The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-05-13
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY.
DRIVE THEM OUT FROM THE TEMPLE.

DRIVE THEM OUT FROM THE TEMPLE.
We note in News and Courier's
Columbia correspondence Of eth
inst. the usurious money sharks
have again pitched their tents in
that city, and the authorities will
take a hand in putting the law to
them. These grafters are not
confined to the large cities alone,
they are every where, and in all
manner of ways do they fleece a
helpless people; in the country
towns the grating is done by a
set of men who pose as 'busi-
ness men," and would resent
with Indignation any intimation
that they are on par with the
class that cities are infested with,
and which for the public welfare
the authorities feel called upon
to prosecute and drive out Of
their nefarious business. These
money-sharks under the cover
of ssbusiness'' are nothing but
common thieves, they seek to
get within their clutches q help
less victim, and by system of
gouging, unlawful interes t
charges, and coercion, extort and
virtually rob those who patron
ize them.
The class of men who do these
things, care not whom they
fleece; we have in mind a case
which happened within phone
distance of where we write; a
Door old confederate soldier,
badly in need of a few dollars,
went to a merchant, borrowed
FIVE dollars, and give an order to
the clerk of court for his pen
sion check, when the pension
money arrived he was made to
pay S9.75 for the S. he borrow
ed, thus paying for a few months
nearly 100 per cent interest. An
other case where man borrow
ed $40 for 80 days, giving as Sc
curity mortgage of a fine COW,
the interest charged was $500,
which is atthe rate Of 100 per
cent per year, and when the 30
DAYS were out the man failed to
pay, but the next day he did pay
and was charged an additional
25 cents as interest for one day.
We could, if necessary cite many
instances of down right robbery
of this character, and too, by a
class who profess honesty and
occupy positions that ought to
hold them above suspicion OF
wrong towards their fellowman.
If the law against usury was
strictly enforced, there would be
such a shaking up that many
amen corners would be lacking
for occupants, and if the law
against swindling was impartial
" enforced, the changing
would soon have an educated set
of laborers. There are many
men, enjoying freedom, under
the cloak Of "business" who
have, and are every day vio-
lating the statute laws Of the
State, and who are daily receiv-
ing credit for being shrewd bus
mess men, that would be on the
changing as thieves, were it
not for their money. A ssnigger"
steals a chicken, value aquarter,
he goes to the gang;a "business
man" steals a hundred pounds in
weight, value ten dollars, he is
an enterprising citizen, and is
not molested. The ''business
man. can treat with contempt
the usury laws and unlawfully
take from those in his power
what he pleases. and be respect
ed, but the sspoor white man"
aud the ':nigger" must obey the
Law to the letter Or be made an
object of contempt and a crimi-
nal.
It is for such discriminating
enforcement of law, that we at
tribute the prevalence of SO
much crime, and dlsrespect for
law. It is the unequal execution
that is largely responsible for
the shedding of so much blood in
the State. If those in authority
would protect the weak and the
strong impartially, these usurious
robbers all over the country
could not ply their unlawful avo-
cations-eight per cent interest
for loans would be all they
would get. The only way to
to stop the kind Of robbery COM
planned of, is for our lawmakers
to enact a statute cancelling a
debt, note or mortgage upon
proof that more than the legal
rate of interest is charged. This
in our opinion will put a stop to
squeezing, from helpless people.