Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-06-26

Pace went step farther in his bru-
talities than any of his neighbors. BE
sides encouraging violent whippings
by his guards and indulging IN this
form of brutality on his own account
he forced his negroes to work in the
field stark naked. No distinction was
made between the sexes in carrying
out his plans.
Pace says in extenuation of his con-
duct in this respect that he desired
/ to, prevent the negroes from escaping.
One negro, Ed Moody by name. was
rescued from ditch In front of PAGES
house by United States deputy mar
shall. He did not have rag Of cloth
ing upon him. The United States au-
.thorities will not be dependent upon
negro evidence alone to prove that
Pace worked his field. hands naked.
"A. number of influential citizens In
sTallapoosr county whose Indignation
was eroused by this form Of savag-
cry, have come forward and expressed
their, Willingness to tell what they
know. Pace himself. however, has
practically admitted 1t.
The boy, Ed Moody, that was res
tcued by mSrshals, is the same negro
who exhibited deformed shoulder TO
the grand jury upon the occasion Of
his visit to Montgomery, Pace had
broken the boys clavicle by a blow
from a club. ''-'
Another negro found in state CT
nakedness on PAGES plantation was
Owen Gregor who according to his
calculations, has been in bondage at
least fifteen years. Pace never let go
of him. He tried repeatedly to get
away. but each time was run DOWN by
the bloodhounds and horsemen and
brought back in irons to be whipped
within an inch of his life.
Gregor, who is very ignorant, has
only a vague idea Of the methods used
to deprive him Of his liberty, but the
presumption is that they were the
same as were used in other cases.
STATE LAWS RESPONSIBLE.
The statutes of Alabama are re-
sponsible for the peonage that has
thus far Deen unearthed. There is no
doubt about this. 1t would almost
seem as If they had been enacted for
the purpose of enabling brutal and
dissolute white men to preserve
form of slavery in defiance OF the fed
eral constitution. The more one an
alyzes the so-called contract labor law.
which was fearlessly declared uncon-
stitutiona by Judge Jones, the more
conviction grows that the law was con-
ceived for no other purpose. Wheth-
err or not this was the case the fact
remains that it has accomplished that
end. .a. 90
1t is to the credit of Alabama that
this infamous labor law is employed
only in about one-third of the counties
of the state. and these the so-called
black counties. Probably on this ac-
count no case has ever arisen from
it's operation of sufficient consequence
and Importance to justify a public
spired attorney in carrying it to the
supreme court of the state for constl-
tutionsl Interpretation.
The statute involved for the pur-
pose OF securing the control Of the
body of negro is most peculiar. 1t
has no counterpart among the laws
of all the states of the Union. When
a person is convicted of misdemean-
or and a fine and costs are assessed
against him a citizen Of the state can
appear before the committing mag
istrate and offer to pay the fine and
costs. He will then and there enter
into a contract with the convicted per-
son to work out the amount Of the
fine and costs in his service. The con-
tract will specify, in order to give 1t
that the party Of the second
part has received an amount equal to
the fine and costs as a consideration
for entering upon the contract. The
Justice of the peace approves the con-
tract which usually provides for SER
vices extending over a period Of a
year. The party of the first part agrees
TO furnish the negro, for none but
negroes are ever the victims Of this
to slavery, with food and
This is the regular and lawful way
IF creating .peon. Pace and Frank
lin and a family Of brothers named
Cosby, all of. them residents Of Tal'a-
Doosa county, were rot ss'tisfied win
he lawful method. They entered into
4 conspiracy to crate poems or slaves
by ignoring the spirit of the law. Pace
has a brother-in-law who is = ius-
ice of the peace. His name is Ken
nedy.. One, of the COsbys is also
Justice of the peace Pace patronized
Justice Coshy.s The Cosbys. on . the
other hand. patronized Justice Ken
1edy. BY thus mutually exchanging
family favors, they were enabled to
sustain the impression that their pro-
,urement of the negro peons was reg
liar. The United States authorities
rave convincing evidence that 1t was
lot. Justices Of the peace are required |
~ law to submit their dockets' for the |
Inspection of grand jury. They must
,ndeator to make monthly -reDorts' Of |
I'll fines, assessments and collections
,sfho cnu0tu fron ct1rar The dOrkptS