Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-03-20
The Stockade Scandal.

The proceedings Of tho Court at An
dcrson on Thursday, tho 7th instant,
says the News and Courier will doubt
less serve to remove tho "labor contract
scandal in Anderson county, developed
by the action of tho same court few
weeks ago, from the list of national
issues and journalistic sensations where
it has been sought to be placed by a few
Jealous papers printed for the most part
in tho leading coal mining States.
The prcscntmcnt of the grand jury
which has investigated tho scandal shows
that the evils Of the contract and stock
ade system were not exaggerated in the
reports first made to the Court, which
led Judge Benct to order the invcstiga-
ton. A number of negroes were found
to have been shamcfully, and some of
them cruelty, treated and the details Of
their experience at the hands Of their
unscrupnlous employees, are fully stated
by the jury for the public information.
The conclusions announced by the jury
aud by tho presiding Judge, however,
afford the information which was most
desired and is of most Importance in re-
gard to the situation.
After exhibiting the thorough and
conscientious character of the inquiries
and condcmning the abuse and tho per
sons found to be concerned in it, in the
most outspokcn and strongest terms, the
jury say: The result of our investigation
shows that the system Of working labor
crs under guard and confning them in
stockadcs does not exist in this county
furthe! than reported Probably not as
many as twenty men, either as principal
or agent, either directly or indirectly,
have been engaged in this abuse. "a
most careful injury" they report again,
"falcd to reveal that any general abuses
OF the labOring class exist in this county
so that our work soon narrowed to those
places where convicts were employed,
and to two other places where stockadcs
existed and free laborcrs were employ
cd.' The report concludes: "This spc-
cial report has been brought about be-
cause of the oppression and abuse of
men who were too poor, too fricndlcSs,
too ignorant and often too degraded to
act for themselves. but who are ncvcrthc.
less entitled to the full protection of tho
law, and who because of their weak
nesscs have a peculiar claim to our pro.
tecton."
1t is noted incidentally in the present
ment that ''much of the abuse has al
ready been corrected as a result of this
investigation, and that some Of the par
tics have given the assurance that they
you'd Immediately correct the evils on
their farms to which wc have called at
tcntion' but the cause of justice is not
to be stayed by promises. The chief
offenders are named for prosecution on
charges Of assault and battery, assault
and battery with intent to kin, and some
will be held for cash damages.
Judge Bcnct on receiving the report
said to the jury "Your prcscntmcnt
affords me profound satisfaction. You
have done your duty, not only ably and
fcarlcssly, but fairly." The Solicitor, he
added, would do his and it would then
be left to the petit jurors to do theirs,
and in conclusion he remarked "Good
work has already been done, and the evil
10 "itii'SU Stailpcu out. rune sentiment
is practically solid against the system, in
which only few men have participated.
South Carolina thanks you. Anderson
county will thank you for having relieved
her of this shameful burden and freed
her good name from the stigma that a
Few misguided citizens have placed upon
it. You have amply justified the conf
dcncc rcposcd in you when | ordered
this investigation. There is no likcli-
hood that this stockadc slavery, with its
shacklcs, whips and armed guards, will
over be seen again in this or any other
county"
1t only remains to be said the exposure
Of the abuses was OF local origin that
they were investigated, and will be pun
ishcd, without outside suggestion by the
local authorities, and that the grand
jury were careful to state in their report
that their action had been in no way i'm.
fluenccd by the stories and comments of
sensational newspapers, as they had
strictly rcfraincd from reading the pa-
pers and from hearing any comments
that would influence their investigation.
Tho Atlanta Semi. Weekly journal
and THE COURIER for Sl.50 year.