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

for the illegal Imprisonment and work
ing under guard Of the laborers and is
responsible for these provisions being
enforced and that presentuent shouli
be ade against him therefor
We submit herewith the 2rands
Of testimony which We have taken
which will show to the court and sclic
itor more fully the facts which We have
reported snd will enable them to get
the names Of the witnesses to prove
such facts. 1t is proper that we shou d
add that much Of the abuse has already
been corrected as result Of this TO-
vesiigation and that some Of the par
ties have been to US with the assurance
that they woEld Immediately correct
the evils existing on their farms to
which We have called attention.
Owing to the widespread influence
and IF ct that follows any public els
cussion Of the question Of farm labor
in this State and the result thst many
follow presentment such as We pro-
pose it is proper thst We should in clos.
ing this report enter into BRET e.is
cussion Of the Influences that have
brought about the evils reported s'nd
make suggestions as to the remedies
therefor. We have heard Iunora that
this investigation has already created
S widespread interest and that the con-
ditioae have been dis s,ussed with some
feeling cut We have as far as possible
avoided reading anything published or
said in this respect in order that We
might pursue our Investigations without
any il fuerce or bias from any quarter.
The question Of farm labor in this
State is a very difi cult one ard the
present laws regulating the same are
insufficient.
The nc groes whom We found con-
6ue3 in the stockade were composed
largely Of a class of shift!ess debtors
who are subject to indictment for petty
ofense, and who could not be SUCCESS
fully worked under ordinary contrasts
They are men who have no property,
and men who evade 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 punish ment Of this class
according to the offence. Bat the worst
trouble has not oeen 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 vioiasion Of contract and
for disposing Of property under lien
should be compromised, aud not tried.
We are convinced that this is wrong in
principle and dangerous in practice.
Whatever Injustice may be done an
individusl by disposiug Of property on
which he has lien, OF by the violation
Of g. contract by one of his employees,
and whatever force might be gwen to
the effect Of penal statutes to induce
payment Of debts or ful6llment Of con-
tracts that never has bsen the true in
tent and purpose Of the penal statutes.
They are enacted TO prevent public
wrong, and when prosecution has
once been instituted aud the poWec Of
the criminal court invoked, the ques-
tion Of private recoupense should dis,
appear, and the public interest alone
should be considered While this may
result in occasional hsrdships, it is tho
only safe policy. Abuses will other
wise grow up until the criminal courts
are degraded into machines for private
gain, and often for exiortion and op-
preston. In our judgment it should be
8 crime to compromise any osse after
Indictment found with q view Of pri-
vate gain.
Nor can We condemn too severely
that other fruitful source-in fact, the
origin Of the abuses herein reported
the leasing out OF couviots 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 as to create trouble in this
State. We do not believe that it is
true, but if it wera we would not hesi
tate 10 declare the evils We fae and to
demand that they should be ab oii.hed.
The duty Of this body is plain: We
must stop the violations of lsv that
now exist, and if others begin on the
part of the laborers themselves, then
va 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 uuty
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 other hand, the
numbers Of laborers and lienors who
have violated the law will double that
Number many times.
We therefore rei:ers.e that the in
auance Of this grand jury, and we do
not hesitate to tsy Of the court also,
will not be extended to enable any nan
to avoid a just contract, and that We
have found that most Of the labor cor.
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
the laborers who Rave violated theil
contracts, because the position and in
huence Of the landlord makes them
fully able to do that without assistance
from US. This special report has been
brought about because Of the orpres
,;ooo5 obuoo of mon uho ro.o tnr