The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-15
PEONAGE In THE SOUTH.
Origin of the Cruel. Practice-Abuses
1t COnceals.
New York Independent.

NEW 1OIh lHutpeHucul.
The recent indictment of thirty-six white
men of Alabama for. holding negroes I'm a
state of peonage. by the Federal grand jury
sitting at Montgomery recalls the fact that
Alabama is one of the States that have
adopted a constitution the avowed purpose
of which is to deprive the negro of his politi-
cal rights under the Federal Constitution.
Peonage is defined to be that condition of
affairs in which the debtor is held by the
creditor in qualified servitude TO work out
a debt. This condition has existed in Mex
leo for years. When the present Territories
of Arizona and New Mexico came under the
jurisdiction of Congress- IL was found that
the local laws and customs recognized the
system, and it continued until 1867, when
Congress (by an act approved March OF
that year, abolished peonage in the United
States and the Territories thereof. The law
on this subject is found In Sections 1890,
1891, 5526 and 5527 Of the Revised Statutes.
This condition of qualified servitude is prev
alent In the South, and In some places the
horrible atrocities perpetrated have led to
the indictment and prosecution of few Of
tenders for violations Of these statutes.
During the last few years the prosperity
of the South has rivalled that of any other
section. The demand for labor has been
phenomenal, and employers especially in
the naval stores industry and on the planta-
tions, have had great difficulty in securing
workmen Owing to this scarcity of work
men there has been great demand for con-
vict labor. In many instances persons.
white as well as black. apparently without
the local constable and arraigned before
the police or justice of the peace court. AT
this point is has been customary for an
employer or agent OF large employer OF
labor to appear on the scene and induce the
prisoner to plead guilty to trivial offense,
with the understanding that the employer
(who is quite often in conspiracy with the
court officials) would pay the fine and pre-
vent an imprisonment written acknowl-
edgment of debt is generally secured from
the victim, in which he agrees to work for
the person paying the fine, either on his
plantation or in his labor camp. The victim
is then taken to the place OF labor, and
finds that he is guarded there like a con-
vict. If he turns to and works diligently
so as to pay OFF the debt due his employers
he is charged with all kinds of goods al
high prices. and the debt Is held over him
for an indefinite period. If, on the other
hand, he revolts and escapes, he is run
down, arrested without process, returned &c
the private prison, and probably beaten
brutally, because many of the contracts
provide for all of this.
Another way of securing victims is for
the employer or his agent to proceed &c
some town or city and TO hire lot OF
laborers, agreeing to pay them certain
wages and their railroad fare to the place
of labor, and 70 advance them provisions
monty called, the commissary. The labor
ers arrive, and at the outset are Indebted tC
the employer. who sees that they trade Out
their wages at the commissary, and In
many instances, by a system or deduc-
tons and false entries. manages TO keeI
| the laborer perpetually in debt. If the
laborer has a family. so much the better
| for the employer; they must live out oil
| the commissary. and il laborer run:
away his family is detained at the camp
! The writer has known OF an employer with
| holding young children from both father
| and mother for the purpose OF forcing the
payment of a debt. If the laborer escapes
| the machinery of the local criminal Law
| is put in motion TO arrest and return hin
! under the charge of false pretences. cheat
( ing and swindling; or. in the state OF Flor
| Ida, under the law relating to false prom
| Uses. If the runaway is arrested he is sci
| dom tried before the courts The arrestine
officer often in the pay OF the employer
| induces the victim TO return TO work rather
| than go 10 jail. and so he returns 10 bond
age with heavier load OF debt 10 carry
| for the cost of pursuit and arrest 1!
| charged TO him. Often process is issuet
| for arrest but the employer. arrests with
| out process, returns the prisoner TO hi
| labor camp and inflicts severe chastise
| ment. Many or the labor contracts con
! tain provisions TO the effect that the lahore
consents TO allow himself TO be locked il
a stockade at night and at any other tim
| when the employer sees fit 10 do so.
The writer has seen a whole family o
| white persons. including young children
| forced at the muz:le OF gun 10 leave thci
home and return to the swamp labo
| camp of the fathers former employer. som
| miles distant. there 10 remain until small
! indebtedness due the employer was worke,
out by the father at wages which the EN-
| ployer arbitrarily fixed