New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1905-12-02

niggers and carted them off to worl
in a pitiable condition"
Bleeding from ugly wounds" an
lin pitiable condition.. the COZ
quered blacks were hustled on boar
the cars and taken away into servi
tude.
What kind of servitude?
Was it voluntary or involuntary
Suppose Southern farmer were a
the bar in a Federal Court to answe
the charge of Peonage, and the evi
dence of white witnesses brought on
facts like those! Suppose the farme
should contend that the negro, afte
being properly starved and beaten
went willingly to his work
Wouldn't a sarcastic smile curl til
lip of His Honor Judge Emory Spec
or His Honor Judge Thomas G. Jones
Wouldn't scornful question or tw,
about that dripping blood, about thos
ugly wounds, about that pitiable con
dtion cover the farmer with meritet
shame? -r
Is mans jnhumanity to man an of
Tense against universal law, to b,
punished wherever found, or is it .
crime in the Southern States only?
The New York Tribune, defendin,
the disgraceful affair, seems to con
tend that the negroes became thor
oughly reconciled to the situation and
went to their tasks with happy hearts.
Certainly. They had been beaten
not with cowhide as in the ole
days-but with clubs
Blood ran upon the decks of that
slave ship; blood streamed from the
wounds Of those slaves, Piteous cries
for mercy rang upon the ear--and
there was no mercy. Driven ashore
with as much brutality as was ever
shown in the old evil days, they were
clutched by their masters and the
stern choice was "Work out this con-
tract or perish!"
Went to work willingly? or course
they did. A negro will work willing
ly any time, if you ask him to do so
pleasantly, between the lashes that
you are laying on.
Lazy white men might possibly be
galvanized into temporary fits of in
dustry if the whipping post were the
alternative.
Hunger has also been known to have
some influence upon whites as we'll as
blacks.
These negroes from Martinique act
ed under the twofold inducement.
They were beaten, and they were
Consuming to. go to work, they were
no longer beaten and they were fed.
1t was all right, says the leading
organ of the Republican Party-The
Tribune.
Whitelaw Reid is Republican Am.
bassador to Great Britain. and The
Tribune is Mr.. Reid's paper.
Yes, it's all right.
A man called Magoon has made an
official report explaining it all
away, Says The Tribune. "Official
Reports" don't command premium
Just now.
Nobody has forgotten James Gar
ield's Report on the Beef Trust; nor
The certificates of health officially is
'ued to Life Insurance Companies
which were putrid with disease; nor
las anybody forgotten the Report of
Taft on Loomis and Bowen.
Why isn't the report of newspapers
IS good, in this case, as Magoon's Re-
'ort? Anybody who had eyes, and
ould see a negro beaten, anybody who
lad ears and could hear him cry out
n pain, could report the fact as we'll
IS Magoon could do it. There were
10 books and papers to examine; no
witnesses to be sifted. The tragedy
vas played in public where all could
lear the blows az they fell, see the
Hood as it drippod, but their fingers
nto the gaping wounds if they chose.
Magoon me no Magoons. If the only
bject aimed at had been to eject pas
engers who had reached their destina-
ion and wouldn't get out, what did
he Canal Zone emigration agent have
0 do with it?
Why did he take charge of the job
f getting passengers off the French
The Canal Zone emigration agent
'as not interested in the negroes as
his concern was with lab |
rers whom he had imported and whom |
o was bent ON holding to their con-
racts.
A child who could mt see that would |
e very dull child indeed.
If it was only question Of Kidding
ne French steamers of passengers who
'ould not land, what did the Canal
one police have to do with it?
Are Canal Zone policemen kept
lere to unload French steamers?
The Canal Zone agent meant that
,e consignment Of negroes should be
slivered on the Canal, for Canal work
to contract; and every meas
re taken proves it.
If the emigration agent meant to let
he negroes have their own way, he
ouln not have bothered about getting