119 Ga. 959 | Ga. | 1904
As we have reached the conclusion that all planters are entitled to' the protection of this law in all cash sales of cotton made by them, it becomes necessary to determine who is a planter within the meaning of the act. In Roberts v. Railway, 75 Ga. 227, Mr. Chief Justice Jackson, in discussing this act, defined planters to be “those who plant something in the ground, or sow something therein, which produces fruit or increase from this planting and growing from the soil, such as cotton, corn, or rice.” It is claimed that this language restricts the definition of planters to those who are themselves actually engaged in the cultivation of the soil; but we do not think the learned Chief Justice intended the words he used to have this narrow and restricted meaning. “Planter” is defined, by the Standard Dictionary, to be “ one who plants; an owner of a plantation.” By Webster, as “ one who owns or cultivates a plantation.” By the Century Dictionary, as “ one who owns a plantation.’ From these definitions we think the true meaning to be given to the word planter as used in the act is one Who is engaged in the business of producing crops from the soil; ' and it is immaterial whether he sows and reaps with his own hand, with the hand of a tenant, the hand of a cropper, or the hand of a hired laborer. Under this view of the law, all of the parties above referred to were planters. All belong to one of the classes protected by the law under consideration; and belonging to these classes, they had a right to avail themselves of the protection afforded, not only as to sales of the crops made by them, but as to sales of any cotton which they owned.
Judgment affirmed.