Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-17
FRIDAY, JANUARY II, 1908.

action he has continued in the class
best described thus: IAN honest man
Is the noblest work Of God" He has
slaved personally and has ensfaved his
wife and children, to pay what the lazy
negro has failed to pay, while he has
posed as one who don't have to work."
has not worked and Will not work, as
long as he can run a lien" and be like
white man." While the poor, honest
white man has kept his children from
school to maintain his honesty by
working and gathering the crop, the
worthless negro "lienor' has been
sending his children to schools, sup
ported largely by taxes paid by whites
and In part by the very individual, who
has kept his children at home. because
Of his poverty and honesty.
The inevitable consequence of the
system Of cultivating lands under the
lien law, Is constant deterioration,
through unwise or scanty cultivation;
inadequacy Of fertilizers and therefore
yearly decrease in productiveness.
washing away Of the soil and resultant
gullies, evident over the entire country.
The fact Of not owning the land, Is
sufficient to warrant tenants from max
ing them more productive, as each one
desires tn reap for himself the full ben
eft OF his labor and not add to the
ing the land in better condition than
when under his care.
The actuating principle Of the aver
| age lienor is, to get what benefit Is pos
sible from his cultivation, so as to pay
up" the lien and, II possible, leave a
little margin for establishing credit
for next year. AL idea Of improvement
| to the land Is foreign to his thought or
intention. Therefore, the use Of fertil-
L =.
| ty demanded by the merchant with
whom he is trading. Merchants usually
demand that some fertilizers shall be
used to insure, as far as possible, the
payment Of the account.
The iniquities of the lien law, have,
to some extent, in recent years, been
overruled by providence, so that, our
| honest white yeomanry, are becoming
more independent. The higher price OF
cotton during past few years, has re-
suited in the ability of many lienors to
oay out and save something besides.
Some parties who quit farming and
went to our cotton mills" have returned
to their farms. During this period OF
prosperity the brother In black has
shared to larger extent, because his
condition and environment have made
| him able to do with less than our poor
white friends. The evil Of this condi-
| ton Of affairs Is manifest In labor
system, inefficient and absolutely unre-
liable. Our great natural advantage
Of being the cotton raising section OF
the world, has been surrendered, to an
alarming extent to the negroes. I YER
lily believe that, IS per cent Of the cot
| ton raised in this state Is controlled by
negroes. We. see them accommodating
property and buying lands which have
| 'reen the property of whites, driven
therefrom through the rigors Of this
lien law which you advocate with such
| 1uency and fiippancy The heritage OF
the founders Of this country, is passing
into the hands Of aliens. The liberty
which our forefathers fought for Is be-
ing stripped from US and Is gradually
enfolding our former slaves, whose one
great wish is, to see the bottom rail on
top" Should cotton even decline to the
point where 1t Is improbable to raise
| 1t, Gas was the case some years ago)
the entire crop will be under the con-
| troll Of the negro while our white popu-
lation will seek cities and towns to
work in mills and factories. F
l appeal to the farmers Of this coun-
| ty and state to say whether labor under
contract Is not more reliable than Ia
Dor which works under the pernicious
| liberty of the ''lien law" If our credit
|
lateral security, let our land owners
give the security, cultivate, the lands
and do so under a system OF labor
bound by contract, which will enable
the land owner to enforce the perform
ance Of days work for a days pay.
instead Of so many idle negroes being
seen on the street. driving top buggies
and Haunting their finery and furbe-
lows in the face Of our wives and
daughters, supported by the men who
run a lien," we will have supply Of
labor which must work to live and
which can be controlled, because under
contract. --.' ]. NJ. Harden
Guthriesville, s. c., Jan. 1S, '0s.
Mr.. ]. NJ. Harden, %';''
Abbeville, s. c.
Dear Sir:-I agree with you on the
fen law. 1t should be repealed. have
seen the evil results Of 1t. AS a mer-
chant quit II twenty years ago.
| YourN truly,
q. N r. BrattOn