National Republican., 1877-11-17
An Upright Judge-Hls Idea of "Controlied
Labor"

WIN " ouhtge to tne Rrunu jury by suuBe
Thompson II. Cooke. After the usual general
instructions upon their duty, the Judge called
the attention of the grand jury to tho fact that
there were many idle negroes In the county
and urged the application of the old ante-bel-
lum vagrant law which hesaid was still upon
the statute books In slavery times II was de-
signed for free negroes and wandering Yankees
II can be used for the same purpose again.
The rulers of South Carolina have deter
mined to control labor" The negro who will
| not work must be made TO work, and work for
us at our own price. For years there has been
| trouble In the rice fields Strikes have inter
| fcrcd with profits and at last almost suspend
ed the culture Of that staple On this coast.
Under Radical rule such insuborlination of Ia
borcrs was difficult to deal with but now that
we have home rule" there is hope for return
| of prosperity to rice planters Tho planters
combination can bo revived, and the coast can
share with Edgefeld and Laurens In the
BENEFITS OF "LARoR REFORM"
Taking advantage of the present large sup
| ply of labor the rice. planters Unexplained for
next years operations. That which failed un.
der Chamberlain will be successfully carried
out under Hampton. All labor must he by
contract for year; no land is to he sold or
rented no rations to be issued wages to be
| fixed at forty cents per day for tho full hand
for four days in the week, the other two days
to go for rent Of cabin; payments to be made
on tickets, redecmahlc in 1880 in money, but
In goods ut the planters store at sight; vio-
laton Of contract by the laborer to be made n
misdemeanor, subjccting him to n summary
proceeding before u trial justice. the penalty
on conviction as vagnnt being thirty or
more days hard labor. under the assignment of
the justice; no agricultural products to bo
purchased from negroes, and no negro to be
employed without q certificate Of good charac-
ter from his former employer. Any negro un-
willing to submit to these conditions, found
upon the land of another, or upon the public
highway, to be judged to be a vagrsnt and
punished as above.
1t Is such system Of
CONTROLLED LABOR
which Judge Cooke is now determined to en-
force. Under it Charleston landowners fondly
and confidently look fora return OF that pros
pcrty which they once enjoyed as the result
of the system Of slavery.
After exhaustng this subject Judge Thomp-
son II. Cooke proceeded to call the attention
| of the grand jury to the fact that in Richland
County the grand jury had found indictments
against nearly every leader of the party which
lately ruled the State, and urged them not to
lag behind in the good work. He concluded
in the following terms, which have never, it
is safe to say. been cquallcd in shamelessncss
by any Judge since Jefireys:
To pursue and bring to punishment the Rcpub-
lean patriots who may be guilty OF crime may be
dcnOminatcd base ingratude ON the part OF
southern Democrats by those accustomed TO wave
the bloody shirt" But It is horrible to even enter
tain the thought that the President of the United
states who now occupies tho seat once graced and
| adorned by Washington Adams, Jefferson and n
host Of other great spirits in the days Of the repub
lies infancy should advocate the condOning of
murder at Hamburg or at Elemton. if the Demo
cratic party should fail 70 prosecute the thieves
who were engaged In robbIng your state during
| be condoned for the crime Of theit2 Shocking |
| oh, horrible thought! lwould In charity fain be-
not, your duty Is plain and nnmistakabe: and. al.
| though the howl of persecution may be waited to
your cars on every, breeze that sweeps from the
North. you will icarlessy and faithfully discharge
your duty.
HERE THIS INFAMOUS JUDGE
exhorts the jury to pursue Republican patri-
| OTIS, and cOarsely sneers at the President be-
cause he has been credited with wishing for q
mutual agreement to avoid political prosecu-
tions.
This Judge, at Orlngeburg few weeks
ago stimulated tho indictment Of several Re-
publican county officials; but tine petit jury in
two cases brought In verdicts Of mot guilty.
whereupon the Judge angrily dismissed the
iuries from further attendance upon that
term, and directed the District Attorney to
prepare new indictments, to be ready for the
next term, when more subservient juries can
probably be secured.
And yet our new United States District At.
torney, Northrop. appointed by President
Hayes as Republican, on the recommends.
tiOn of Hampton, has selected this judge
Thompson ii. Cooke as his assistant. Well
Cooke Is just rs much Republican as Il
NOrthrop, and they are fair samples of the
kind of southern Republicans who are accept
able to Southern Democrats; but 1t is quite
easy to see that when the President appoint,
Inna of thnT oh 30, a..
file of the Republicans of the South that the,
had gained anything.
IT Is HARD To FEELGRATEFUL.
to President Hayes for such gifts.
We have just learned here that we ar,
likely to have still another such Hampton Re
publican appointment, and that Of far NOR,
important character. Judge Bryan, of tn,
United States District Court, it is said, will
soon retire upon the full pay for life guaran
B year upon the bench. Hampton has selected
Judge T. J. Msckey to fll this life position
also rs a Republican. The election of th
mountebank to judgeship by the Repub
!, licans was scarcely less Of an outrage than th
, election of Moses. 1t was done at the SAM
/ time and was part of the same reckless and cor
. rupt combination. Mackcy strongly advocate,
the election of whipper and Moses, and di,
, as much to corrupt and mislead the colore,
Republicans Of the State as any man in II
! He was also the first to desert them in tim
of need. He Joined the cohorts of Hampton
early in the last campaign, aud urged then
by word and deed to acts of violence and ter
ror. He has since prosecuted Republican
; with all the zeal of u new convert. He brag
that every Republican official has been
DRIVEN FROM HIS CIRCUIT.
) No man is so much detested by the cOlore
= people of the State, and they would, If consult
r ed, implore the President to give them al
, upright and learned Democrat, rather thai
such a renegade.
;. His appointment, however, Is regarded a
certain here. 1t would be another commen
. tary on civil-service reform. Northrop, befor
O ho could qualify as District Attorney, wa
r obliged to have q member of the bar move fo
his admission to practice After which littl
formalty he spread his commission as legs
:, representative Of the United States upon tn
a records of tho court. Mackey, If anything
a exceeded this He was admitted to the ba
: after he had been elected to the bench.
NEBULAE OF NEWS.
u AN ice thing on ice-a pretty girl skating