The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-03-06

IhG whole lnlQult0uS system has DeSl
rc-cstabishcd IN certain counties
everything excepting the Slave market
But without the market slaves ar
bought and sold among the planters
who place Il price uyOn the slave con
tract which holds the unfortunate ne
gro in bondage.
To the credit of South Carolina b,
it said that the Governor the Stat,
has raised his voice agai st this ban
Darlty. The Judges are against il
most of the State officials deplore it
and the best citizens generally express
their condemnation of the methods EN-
plOyed by many planters TO nullify tho
thirteenth amendment to the United
States constitution and to render voiC
the Emancipation Proclamation.
But in spite of this sentiment against
slavery negroes charged with no crime
are shut up in stockades, guarded by
Ovcrsecrs who frequently resort to the
lash and when the uni ortuuates escape
they are run down by bloodhounds and
armed guards.
In at least one instance free negro
who had been shut up in one of these
stockades w;,s shot down by the planter
who owned the contract simply because
the negro desired to escape from the
bondage. There are rumors of many
other such cases where negroes have
been killed in attempting to run away.
Those who are best acquainted with
affairs in South Carolina say that this
slavery system is the outgrowth of the
convict labor law Of the State. 1t is
within the last five years that slavery
has been rcintroduccd. Planters secur.
cd convicts from the State penitentiary
and this gave them the privilege to
build stOckade. Having the stock.
ade they secured nOn-criminal free
negroes and shut them up with the con-
victs, working all alike in the cotton
fields. Other planters, cnvious Of those
who got cheap labor in this way, built
stockades without any convict lease
and filled these prison yards with free
negroes. Gradually The system has
spread over the State, although the
Governor and other officials say that il
exists only i'll Anderson County. The
North American correspondent is in
formed that in the adjacent State of
Georgia negroes are similarly confined
and worked under labor contracts. In
other Southern States they have labor
contracts, but are without the stock
ades.
Probably the planters have succeed
ed in placing their negro labOrcrs in
slavery because the negro has been
practically dlsfranchised in this State.
1t is sald that if the negroes could vote
they would be able to cast 40 900 more
ballots than the whites in South Caro-
lima. But by providing rigid educa-
tional and property quallficai ions for
registration, the whites have practically
obliterated the negro vote. Only 3 800
colorcd men are qualified voters IN
South Carolina this year.
Since the negro has no longer any
political power and is not believed
when witness in the courts, he is un-
able under the laws Of the State to
protect himself.
COlored men are as helpless in South
Carolina now as they were in the Old
slavery days, but the force of public
sentiment may be able to do something
without the interposition of the general
government. The grand jury in An
derson County is now investigating
the labor and Stockade system, and has
been charged by Judge w. G. Benct tc
find out the true facts and bring in q
return showing what planters in tha,
county have been holding the negroes
as slaves. The planters themselves dc
not seem apprehensive, however, as
they say the grand jury visited the
stockades year ago and did nothing
While it is true that the planters art
g.; Il 4 Al l. 4.
the local authorities really purpose tt
do away with the new slavery system
they are notwithstanding much annoy
Cd by the investigation that has beer
begun. This Is because the negroe,
who have been held III the stockades
and lashed by the brutal guards ar,
now looking forward 10 another Eman
cipatlon Day and running away from
the planters, seeking refuge in th
towns. in Anderson County, alone il
the last week, more than 200 negroe
have fled from the cotton fields and re
fused to work longer under the con
tracts. This has cnraged the up-tu
date slave.owners, who threaten ven
geancc upon tho men who, they say
have melted the negroes to leave
There are rum0rs of lnassacres to come
and any day there may be whoesal
attack upon the fugitive farm laborcr
in that county.
The exposure Of the slavery syster
was brought about in very pcculia
way. There are in the town of Andcl
son, the county seat of the county c
that name, two trial magistrates. On
OF these got most of the work connccte
with the drawing up and acknowledge
ment of he labor contracts, unde
which the negroes are held as slaves
the other magistrate recently went int
the newspaper business, and being f,
miliar with the system. in all its detail
determined to put stop to the enslav
ment of the colOred men, If possible
He published in his paper CAREFUL
worded editorial, which revealed IL
facts in outline.
One of the first men TO build stoc
ade in Anderson County was w.
Neal, who was afterwards made S
perintcndent of the State penitentiar
He got his cOnvicts from the Sta
prison at Columbia, and confined the