Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-14
STANDS BY HIS GUNS.
Mr.. James 3. Wood Replies to the Com
ments of the Columbia State.

pOllSneQ writer. however, 1 pave lIleu
to do good deal Of observing and
thinking, with the result that l have
not only cotton a pretty good grasp OF
agricultural conditions; but l think l
have learned enough to know that 1t
would be very foolish for me to under
take a controversy on this or any other
subject with q man who makes writing
a profession. But If l am permitted to
have a little assistance In putting my
ideas in proper form, l will undertake
to write for The Enquirer what would
be my reply to the matters emphasized
by the State.
But before 1 begin. let me remark
that l am told that The State did not
reproduce my interview with The En-
quirer. Had 1t done so, would not feel
that l am called upon to say anything
further, for l have already said about
all that 1t seems necessary to say. l
can hardly hope to convince anybody
who is already dead set in their views
on this question: but still, 1 believe /
am right. and also believe that II the
lien law Is repealed there are many
who are now talking that way, who
will live TO regret their present atti-
tude
From the States remarks, I gather
that 1t would put me in the position Of
holding that 1t Is the poor devil OF a
negro who Is just starting under the
lien system, who has raised York coun-
tvs average production Of cotton and
corn per acre to the equal Of that OF
any other county in the Union. 1t
seems to me that paper Of the stand
ing and unquestioned ability Of the
State should have arrived at a more
accurate comprehension Of what l said.
or course. know that the average ne
gro lienOr is a very poor farmer.
know that the land he works deter
iorates rather than improves under
his tillage. That is the situation In
York as we'll elsewhere; but as / see 1t,
this Is but an insignificant feature or
this great question. We have more
land than we can work even under this
system, and If we would abolish this
system, we would have more idle land
thrown out to waste than we have now
But do not let us deceive ourselves In
to thinking that there Is nothing In
this question other than the condition
Of the negro.
When said that our splendid prog
ress in farming is attributable to the
lien law, / had in mind class Of small
farmers, including thousands and OF
which ! am one. l never gave lien In
my life. but still / consider that l am
a product of the lien law, and am not
ashamed to acknowledge the fact Had
1t not been for the lien law, / would
have probably been in the west long
ago, and most of my nearest neighbors
would still be the friends and acquaint-
ances CT my young manhood, also from
old York county. Here Is the reason.
When we started, we had neither land
nor money. There was plenty Of land
for sale; but no cash with which to
buy it. Those Of us who had most am
bition and energy gathered up those
who had less ability to get there on
their own account and used the lien
law as capital with which to get cred
1t from the merchant. Some OF US
came out on top while others fell by
the wayside, and as l see 1t those OF
us who succeeded must give the credit
to the lien law. And as the same con-
ditions still exist today, l cannot see
why we want to break down the bridge
that carried US across safely so that no
more can get along over the same
route. The small farmer Of this section
cannot be justly accused Of race sui
eide, and the Columbia State may rest
assured that there is no lack Of young
men and women now growing up VINO
will pretty soon need homes. Even at
this writing hundreds and hundreds
are working their way up by means OF
the lien law.
Now, we will tell our good friend, the
State, how the lien law has contributed
and Is contributing to good farming.
have already said that the class OF far
mers to which I belong numbers thou
sands. I refer to men who have used
their efforts in the management of la
Dor for which the merchant furnished
part Of the capital. Some forty years
ago, the late Robert Robinson used to
say Of this Filbert country that II
man could live here twelve months
him after that. It was because the
country was SO notoriously poor. Now
will say that there are as many indie
pendent, progressive, home owning far-
mers to the square mile in this neigh
borhood as are to be found in any 9TH
er neighborhood Of equal area In South
Carolina Among them Is one OF the
best farmers I know Of anywhere. He,
with his boys and a wage hand run
three plows. He has two big corn cribs
and he has not seen the back end Of
both Of them at the same time since
they were built ten or twelve years
ago. l do not think he has yet COM
menced on his 1906 corn. Right now he
numbered cotton that he Is holding for
fifteen cents, and enough cash in the
bank to raise his next crop without
selling the cotton. While giving his
undivided attention to his own crop,
this farmer is enabled also to pick up
4 900 pounds Of good middling cotton
as rent from the balance Of his farm.
He has nothing to do with the renters
except to collect the rent. They get
their supplies on liens from the mer-
chant who takes all the risk. l cite
this as illustration Of how the lien law
helps the small farmer who puts YORK
county's cotton and corn production at
such a high average, and If the editor
of the State doubts the accuracy OF my
statement, I invite him to come up to
Fflbert, where l promise to take good
care of him while he Is ascertaining
the facts. Also in behalf Of the Fflbert
Farmers Union, promise him that he
will not have dull time.
With reference to borrowing money
on land at or s per cent l am at
loss to decide whether the States sug-
gestion is intended as information or
advice. OF course, we can borrow mon
ey on land, those of us who have land;
but with the lien law out of the way
what Is the man who has no land TO
borrow on? That Is a question that is
worrying me. When it got to that place
the State quit. l am still hunting for
to let me know what they are
going to for credit after the lien law
is out of the way. / mean a basis of
credit for those who need credit. Those
who don't need credit are able to take
care Of themselves.
Although not in reply to anything,
the State has said, l want to make
clear an idea that was not fully eX-
pressed in my recent interview. AS set
forth in the article from Mr.. Hoyt pub
lished in The Enquirer last Friday,
from the Progressive Farmer and as
no one need try to deny the real and
only reason for the desire to repeal this
law is to control labor" Now the
question is, will it do it? In my inter- |
view, l assumed that if the negroes
should stay here, and labor should be-
come cheaper, that the value of the Ia
Dor Of all us white farmers who try to
do the work Of hands would be cheap
ened in the same pronortion. That l
believe is true. But will the negroes
stay here? l believe that the best of
them, those who are making an inde-
I;,ino 70 arroarc will NOT And