The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-09-15
Tho Illicit Cotton TIA fife.
LETTER FROM JUDGE MAcKEr.

LETTEN FROpl JODtE MACkEIs
CHESTER, s. O., AuguDt 81, 1876.
Afessrs. Il. M. MckuUen, C. ".
McFadacn, w. Z. Ferguson, Joseph
Nunnery, R. 1. White and Others,
Lands/ord Qrecinrt, Chester county:
GENTLEMEN--I regret thst an
constrained by the pressure Of my
official duties to decline your invita-.
tion to attend meeting Of the oltizeus
of Landsford precinct, to be held on
the Sd proximo, without regard to
race or party, for the purpose Of
concerting some practical measure
to cheok the system of cotton steal-
ing, prevalent in that section. You
arc correct in your theory that the
practice of cotton stealing derives
its chief support from those country
storekeepers who buy cotton At
night. shall, therefore, sanction
any lawful action that you may take
for the suppression or regulation Of
this dangerous midnight traffic,
which is disastrous alike both to
the fair dealing country merchant
and to the planter and all honest
laborers.
Ny observation satisfies mo that
beneath every pile of stolen cotton
in this section there may be found
two active forces, namely The
brain of the white man and the
hand of tho black the former bear
ing the samo relation to the latter
that the steam in the cylinder Of
the engine docs to its driving wheel.
During the past two and q half years
ITO persons have been tried in this
circuit for cotton stealing, Of whom
all but one were colored. Of these,
ninety eight were convicted aud
duly sentenced. Thirteen receivers
of stolen cotton, etc., have also been
tried. These last were all white
men, aud all Of them were convicted
and they paid fines amounting in
the aggregate to nearly ten thou-
sand dollars. The juries who
rendered the verdicts in these
oases were composed about
equally Of white and ,colorod citizens
the colored generally preponderatiug
in numbers. You will perceive,
therefore, that the juries are pre-
pared to do their duty whenever
legal proofs Of guilt are furnished in
the court.
deem it due to our colored popu.
lation and to historic truth to state
that l am convinced, after much
research devoted to the subject, and
embracing many countries, that they
ore less addicted to stealing than any
class of agricultural laborers in the
world who outnumber their employ
crs in the same proportion, and that
when they steal agricultural products
they are impelled immediately by
the want of food for Themselves or
their families.
In proof Of this last statement, l
refer to the fact that Of the ninety
eight persons who were convicted
before me, as stated above, ninety
three received BACON and flour or
meal IN exchange for the stolen cot
ton. This deficiency in tho laborer's
supply of food is due not only to the
fact the ration generally istued to
him is too small for laboring man,
but if he has any childr on too young
to work, no allowance is made for
them in the issue of rations, and as
lie is paid only at long intervals,
where he does not work on shares,
tho children n.ust starve If the
parents do not sometimes steal.
One potent means, therefore, Of
les,eniug the amount of stealing
among the colored farm laborers is to
increase the wages or the ration, and
to contract with laborers having
children under working ago with
reference to supporting such ohildrea
with the necessary food during the
period of the contract. Trusting
that your organized efforts to Ohock
the system Of buying stolen cotton,
which now threatens widespread dis.
aster to the cotton oduoing section,
will bo 40 sagaciousiy and encrgeti.
cally directed as to accomplish the
important end in view, ON, gen.
tlemen, yours respectfully,
| II. !. MAOKrv. Cjrouit Judge