Hutchinson gazette., 1901-05-02


j. ', Fowler, originator OF the Ander-
son slavery" system, says the plan
itself was not at fault, but II has
been abused, He had no idea, he says,
that 1t was Illegal, 1t grew out OF the
application to him by negroes In jail
to pay their fines or take them out on
bond, TO secure himself he made them
sign an ironbound contract and put
them to work with conyicts he hired
from the state. lie began this system
Ave years ago, The officers Of the law
sheriff, clerk aud magistrates were
necessarily aware OF his methods and
never suggested lrreguarlty, For a
debt Of $50 he would work negro for
year, feeding and clothing him,
But, according to Mr., Fowler others
who adopted this manner OF getting
labor abused 1t, Negroes got from jail
were charged for clothing, board, etc,
and fined for infractlons Of rules till
they were placed perpetualy in the
debt Of the landlord. Then others who
had committed no crime, but had
charges trumped up against them, were
frightened into compromise by
signing contract and they were SINH
larly held captive. Whenever negro
owed debt he was taken to stock
ade to work II out on the landlords
terms, The license Of lawlessness con-
tlnued until when It was considered
safe to do so negroes were seized by
force and taken to the private prisons
Last year a prosperous tenant on one
small farm bought guano from Fowler
on credit. His crop failed and he could
not pay. Regardless Of the fact that
the law does not permit imprisonment
for debt, this negro, his wife and nine
children, most Of them Of working age,
were carried to the stockage and set
to work. At the same time the mans
two horses, wagon and buggy were
seized for the debt. These persons
were made to sign contracts, and as
these contracts permit them to be
transferred from one landlord to an
other, there arc instances where the
contract for the husband and father
has been made over to one farmer
while the wife and children were held
and worked by another. The system
OF arrest for debt had so spread and
a., hnnGn
buffers and cooks-in the town Of An
derson were carried off from their
work to the stockades before the mis-
tress Of the house was informed
As originally begun, the plan of
working the negroes had mutual ad-
vantages. 1t was irregular and Illegal
to take a prisoner out OF jail and give
bond for his appearance at court, and
work him until court met, STILL II
paid for his services, there was a GER
tain advantage to him. But 1t follow
ed that to hold the prisoner he must
be guarded by men with guns by day
and locked up at night. That was
still greater infraction of the law and
the exercise Of that power had Its Sc
quence in cruel whipplngs Once be-
yond the law, there was no limit to the
license, and the farmers extended the
system to men not taken from jail,
but who could be persuaded or fright
ened into signing contracts; then to
those no had fallen into debt, and
fianally to any who could be safely
captured by force. The continuation
of the license which permitted guards
and stockades resulted in the use OF
heavy balls and chains.
The local officials do not seem to
have given any attention to the mat
ter. The negroes were worked on
large plantations far in the country,
and out Of the public eye, But for the
exposures, the system would have
within few years spread all over An
derson and into many other counties.
Corresnondencp New York Tribune.