The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-10-23

q lIIs NIIIlEN.
Cotton Grabbing.

Mr.. EDITOR The article of "a
/ Farmer in your last Issue was a timely
I one, and treats OF an evil that Is becoming
TOO common and too serious 70 be longer
overlooked. This evil, which we digili-
! ~ with the above title, should be made
odious, and the grabber, with his con-
iederate, the ''tOafer," par mobile JrGtr9taa
/ consigned, in public esteem. TO that in
fanny which so justly attaches to the ne
fari0us traffic.
1t l. natural that we should use strong
language in dealing with this 81 biect,
we, who are the Suffei ers, for il will
not stop at our cotton houses, but will
rlrify itself a. well into our corn cribs.
our orchards, oar potato patches, indes,,l
anywhere there Is anything TO be grab
bed in this line Of trade; therefore, we
cannot be too severe III our denuncia-
ton Of it.
The right to pursue this traffic in cot
ton is merely a terhnical one, and can
satisfy only the NEST elastic eonsciences.
very few negroes in the county have
the right TO sell seed cotton. The crop
per has none until it is ginnad and di-
vided- The crop of the renter, (and lac
Is very rare) is bound Tor the res.t until
It Is paid. and he who owns the land is
too preud OF his rights, and generally
too respectable TO sneak into town du-
ring fine dead hours of night. with the
results of his honest labor, TO sell to
cotton grahber.
In tact, now who has the right to sell.
ami under the necessity OF seeking "A
buyer, when honest trilie>men Should
be abel? We make these statements
which little inquiry will verify, Ion
he benefit of those who have some
claims to reSpe,tahility, believing theg
viii, when they know the truth, leave
the traffic tO those. who, destitute OF "a
moral sense, gauge their conscience by
the statutes alone.
We were 5Old by a gentleman, that he
saw about 20 acks carried BY the hotel
on mules about day break few morn
ings ago. Mules. sacks AMI cotton. per-
haps all grabbed for the occasion. At
the Court House last Friday morning,
we saw two sable spectators in the
snowy staple who had been nabbed the
night before, with their sacks on thc.r
backs, by the irrepressihle JnO Martin.
who, 10y the way, scents mischief in the
air, knows Il rogue by the cut OF the
eye, and who will yet, with his,efiicient
principal, make their names household
words among the ''cOntraband" cotton
dealers.
The two youthful aspirants for rogues'
hOnors referred to, were taken to the
Jail guard, where their itching for this
unenviahle distinction was very proper
~ and promptly allayed, by vigorous
application of the oil of hickory. We
hope they VIII long retain Il feeling
sense OF the popular appreciation OF
their shady enterprise.
Could not your Corporate authorities
move the strong arm of their indefati-
gable ''eXecutive'' TO deal literally after
tlIis prinlaIive, and impressive manner.
with this class OF spectators wherever
he may meet with them? lie would
make his mark, and perhaps not always
white one, AMI would soon become
terror 10 the knights of the bag.
We did not, sir, intend so long letter;
we only aimed to range Oursrlf by the
sile of "a farmer" in his warfare against
this evil, and we trust Others will hasten
TO fall into ranks. ''ME Too"