The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-30
rEsPIcABLE POLITICS.

The cases of alleged peouage which are developing in Alabama indicate a most depiorable state of affairs here and there in our State. The average country negro Is a most ignorant, helpless creature at best, usually with few white friends of any influence. That there are some white men depraved enough to take ad- helpessness for their own selfish pur- poses, Is not, surprising. There are bad white men ih every community in the whole country. ,. .
 But such a system as seems to be prac- tised in some parts of our fair State can only be possible through the indifference or fear Of a considerable part of the white men in a community. Publicity will quickly kill every such undertaking in any community. and few righteous. up any systematic pecnags by exposing it to their county officials. or the press anywhere.
 Now that the investigation is being made in the United States Court, we have no doubt that the bottom will be reached in the particular cases. Judge Jones is a capable and fearless official. and, fortunately in this case. he Is a Southern man who has the honor of his section deeply at heart. He win use every DO wer under hds control to get at the bottom of these cases. and to make examples of and cruel law breakers involved. The negro in Alabama particularly is the ward of tho State. He has no citizen ship: he is legally a sort of child whose rights are guaranteed by the State and every true white man.
 There is one feature, however of this matter that Is surprising and despicable. The United States officials here in Ala bana, who have been at work on these cases of peonage have gone about them with the usual secrecy yelling criminal Investigations before open trials in the courts. As a matter of course, they have reported these cases to their superior of- ficials in the Department. of Justice at w CotA fAatu HiCfS ID thc Somebody in that Department is evidently trying to play politics in this connec- ton. The proof of this lies in the way the Department has been giving out all its private, official information about these cases before the ink is fairly dry On the indictments here in Alabama. and be- fore single trial or conviction mas taken place.
 On Tuesday the Departm snt seems to nave opened it's political spigot on Slavery in Alabama" and the leading papers of the East and West were filled with blazing specials on the subject On this page will be found a typical one from The New York Evening Post, a paper which Is understood in Washington to stand particularly close to the adminis- tration. This special cont lins much more information than The Advertiser has been able to obtain from any government of ficial connection with the investigation bere dn Alabama.
 Now The Advertiser has no patience with this peonage system, and it hopes every guilty person will be hunted out and punished severely. but neither has it any patience with the Department at Washington which is trying to make use of official reports, secured before verifi- cation in court, for the purpose of hold ing Alabama up to scorn in the eyes of the country That sort of politics is about as despicable as the action of the alleged slave makers in Alabama.