The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-08-28

= KS e3is fsf4 s;s+sif 81
In all the large towns of the: South,
and especially where great industrial
enterprises are in progress, there 5is
much Inconvenience and to some -ex-
tent a great deal OF suffering, because
Of the scarcity Of labor OH which the
people rely. Farmers, as the Augusta
Chronicle says, look in vain for lnbor-
crs, though about street corners in
towns, cheap rum shops and srailwa
stations negro .loafer, are congrcgated
In large numbers. H,They ha We too
easy time in town. living by their
wits or On the charity Of ;negroa cooks
and house servants" largely we may
add, obtained from the larders OF the
households In Which these are I'M:
plOyed, and no persuasion can induce
them togo to'work on'athe farms
where they are needcd.r si 'la
The prevalence uf this 2 form 4 OF
l4vagrancy, an incentive to idlencss and
Heading directly to various forms of
crime, has caused the Georgia legisla-
ture, to. consider Il new method of
treating the question, OF negro labor,
and it is meeting with much favor
In other parts Of the South than
Georgia. The bill gives u clear and
easily understood definition of vag-
rancy,S and empowers police and other
likes officials to give to any officer
authority to issue criminal warrant
for the arrest Of all vagrants or per-
sons suspected of being vagrants,
wit 81 f,f 4 +, ~ (,
defines yagrancy, against which its
provisions are directed, as follows: 3
f. Persons wandering or strolling
about in idlcness, who are able to
work and have no property to sup
port them. ss Il
+" Persons leading an idle, immoral
Fife, who have no .proerty to support
them, and who are able to work and
do not work. 81 Is =. ,-,. " .si
All persons able to work, having
no property to support them, and who
have no visible or known means OF a
fair, honest and reputable livelihood.
The terms 'yisable and known means
OF fair, honest. and reputable liyeli-'
hood, as used in this section, shall
be construed reasonably continuous
employment at some lawful, occupa-
tion for reasonable compensation, or a
fixed and regular Income from proper
ty or other Investment. the income
from which is sufficient for the sup
port and maintenance of such yag-
rant. 4.1s ss
Persons having fixed abode, who
have no visible property to support
them, and who live by stealing or by
trading or bartering stolen property.
Professional gamblers living In
idleneSs. i:.5i,
All able-bodled persons who. are
found begging for a living or. who Quit
their houses and leave their wives and
children without means OF subsist-
Hence SsI
All persons able 10 wdf IA ,ylio; Ia
do notiwork, but hire out their minor
children and live on their wagcfs. ',:..
This is the most interesting leg:
islation OF the kind that has ever been
attempted. or course, 1t is directed
against negoes as a class. Even the
Georgia crackers" work after their
way, but the negroes are largely given
up to yagrancy as set forth in this
bill. AS a remedy it is urged that
european Immigration be diverted to
southern ports and fields, but this
would be very difficult to accomplish.
Only Il trilling percentage of European
Immigrants 20 to the south in the
hope of employment. 1t is a fact,
whether as regards northern or Euro
pcan labor, that it keeps clear of com
petition with negro labor. The south
wants the negroes, but it wants them
to work. The negroes of the south,
as the Atlanta Constitution contends,
must 'be made to understand that
shiftleSsness and unreliability in labor
jcmpfoyment," no longer to be toler.
ated, will bring sure suffering to them:
and it recognizes that Booker Wash.
ington is helping laudably to that
end by inculcating a reform of. negro
philosophy" or the philosophy OF win.
ming white respect by working to de
serve it,