, 1874-11-16

cratic bill. Upon tho Burfaoo II miRht appoar
fhir enough. especially aa It 1nahcs no tacrimipa-
ton between blacks and nhitos; but a little
study OF Ito provisions will ahow tho animu.
which inapfrcs 1t, and tho rcsults which 1t Ia In.
tended to compass. Although making no
avonea discrimination between whites and
blaoks It IL clearly enough tntondcd to operato
againat tho lattor, aud, the Justices have the
option "a to what parties thsy ahall hire out, the
| b!aclta must bo tho aufforors, and tho whole
weight Of tho Inv must fail upon them. Tho
third section is almply Infamous. Under the OPP
Grafton Of this aoetion, any County Justice can
take .rnan, tho n1omont 10 ia arrested, how
evor potty tho miadomeanor may be, or however
tnnocont hs may 10, deprive him Of tho right OF
bail, which is ono OF Tho fundamental rights In
oyory Northern State, as we'll as in o1enBos
against The United statos. and biro him ont to
hard labor. Lot uH tako an illustration and SEQ
how this aootlon will work a biaok man Ia ar-
reslod for zomo trifllng ofrenso, and tho Justco,
without allowing him bail, Immediately hiros
him out to his former owner until his trial. THAT
oNnor might tust a. vol Own him body and
soul. To all iutents aud purposes. ho docs. The
trial Of hia former slave may bo post-
poned almost indefinitely. Tho 1attor Is not in o
condition to consult lawyers. or prepare hts
dofenao. Ho Is condemned to hard labor although
he may be innocent. It iB oaay enough to nut
OF his trial upon one protoxt and anot1og xor
ho Ia 30 situated that he knowa nothing OF tho
rrnnaa5fpryu fr,1
protest. Or appear In Court personally, or by
proxy. At last, grant that trial ia awarded him,
Ho has no counsel. Ho has had no opportunity
to make a dofenso or summon 8itnossea.
Whether innocent or guilty, bo Is suro
to DO convicted. Il will not require much
elors Ia Texas to impose the extreme
penalty upon negro II acquitted, hia
employer woald hage boon compelled to pay him
the pittanco Of not less than 25 cents
nor moro than 81 por day; but. az ho ia con-
ricted, tho employer gets tho previous labor tor
nothing. and can now make new contract with
tho Justice for his labor during tho term Of his
sentence, which, Of course, Inns boon made as
long as the law will ALLOW, 1t not lougor. Whero-
in docs this differ from African slavery, except
that the employer cannot so1 bis laborer i?
Such bill ID this eau easily ba constructed
to apply to doht, and thus bring tho negro
into bondage aa helpless "a TINT Of tho A1oxi-
can peon, by keeping him In dobt. It ia o
shrewd devlco Of tho ox-slayoholaors to get COM
ponaaton for tbs oHs Of their slaycs, and 1t pro-
vldos ample moaus for doing 80. Tho bill Is so
adroitly drawn that it can DO strotchod to quit
any caao, and tho black victim who geta into its
meshes will be kept there until ho has made eat-
iafactton for his loss by his labor. It is eyen
more atroclous and Infamous than tho Mo1ioan
System Of peonage, Us 1t atrps the negro
Of his Fundamental rights, and he.
innocent or guilty, reduces him to condition
OF servttudo. The Texan 1ustices will never
dare to apply II to white men. It waa made to
apply only to tho black Republicans ana tho
friends Of tho blacks IN that etate, IL, casa tho
bill shouid pnsa. should organize a rouoluto re-
sistance to it, not only upon tho grounds ot hu
tnanity, but upon tho clear rights guaranteed
to every man BY tho Constitution. In whateyer
form the curao Of a}avory may present itself, it
should DO stamped ont at once.