The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-03-14


: them by the grand jury for whipping
different ones Of these negroes.
= Willis McGee was especially cruel
1t was testified that he had given tn
: negro Bayls Artcr 100 lashes on ON
occasion, and that he whipped Rober
Brown most severely and cruelty ant
, on one OCCASION shot five times a
Drayton Wheeler, one of the bullet!
passing through Wheelcr's hat. Th,
testimony goes to show that George
) Thomas shot at Dock Frcclcy and thai
he was also ready at the whippngs
Andrew Dobbs was found to be suffer
ing from rheumatism, which he says
was brought on by being compelled &c
stand almost waist deep in mud ant
water in cold weather, ditching. Ie
was arrested by a. Nj. Bailey, who has
been acting as a sor: of constable fOl
j. S. Fowler, but was never tried. j
A. Rice is negro of rather weak
mind, who was captured in Georgia by
Elias McGee and charged with having
escaped from j. S. Fowler's stockadC
in this county. Upon being brought
here it was found that nc was not the
man he was suspected of being, but
ne\ crthelcss after being kept for sew
eral days in the st0ckadc he entered
into one of these labor contracts and
has been in the stockadc for several
months, though unwilliugly there. A
number of "frce'' laborers have left
Mr.. FOwlcr's farm since these invcsti-
cations were first begun, but some un-
willing ones we're still in the stockades
when we visited them.
We found no evidence to connect
MIR. Fowler in any way with the whip
ping of these laborcrs, but he was a
party to these contracts which pro-
Vldcd tor the illegal Imprisonment and
working under guard Of the laborers
and is responsible for these provisions
! being enforced and that plcsentment
| should be made against him therefor.
We submit herewith the memoranda
Of testimony which we have taken
| which will show TO the court and soic-
itor more fully the facts which we
have reported and will enable them to
get the names of the witnesses to prove
such facts. Itis proper that we should
add that much of the abuse has already
been corrected as a result of this in
vestiyation and that some Of the par
ties have been TO US with the assurance
that they would Immediately correct
the evils existing on their farms to
which we have called attention.
Owing to the widespread influence
and effect that follows any public dis
cussion Of the question of farm labor
in this State and the result that may
nj n,t
pose it is proper that we should in
closing this report enter into brief
discussion of the influences that have
brought about the evils reported and
make suggestions as TO The remedies
therefor. We have heard rumors that
this investigation has already created
a widespread interest and that the con-
ditions have been discussed with some
feeling but we have as far as possible
avoided reading anything published or
said in this respect in Older that we
might pursue cur Investigations with
out any influence or bias from any
quarter. The question Of farm. labor
in this State is a very difficult one and
the present laws regulating the same
are insufficient.
The negroes whom we found con-
fined in the stockadc were composed
largely Of class of shiftlcss debtors
who are sub jcct to Indictment for petty
oifcnsc, and who could not be success
fully worked under ordinary contracts.
They are men who have no property,
and men who cvade their debts unless
compelled TO pay them. Against them
| the process of civil court is worth
| less; that Of the criminal court under
existing laws is inadequate. Some
thing should be done by the legislature
to grade the punishment of this class
| according to the offence. But the
worst trouble has not been in the de.
feet of the provisions of the law SO
much as its enforcement. Ii has come
to be a settled policy in this county
that indictment for violation Of con-
tract and for disposing of property
under lien should be compromised,
and not tried. We are convinced hat
this Is wrong in principle and danger
GUS in practice.
| Whatever Injustice may be done an
individual by disposlng Of property on
which he has lien, or by the violation
| VI SoiIioNV W OllC VI HIS ClhplOycS,
and whatever force might be given to
the effect Of penal statutes to induce
payment Of debts or fuliillment OF con-
tracts that never has been the true in
tent and purpose of the penal statutes.
They are enacted to prevent public
wrong, and when prosecution has
once been instituted and the power of
the criminal court invoked, the ques-
ton of private rccompcnsc should dis
appear, and the public interest alone
should be considered. While this may
result in occasional hardshps, il is the
only safe policy. Abuses will other
wise grow up until the criminal ccurts
are degraded into machines for private
gain, and often for extortion and op-
preston. In our Judgment il should
be a crime to compromise any case
after indictment found with view of
private gain.
| Nor can we condemn too severely
that other fruitful sourcc--in fact, the
origin OF the abuses herein reported
the leasing out of convicts to work OF,
private farms. Evils already detailed