The colored visitor., 1879-08-01
THE NEGRO IN THE SOUTH.
One of the Causes of Discontent,
an AbominabIe Law-Entering
Wedge to Reinstatement OF
the Negro.

Jackson, MISS, une 20.-Among
the causes of that dissatisfaction OF
the colored people in the South
which has produced the exodus there
from, there is one that lies beneath
the surface and is concealed from
even an astute observer, if he is
stranger to that section. This cause
consists in certain Legislative enact
ments that have been passed IN most
of the cotton States, ostensibly for
other purposes, but really for the
purpose of establishing in those
States a system Of peonage similar
to, if not worse, than that which pre-
walls in Mexico. This is the object.
of a statute passed BY the Legislature
of Mississippi, in March, 1873. The
title of the act, whether Intentionally
so or not, is certainly misleading. 1t
is entitled "An act to reduce the
judiciary expenses of the State"
But how it can possibly have that et-
feet is beyond human wisdom to per
ceive. 1t, however, does operate,
ana is uSeU III SllIll q way - ~ ~
slave large number Of negroes,
who have not even been convicted of
the slightest offense against the laws.
The act provides that ''all persons
convicted and committed to the jail
of the county, except those commit
ted to Jail for contempt of court, and
except those sentenced to imprison-
ment in the penitentiary, shall be de
livered to a contractor, TO be by hlm
kept and worked under the pro-
visions of this act; and all persons
committed to jail, except those not
entitled to bail, may also, with their
consent, be committed to said con-
tractor and worked under this act
before conviction" But Section of
the act provides ample and cogent
machinery to produce the necessary
consent on the part Of the not yet
convicted prisoner to work tor the
| contractor. In that section it is pro-
vided ''that if any person committed
| to iail for an offense that is bailable
shall not consent to be committed to
the safe keeping and custody of said
contractor, and to work for said con-
tractor and to work for the same
under this act, the prisoner shall be
entitled to receive only six ounces OF
bacon, or ten ounces Of beef, and one
pound OF bread and water" This
section also provides that any prisoner
not consenting to work before Rls
conviction for the contractor, and
that. too, without compensation.
seIf said prisoner shall afterward be
convicted, he shall, nevertheless,
work under said contractor sutfi-
cient term to pay all costs Of prosecu-
ton, including the regular jail fees
for keeping and feeding him." The
charge for feeding him, upon the
meager bill Of fare above stated, Is
twenty cents day. Now, it cannot
be denied that the use made OF this
law is to deprive the negro OF ms
natural right to choose his own EN-
ployer, and in the following manner
Let us suppose case, and such cases
are constantly occurring. A is cot
ton planter, owns 5000 or 4,OW
acres of land, and has 40, 30 or 1W
negro families on his plantation. A
the expiration Of the year, a negro
proposes to leave the plantation OF =
and try to better his condition by
making a more advantageous bargain
with B or G for another year. 1t z
cannot prevent the negro from leav
inc him in no other way, this statute
: puts full power in his hands. z
; trumps up some petty charge agains
the negro, threatens to have him ar
rested and committed to jail. III
negro knows how little it will tax
to commit him to jail, and that the
he must half starve on pound 6
n bread and water and six ounces {
S bacon a day, or otherwise work to
D the contractor for nothing until h
{ can be tried; and when tried he mus
5, run the risk of conviction, which
II not slight, though he may be ever
Y innocent. Avarice, unscrupulous aV;
! rice, IS pursuing him, and with lit
t, power to resist. There being 7
he healthy public sc''iment III favor
d fair play to encourage hun, ne ylel'
le and becomes the peon Of his o.
s pressor.
Under this law a case came up Ia
u March, upon habeas corpus, in No
!. ubee county,, Miss, where a negr
" for some petty oHense, had been fine
or $3.50 and cost. A careful comput
ld ton showed that he would have
of work for the contractor not less tn
A. five and possibly ten years. II
!, negro in this case happened to ha
some education and means and sor
L,l,~ /,