The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-03-13

Owing to the widespread iohuence
and effect that follows aoy public die
cussion of the question of farm labor
10 this State aud the result that nay
follow g presentment such IS We pro
pose it is proper that we should 10
closing this report enter ioto brief
discussion OF the Influences that have
brought about the evils reported and
make suggestions as to the remedies
therefor We have heard ruuors that
his iovestig gation has already created
widespread interest and that the
conditions have been discussed with
.ome feeling but We have as far as
possble avoided readiog anything pub
lished or said iD this respect 10 order
that we might pursue our lovestigauous
howitut aoy influence or bias from any
quarter The qaestios of farm a5or
10 this State is Z very difficult ooe and
the preseo: laws regulating the sams
are insufficient.
The negroes whom ve found Coz
6qed ln the srocksde we're composed
largely of class of sbiftIess debtors
who are subject to Indictment for petty
ofFeose. and who could not be success
fully worked under Ordinary contracts
They are men who have 90 property,
aod men who evade their debts unless
compelled to pay them. Against them
the process OF q civil court is worthless /;
that CT the criminal court uader exist
ing laws is inadequate Something
should be done by the legislature 70
grade toe pucishments of this class
according to the off9nce Bu: the
Wors, trouble has DOT been 10 the defec
of toe provisions of the Law so nuen az
It's enforcement It has come to be q
settled policy 10 this county that 10
dlctuent for violation of contract anl
for disposlng of property uoder lien
should be compromised. and Dot tried.
We are convinced that this !s wrong 10
principle aud dangerous 10 practice
Whatever injustice may be done an
Individual by disposing of property on
which he has lien, or By the violation
Of contract BY one of his employees,
aud whatever force might be giveu to
the effect OF penal statutes to induce
payment of debts or fc!fIlmeut of con
tracts that never has been the true 10
rent aud purpose of the penal statutes
They are enacted to prevent public
wrong. aud when prosecution bas
once been Instituted and The power OF
the criminal court invoked. the ques.
ton Of private recompense should dis
appear, and the public interest alone
should be considered While this may
result in occsslooal bardships, it is the
ouly safe policy Abuses vii! other.
wise grow up uutlI she criminal courts
are degraded into machines for private
gaiu, aud often for eztortiou and op
preston. Ia our judgment it sboold
be crime to compromise any case
after indictment found with view OIL
private gain.
Nor can We condemn too severely
that other fruitful soErce-in fact, the
origin of the abuses herein reported
the leasing out of convicts to work on
private farms. Evils already detailed
are too eloquent to necessitase dis
cu.sion to prove this Sucb system
should not be tolerated after ts results
have bsen exposed IS in this couuty.
We have heard it intiuafed that our
uvestigstions and exposures would
disturb the labor conditions to such an
extent as to create trouble in this State
We do DOT believe that it is trus, but il
it we're We would not hesitate TO de
clare the evils We 6od aod to demand
that they sboold be abolished The
duty of this body is plain : We must
stop the violations of law that uoW
exist. aud if others begin on the pars Of
the laborers themselves. then We will
uuise With the lev abiding citisens of
the county in panisbiog aud terminal
log these evils
The resu'; of Ger Investigations show
that the system Of working laoorers
uoder guard aod con6uiug them 10
s,ockades does not exist 10, this county
further than We have reported Prob
ably Dot as maay as twenty meo,
either as priocipa or ageos. eitacr
directly or indirectly, have beee eoeag
ed in this abuse Go lhe ether bspd
the plumbers of laborere ADD lieoors
who have violated .be Law will dou bic
/ that number maoy ti@es
We therefore reitesste that the ina1
ence Of this graod jury. aud We do not
hesitate to say of lie court also, will
oot be extended to eraSle any mao to
avoid just contract, aud that We have
foand that most of the LABOR contracts
of the county are legal aod just If
violations of just contracts begin as 8
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