Evening star., 1903-07-18
PEoNAGE I'm THE SOUTH.
Origin of the Cruel Practice-Abuses
It Conceals.

From the Independent.
The recent indictment Of thirty-six white
men Of Alabama for holding negroes IN a
state of peonage. by the federal grand jury
sitting at Montgomery, recalls the fact thar
Alabama Is one OF the states that have
adopted a constitution the avowed purpose
of which is to deprive the negro Of his
political rights under the federal Consu-
tuition.
Peonage Is defined to be that condition IF
affairs in which the debtor is held by tho
creditor in qualified servitude to work out
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 it was found
that the local laws and customs recognized
the system. and 1t continued until 1861.
VIXEN Congress (by an act. approved March
2 of that year, abolished peonage in the
United States and the territories thereof
The law on this subject is found in sect 2ns
$780, 1891, 5528 and 5527 of the Revised
Statutes. This condition Of qualified servi-
tude Is prevalent in the south. and in soma
places the horrible atrocities perpetr ated
have led to the Indictment and prosecution
of few offenders for violations of these
statutes.
During the last few years the prosperity
of the south has rivaled that of any other
section. The demand for labor has been
phenomenal. and employers. especially III
the naval stores industry and on the plan
tations. have had great difficulty In sacur-
ing workmen. Owing to this scarcity OF
workmen there has been a great demand
for convict labor In many instances per-
sons. white as we'll as black. apparently
without money or friends have been arrest
ed by the local constable and arraigned
before the police or Justice OF the peace
court. At this point it has been customary
for an employer or agent Of a large en-
ployer Of labor to appear on the scene and
induce the prisoner to plead guilty to a
~, Io1 nRP rs-tth fhn nd q M
the employer (who is quite often in cor
spiracy with the court officials) would pay
the fine and prevent an imprisonment a
written acknowledgment Of debt is general
ly 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 u
the place of labor. and finds that he is
guarded there like convict. If he turns
to and works diligently so as to pay of the
debt due his employer. he is charged with
all kinds Of goods at 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 WITH
out process. returned to the private prison.
and probably beaten brutally. because many
Of the contracts provide for all of this.
Another way of securing victims 1s for
tho employer or his agent to proceed 10
some town or city and to hi1e lot OF
lahorers. agreeing to pay them certain
wages and their railroad fare to the place
of labor and to advance them provisions
from the company store. or. as IT Is COM
monty called the cOmmiSSary- The Ian Df-
ers arrive and at the outset are indebted
to the employer, who sees that they trade
out their wages at the commissary. and In
many instances. by a system OF deductions
and false entries. manages to keep the
laborer perpetually in debt. If the laborer
has a family much the better for the
employer: they must live out of the com
missary and IL the labOrer runs away his
family is detained at the camp. The writer
has known OF an employer Withholding
Young children from both father and
mother for the purpose Of forcing the pay
ment of a debt. If the laborer escapes. the
machinery of the local criminal law Is put
in motion to arrest and return him unoet
the charge Of false pretenses. cheating ana
swindling: or, in the state Of Florida. under
the law relating to false promises. II the
runaway is arrested he is seldom tried De-
fore the courts. The arresting of1cer. OFTEN
In the pay of the employer. induces the
victim to return to work rather than go to
tail and so he returns to bondage with
heavier load Of debt to carry. for the cost
of pursuit and arrest Is charged TO hlm
Often no process is issued for arrest but
the employer arrests without process. re-
turns the prisoner to his labor camp ana
fnficts severe chastisement. Many of the
labor contracts contain provisions TO thc
effect that the laborer consents to allow
himself to be locked in a StOckade at night
and at any other time when the employs:
sees fit to do this
The writer has seen whole family OF
white persons including young children
forced at the muZZle of a gun to leave tneli
home and return to the swamp labor camp
distant, there to remain until a small In
debtedness due the employer was WORKED
out by the father at wages which the en-
ployer arbitrarily fixed.