The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-10-09
A GREAT AND GROWING EVIL
Need In the South for the Labor of
Ali Able to Work.

Need In the South for the Labor O.
j. All Able to Work.
Two editorials were published in th,
same column tho other day by the Co
lumbus (Ga) Enquirer-Su. In one
OF them was the statement, "Man,
complaints have been made by differ
ent communities in Georgia this sprine
and summer about vagrants, idlers anG
loafers. Columbus has more
than her share of this very undesirable
citizenship" In the other was the
statement, "There is hardly mill O,
manufacturing industry here but needs
more labor, and there is work in these
industries for thousand or more peo-
pie that can be had for the asking"
About the same time, with the COM
plant coming from every industry in
its section of scarcity of labor, the
Magnolia (Miss.) Gazette published a
vigorous editorial denouncing the ne
gro parasites infesting the towns of
that State, and demanding that author
tiles should enforce the law against
vagrancy. 1t clearly pointed to the
means whereby these vermin are en-
abled to exist in these words:
"The mystery of his existence is not
such mystery after all when we be-
gin to investigate it at short range.
He is aslthorough parasite. He lives
ON others. Like the ancient Indian
who hunted and Gshed and battled
with his enemies while his squaw titled
the earth and fed him, so this parasite
lives on the labOrs and thefts of his
woman For him she robs the pan
try gives him, not crumbs, but whole
heaps of food from the rich mans
table, and to him she carries her week.
ly wage. Indeed, his system has be-
come so extensive that it is very prob.
able that the majority of white families
who employ cooks in this country are
feeding one or more of these gentle;
men of leisure day after day."
Observers in Northern cities, such
as Philadelphia, New York, Chicago
and Pittsburg, in which the negro
problem is becoming serious menace
to the health and morality of the COM
munity will recognize the truth of the
Gazette's observation, and it is only
necessary to squint toward the book
learning which is setting the rising
generation of negroes in the South on
the high road to the chain gang, the
Jail and the penitentiary to recognize
the origin of the growing curse. 1t is
not confined to Georgia, to Mississippi
or the South. 1t is found in every
large city in the country where negro
women have found the means TO earn
an honest livelihood, and where the
great majority of them would continue
to earn it were il not for the black para.
sites who follow closely upon their
heels, and who not only hold them up
regularly for the greater portion, if not
The whole, of their wages, but who
suggest to them the petty pilfering, the
lnsolence and shftlessness which have
become the bane of many patient
housewife.
There is need in the South for the
labor OF every man or woman, black
or white, able TO work. There is no
reason why anyone should be loafer
or vagrant. The remedy is not diff
ficult to find. Georgia itself has law
which permits anyone to arrest vag-
rant, who shall be punished by the
county court or bound over for one
year for service TO some one. The law
as the Enquirer-Sun points out also de
fines vagrants in unmistakable langu
age, as follows:
"1. Persons wandering or strollips
about in idleness who are able to worl
and have no property to support them
90. Persons leading all immoral
idle or prchiyate life VINO have no prop
city to support them, and who are abb,
. to work and do not work.
"3. All persons able to work, hav
ing no property to support them, AM
. who have not some visible and know
means for fair, honest and reputabl
livelihood.
GA. Pers ons having fixed abods
: who have no visible property to SUI
port them, and who live by stealing 9
by trading in, bartering for or buyin
i stolen property.
"5. Professional gamblers living /
o idleness."
: Those States which possibly may nj
have such provisions should make thel
o as soon as possible, and should vigo
l. ously enforce them. The curse is tc
% widespread for one State to be expec
>; ed alone TO suppress it. There mu
u be widespread, united plan carrie
out promptly and strenuously. 1t ls
10 curse which not only acts as an imm
'e diate drain upon the thrift of col
ID munity. but it also tends to demorali
the workers, and stands as block
the Way Of immigration of industlio
es folk TO the place where they wou
10 have liberal rewards, -Southern Fa,
hagasine,