New-York tribune., 1905-04-09
M0ODY'S WAR ON PE0NAGE
attorney General Wins First Battle
iR Campaign.
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washington, April S.-AttoTney General Moody
Is now engaged in war against an enormous
system OF human slavery. He has won the hrst
hght in the campaign by securing for the gov
ernment decision in the Supreme Court OF the
United States but there are other battles TO be
fought. and until he Is victorious IN all he viii
not feel that the evil has been conquered. The
peonage system. under which It is believed hun
dreds OF men are now being held in actual serf-
dom, Is the crime the Attorney General is at
tempting TO uprOot. and officials OF his depart
ment are now at work securing evidence against
those who play the part OK slave owners in q
number OF States. A statement setting forth
the work OF the department in this crusade was
made public at the Attorney Generals ONCE
this afternoon. The statement is as follows:
A most pitiable case OF peonage has come TO
light recently IN South Carolina, In which the
poems white men Italians). These men
had been engaged in New-YOTk to perform SER
vices for pay in South Carolina and free trans
portation given them to the latter State. When
they arrived in South Carolina and they discov-
cred they were TO Work IN a phosphate mine,
they refused to do so. but the master INFORMED
them that they could not abandon their Work,
as they owed for their transportation, and must
work out that debt. Guards were stationed over
them. and in the face Of weapons they were
compelled TO work out this alleged debt. And
but for the fact that one OF those men escaped
and made known the terrible cond1tion OF ms
comrades they might now be held in that SER
vice. This is only one OF the cases which have
recently to the surface, but It IS sulIlcient
TO show the abject condition to which the poems
are generally reduced. Experience has SHOWN
that free labor is at discount when CONFRONTED
with any form Of a slave system. 1hat Iree
labor cannot compete with the peonase system
any more than it can with the Chinese cOone
system. is acknowledged fact. =,
The efforts which the national government IS
thus making to eradicate the evil through I IHe
courts and the determined stand which the
attorney general has taken to push the prosecu-
ton Of those who violate those laws-in view OF
the recent decision Of the Supreme Court In the
case Of Clyatt versus the United States-nust
prove productive OF wholesome results This
case was argued by Mr.. MOODY IN PeEs1n ~ IN tll
December last, and with what erect IS SHOWN
by the decision Of that court In this case II
appeared that one Clyatt, manager OF the nfIn
Of Clyatt & Tiff, manufacturers Of turpentlne
in Georgia. had gone into Florida and by force
taken into his custody two negroes named COR
don and Ridley and brought them back 70
Georgia TO work out a debt which he claimed
the negroes owed him. The evidence adduced
at the trial showed that amounts which the
negroes owed C!yatt wero about Sl9 Tor one ana
IS for the other that those amounts the person IN
whose employ the negroes were found by Clyatt
offered to pay to him, which he refused. on the
ground that he wishe1 to take them back 10
Georgia and make an example Of them,
Clyatt was convicted in the United States
court for Northern Georgia Of the crime Of hav-
ing returned these negroes to a condition OF
peonage in violation Of Section 5,526 OF the
Revised Statutes Of the United States. and
sentenced to confinement at hard labor Tor
period of four years in the Federal Penitentiary
at Atlanta, Ga.
He took an appeal to the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which
court certified to the Supreme Court for its in
structions the questions Of law presented by
the arguments, where the case. as before stated.
was presented to the court by the Attorney
General personally. The opinion OF the court
in this case is Of great moment With the possl-
BILE exception Of one or two cases no case de-
cided by that court within recent years in
volved graver considerations than were pre-
sented by the questions certified by the court
below And, although the court remanded the
case for further proceedings, because, in its
opinion, there was not sufficient evidence to
show that the maltreated negroes had been in
a condition OF peonage prior to the time that
they were alleged to have been returned thereto
land therefore the charge Of returning them
couldIaot be sustained). yet the great principles
for which the Attorney General so ably con-
tended have been upheld.
The Importance of this decision is more clearly
understood when take into consideration the
cases now pending in the Southern courts. The
highest court OF the land having declared that
the laws against holding persons in condition
Of peonage or involuntary servitude are consti-
tutional and valid and operate directly upon
individuals. IL is not difficult to perceive that
the greatest obstacle heretofore in the way OF
convictions is now removed.