the
ensIavement OF his neighbors7 We make no
pretense at answer. II you think the act
right you are entitled 10 yonr opinion.
Any idea that the merchants who have fur
nished liens in the past, have become money
kings is knocked. Into cooked hat when
you look around our public sqaare. With
the fewest exceptions their estates and their
Iabors have gone TO naught.
or the scores OF firms who entered the lien
business within the last years OF business
struggle, az far az we can now recall. only
three failed to land on,he rocks The estates
OF the others vanished into thin air, and their
own creditors made nothing by their failure
II has been boasted that this country is the
land of the free and the home OF the brave
Does It lie in the boots OF our legislators To
destroy the credit of the poor man, whereby
holm ust strive 10 avoid becoming q abopdsman?
Do our Legislators desire 10 reduce thtir
impeounious neighbors TO the position Of
serfs? II 30 we venture to assert that the peo-
pie will resent the insult, and at the. next
election they will vote for better Legislators
It is now proposed to enact a Labor co n
tract" law, whereby the laborer may be as
nearly en- forced to q condition ofservitude as
the United States Courts may consent to.
And II may be safely predicted that the
best class Of labor will not willingly become
the servants of"sorry gentlemen"
Does any Legislator expect men who have
kindred that need the credit. which the lien
law gives, TO support him in his attack upon
the liberty, the integrity. and the honesty Of
kinsmen who are just as good, though not as
rich, as the legislator who would pander to
the rich neighbor at the expense OF the poor
mans credit?
Would any legislator tell an old Confede-
rate soldier that.he cannot give lien on biz
cropf Some old soldiers are able to take
care Of themselves: some need the benefit oi
the lien law, and some need pensions. Will
the Legislator deny to one the right to make
a living for himself, or would he deny bis
right to q pension7 In such cruel propo.
sition where is the sympathetic nature that
makes all the world akin, or touches and
moves the great and tender human heart?