The Hickman courier., 1872-02-10
For the Hickman Courier
HER. CORBETT;S BILL.
To Regulate Labor "OuI'' of the


The writer has carefully read the bill
introduced into the House by Mr.. Cor
bett of Ballard We cannot describe it
better than by say ng, at is like seive
that runs the water through one lrdy
ing in favor of the laborerj enabling
irresponsible, irascible men, that the
devil couldn't please, to tyranlze over
their hired hands, abuse them as much
as they choose, and pay when they
please; the poor devil is obliged to stay
until his term Is out. 1t Is In fact
/ bin to introduce and establish 'white
slavery" in the State. Making man
who contracts to cultivate the soil a
slave cor adseript Of the soil, for the
time he contracts, and no man dure to
interfere And what is worse than all
the employer is a witness for himself
Just as man who Kills a sheep-killine
dog is a witness in his own defense. Is
the laborer dog that he should be
put on the same level with him in our
courts Of law? Why not not give him
some protection Why not make him
competent Witness and give him
some chance to state why he left his
master. [ say master" for this bill
makes every man that hires a laborer
his master" for the time being. The
/ COURIER wishes to excuse the mechanic
/ Is a mechanic or a clerk any better than
/ a ploughman or i rail maker?
/ The writer has been hiring hands for
/ twelve years to work on a farm, and
should know what he Is talking about.
What Mr.. Corbett's bill proposes to
remedy is a grievance" which needs q
remedy. 1t is useless to talk about in
Producing Foreign labor" into the State,
until it is remedied This bill makes
the laborer a ''serf;" his employer may
abuse him as much as he pleases, he may
knolc that his employer is an irrespon-
sble man aud he will not get his wages,
vet he must stay or flee from the State.
As irresponsible men will always offer
the highest 1C0geS, this bill operates
against every honest farmer who expects
4 to pay his hands He cannot compete
with them. 4 stranger coming into the
State is snatched up and taken in by
one of these sharpers, and the law binds
him. His ouly remedy is TO leave the
State. Why not allow the laborer 10
swear he was not "entIced away A
farmer may hire a man and another farm
er may call on him aud say, 4 hired
this man, and will sue you ii you do not
discharge him Immediately, the law
makes me witness aud does not allow
hin. to be one Now in the name OF
common sense and good judgment, how
am | to kn0tc that man has not con
tracted with some farmer five miles of
Instead of securing labor to me, it puts
me at the mercy of any fellow who
chooses to disturb me.
This bill makes a responsible man re
sponsible for the contracts of any fellow
that comes strolling along the highway
Another fellow may come along next day
and sue you for hiring him, when yol
never saw either of them a week before
Let the bill be so amended that tn,
laborer shall have q chance to swear i1hl
he left his employer, and that he was no
"entieed" away And give him labor
er's leiu on the crop" he makes for hi
years work or any work he may do OF
the farm.
In this shape the bill might become
, law, and 90 into practical operation. /
II worked well II would stand on It's owl
merits; if badly the next Legislator,
could repeal it. At any rate it would b'
we'll enough to try it. 1t will be a bur
den to no honest man, and there are
plenty of grand rascals, both farmer
and laborers that need binding.
A FARMER.