Mexico weekly ledger., 1893-03-30

'Aio ShattCt VI nutc pcuuIA udys WIS.
1t is a significant fact that it is only
negroes who are thus disposed Of
Yet while there is no relic Of negro
slavery in this, it is a relic OF slavery
and the existence Of great infamy.
From the selling of yagrants to the
leasing of conyicts it is bad.
REFLECTS ON THE STATE.
From the ChiIHcoths Mail.
We concur in the opinion of the
Post Dispatch, that the State Of Mis-
souri, is disgraced by the sale OF
human beings into temporary slav.
cry under the so-called vagrant
law. During the past few weeks
several negroes have been sold at
public auction, and in Mexico, Mo-,
few days ago white man narrow
ly escaped falling into the hands
of a ''syndicate'' of negroes organ
Hed to buy him.
Of course the persons likely to be
thus auctioned off are not highly
sensitive and perhaps "do not
mind" the little episode. But with
lails, warehouses and peniten-
tiaries provided for the purpose of
restraining criminals, the punish
ment of mere idleness may be left
to the want and hunger which affiict
those who can work but will not.
The chief objection is the scandal
which follows every one of the auc-
tions and reflects on the good name
Of the State. The practice recalls
the most disgusting features of an
institution now universally con-
demned. Missouri legislation is run
upon very low plane when it con-
fesses itself unable to find better
way of dealing with crime or idle
ness than by putting the labor of con-
victs ON the auction block, whether
in or out of the penitentiary.
BACK TO BARBARIsM.
From the Louisiana (Mo.) Press.
The spectacle of the sale of the
services of a negro vagrant on the
auction block at Mexico has awaken
ed the LEDGER to the viciousness of
such dark age enactment IN en-
lightened Missouri and that paper in
a vigorous editorial calls for the re-
peal Of the law. It is passing strange
that in this Worlds fair year when
we are putting forth every energy to
advertise Missouri to the world we
should go back to barbarism to find
cure for the ills of civilization.
The LEDGER further says that one of
Mer;ee,s pronainent attorneys mas
expressed the opinion that the law is
unconstitutional and it is probable
that the matter will be tested in the
courts. If the civil war amend
ments settled anything in that great
conflict it certainly settled forever
the question of bondage or slavery
whether for debt, vagrancy or any,
thing else.
ENCOURAGES IDLENEss.
From the st. Louis Republic.
AS for the negro who was sold in
Missouri the other day, we are free
to confess that we would have been
better pleased had some other dispo-
sition been made of him. Such
sales tend rather to encourage than
to check idleness and vagrancy. At
ter he has been auctioned off, in
satisfaction of his fine, the negro
stays with his new proprietor just
long enough to get enough to eat
and to get rested after the hardships
of vagrancy, and after that he is apt
to emigrate. If he would only 60
to Massachusetts the vagrant law
might be a good thing, but it is
more than likely that he will come
to st. Louis and spend the rest OF
his life playing craps in Clabber
alley.
REPEAL THE LAW.
From the Sedalia Bazoo.
The selling Of negro convicted
of vagrancy at Mexico, Mo-, has re-
suited in an effort to have the law
repealed. This is right, for notwith-
standing the fact that something
should be done to make vagrants
work, yet Missouri cannot afford to
put any obstacle in the way of i'm
migration and the eastern idea seems
to be that old slave methods have