The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-09-29
MANY LOAFERS.
Idle Men Who Will Not Work for
Love OF Pay.
The Vagrant Law Should be- En- for.
ced Against IdIo Ncgroesa and
Idle White Men.

oed Against Idlo Negroes and
Idle White Men.
The Augusta Chronicle says: with
contractors and others employing Ia,
borers complaining that work Is beirg
delayed owing to the scarcity Of day
laborcrs, and the farmers clamorlug
Tor Held hands, to gather the fast ma.
turing crops, 1T is a fact that Augusta
Is infested with the negro loa!ers,
able bodied mon who do not work. who
are not hunting for work, who do not
want work and who will not acce pt
work, even at fancy prices.
These negroes can be seen by tha
huhdreds every day. They are loafers
arouhd certain bars and localities
They can be seen In. twos, foufs and
In groups Of a dozen or mors. How
they live Is we'll known-being sup
ported by negro women who are at
work, and requiring very little on
which to subslst. All they want is an
occasional short job, to secure the
price OF a drink. 1t is believed that
the stealing now going on, the night
ly robbery Of stores and dwellings,, can
be traced to this class.
Ihefc are laws on the statute
DOCKS OF G. oTRia, and the City Code,
With which to handle these loafers,''
said a we'll know contractor Thursday,
n what Is puzzIing me is that the
city police and the county authorities
do not force them either to 20 to work
ar log va fhn nttu II thav NTH ,,ok x,1.l.
In the City, run them into the rural
districts, where they are 50 badly
needed by the farmers. Let them
understand that 1t is 20 to work or
move on In Augusta. Tne new sole
itor Of the city court could begin his
term OF cfh3e With al popular move.
ment, a crusade against the loafers Of
The CITY,"
II sent out for several labo-ers a
day or two ago, needing them bsdly,n
said another citizen TnursdAy, wb1 Is
at the heal Of a we'll known orp5r
tiOo, and while q numbef Of loaing
negroes were to be found, Gil all sides,
not a one wanted any work to do.
They could not be- hired. A CtYer OF
wages above What.is usually givfn day
laborcrs In Augusta was turned
down"
The scarcity Of laborers is not due
to any extraordinary building boom
or to the fact that there Is any large
public improvement in progress" said
an architect when seen tn reference
to the matter. 1T is true that there
are q number Of improvements In pro.
gress, as well as buildings in the
coure OF erection, but no more than is
usual at this favorable Tins of the
year. The trouble being experienced
Is due In a large measure to the fact
that negroes do not want to work and
the city and county authorities allow
them to live idle and profigate lives.
The continued enforcement of the
Vagrancy laws Of the stat and city
would In a large extent, in my opin
ion, remedy the trouble.n
Around on cotton block, where the
ileecy staple Is coming In at the rate
OF from 5000 to 6, 900 bales CT cotton
per day, 1t was learned that there Is q
scarcity Of reliable laborers, and in
const quence considerable delay Is be.
Ing experienced In handling the re
ceipts. Good hands, who known how
to truck AID work about cotton are In
demand and can find employment.
A Chronicle reporter made a round
OF the sections In the business canter
Of the city, where 1t Is complained
that these negro loafers can be found
idling away their time. The condi-
tions were found just az reported
From Board street to the river on Nc.
Kline street Is a favorite place, and
just 38 were found in groups. In
quiry developed the fact that few OF
these were ever seen to work more
than a day or two at the time. Ga
Center street, Bridge ROW, about the
many negro cook shops on side streets,
and as hangers on near bars, they
we're found In idleness.
In the southern section Of the city
1t Is said that hundreds OF loa1ug ne
groes can be seen daily. Gentlemen
who have closely investigated declare
that they can be found doing nothing
day after day, and are generally
known to exist by their wits. The
demand for a crusade against the loaf
ers OF the city Is general. Recoxnizsd
as a dead weight to any community,
1T Is argued that they should be
forced to go to work or move on.