New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-02

4 correspondent sends IL the text of law
now in force in the State Of Mississippi, which
we drink goes far TO explain the determine
ton Of the ne.Tocs of Tat region TO find
homos In the free Northwest. Under he pre-
text Of reducing the judiciary expenses"
the legislature has devised plan which, if
vigorously executed. can hardly TAI 10 re-
store q large part Of tAc colored population To
the subject condition from which Bourhoas
believe that they never ought 10 have been
relieved. 1t is provided that all prisoners
committed to county jails (cxc.pt for con-
tempt oi court shall be delivered over 10
certain labor-coutract0rs. and worked ON farms
or in any other manual labor. Tie contractor
takes them wholly of the hands OF the public
authorities. He feeds them, clothes them, Sc
cures them III jails or stockadcs of his own,
sets his own guards over them, prescribes
whatever hours and times of labor he sees fiji.
If thew are sentenced 10 both fine and impiis-
onmont. and are unable TO pay the fine, they
are 10 be- held by the contractor, after the
expiration OF the term of Imprisonment. I'M
I'll they have worked ont the fine, at the rate
OF % cents day. They must also work out
tie costs of the prosecution and the costs oil
Keeping them in jail while awaiting trial !;
and for every day lost by sickness they must
work two extra days.
This sort Of convict slavery Is establishe
principally for misdcmcanors and other petty
offences, tramsgresslons Of a gravcr character
being punished by the penitentiary. 1t is
evident that in n community where negro
freedom is unpopular there will be little or no
difficulty under such a system of penal admin
I..l,l g 10
colorod population in a bondage more OncrOus
than that to which the war Is supposed to
have put an end. The contractor has 10 inter
est, as the old slayeowner had, in keeping his
laborers strong and healthy; he is at liberty,
subject only To an occasional official insDcC-
ton, to work them to the very utmost limit
OF human endurance. He may treat them as
he pleaSes. And when il is desired to put
coored men into the chain-gangs Opportu-
mites will not he lacking for doing so. 4
charge of " dis0rdcrly conduct can always be
brought against an obnoxious negro. He can
be kept in Jail long time awaiting trial. and
every day of this delay will increase the costs
and iaIl expenses which lie must ultimately
work out. Suppose he is then sentenced to
pay fine of 800; that Will he oquIva-
lent to 400 days of forced labor, be-
sides the time spent in working ont the
costs and if he has the misfortune to fall
sick, he must pay further penalty for that
bad luck in the shape of double work. Con-
slider also the numerous arrests of negroes for
petty larceny, vagrancy, drunkenness and other
offences. and the numerous offences which can
be created by statute expressly to entrap them,
and it will be plain that there need be no lack
of convict labor in Mississippi.
There have recently been some shocking dis
closures of the suffering and mortality among
the convict laborers farmcd ont on this plan
in the Southern States, and indeed it is inevi-
4. bic that system which puts premium upon
brutality as this does, should result in Just
such scandalous wrongs. But even if the CON
yicts were decently treated the law would
still he no better than barbarOus scheme for
the practical establishment of slavery under
slight disguise, but without the mitgations
which the advocates of the peculiar institution
used to urge in its defence.