The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-03-13

Mr.. Fowler In any way With the whip
pings of these lsborers, but he WAS 3
party to these cotraots which provided
for the illegal imrri lueat and work.
ing under guard Of the laborers and i:
responsible for these provisions beire
enforced and that presentuent shoul.
be ade against him therefor.
We submit herewith the mtmoranda
of testimony which We have taker
which will show to the court and sclic
itor more fully the facts which We have
reported and will enable them to get
the names Of the witnesses to prove
such facts. 1t is proper tina. We shou 4
add that much Of the abuse has already
been corrected as result of this 10.
7esiigation and that some of the par.
ties have been to US with the assurance
that they woSld Immediately correct
the evils existing on their farms to
which We have called attention.
Owing to the widespread influence
and Eff ct that follows any public dis
cussion Of the question Of farm labor
in this State and the result that many
follow a presentment such as We pro
pose it is proper that We should in clos.
ing this report enter into brief dis
cussion Of the Influences that have
brought about the evils reported and
make suggestions as to the remedies
therefor. We have heard Iunors that
this investigation has already created
a widesprea interest snd that the con-
ditions have been discussed with some
feeling but We have as far IS possible
avoided reading anything published OF
said in this respect in order that We
might pursue our Investigations without
any il hueIce or bias from any quarter.
The question Of farm labor in this
State is a very eii cult one ard the
present Laws regulating the same are
insufficient.
The negroes whom We found con-
fined in the stockade were composed
largely Of a class Of shiftlesS debtors
who are subject to Indictment for petty
ofense, and who could not be success
fully worked under ordinary contracts
They are men who have no property,
and men who evsde their debts unless
compelled to pay them. Against them
the process of a 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. Bat the worst
trouble has not been in the defect Of
tie provisions of the law so much as
its enforcement. It has come to be a
settled policy in this county that in
dictment for violation Of contract and
for disposing Of property under lien
should be compromised, and not tried.
We are convinced that this is wrong in
principle and dangerous in practice.
Whatever injustice may be done an
individual by disposiug Of property on
which he has lien, or By the violation
Of q contract by one of his employees,
and whatever force might be gwen to
the effect Of penal statutes to induce
payment Of debts or fulfllment 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 a prosecution has
once been Instituted aud the po'Ver Of
the criminal court invoked, the ques.
ton Of private recoupense should dis,
appear, and the public interest alone
should be considered While this may
result in occasional hsrdships. it is the
only safe policy. Abuses will other
wise grow up until the criminal courts
are degraded into machines for private
gain, and often for e1tor;ion and op-
preston. In our judgment it should be
a crime to compromise any cssa after
indictment found with a view Of pri-
vate gain.
Nor can We condemn too severely
that other fruitful souroe-in fact, the
origin Of the abuses herein reported
the leasing out Of conviots to work on
private farms. Evils already detailed
are too eloquent to necessitate dis
cussiou to prove this. Such a system
should not be tolerated after its results
have been exposed as in this county.
We have heard 1t intimated that our
Investigations and exposures would
disturb the labor conditions 10 such an
extent IS to create trouble in this
State. We do not believe that it is
true, but if it wera ne would not hesi
tate 10 declare the evils We foe and to
demand that they should be ab oi:hed.
The duty Of this body is plain: We
must stop the violations of law that
now exist, and if others begin on the
part of the laborers themselves, then
We will unite with the law abiding
citizens OF the county in Furnishing and
terminating these evils.
The result of our Investigations show
that the system of working them in
stockades does not exist in this CT uoty
further than We have reported. Ptob-
ably not as many as twenty men, either
as principal or sgent, either directly
ar Indirectly, have been engaged in
this abuse. On the ether hand, the
numbers of laborers and lienors who
have violated the law will double that
number many times.
We therefore rei.era:e that The in
ausnce of this grand jury, and We do
not hesitate to FAY of the court also,
will not be extended to enable any nan
to avoid just contract, and that We
have found that most Of the labor con-
tracts Of the county are legal and just
If violations Of just contracts begin as a
result of the Investigation We have
made, We suggest that warrants be
sworn out and prompt punishment
given. We have not undertaken to as
sumo the responsibility Of prosecuting
tie Isborers who Rave violated their
contracts, because the position and in
huerce Of the landlord makes them
fully able to do that without assistance
from US. This special report has been
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