The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-08-28
MUST HAVE RELIEF.
Judge Brawley's Decision Has
Had Very Bad Results.
The Farmers VIII be Heard at the
Next Session of the State Legisla-
ture in January.

ture In January.
Judge Brawley's decision, declar.
ing unconstitutional and therefore
void the statute by which, under
threat of criminal proceedings, the
farmers of this State have managed
after fashion to enforce fulfull-
ment of labor contracts, has caused
a revival of interest in measures,
like Representative John R. Richards s
bill to repeal the lien law, which
promises some betterment Of the sit
uation.
There is not farming community
in the State, however remote, where
the negroes have not, in some way,
learned of Judge Brawley's decision,
and in many cases they are wantonly
Jumping" their contracts, secure in
the knowledge that, thanks to the
federal court, they can not be brought
to book through the criminal courts.
Deprived of the magistrates aid,
the planter has no remedy at law, be-
cause the darkies who make labor
contracts own no property, as rule,
and cannot, therefore, be proceeded
against in common pleas. The situa-
ton is growing intolerable.
Realizing the necessity for some
sort of legislative action, to bring or
der out Of the chaos into which Judge
Brawley threw the labor regime, the
South Carolina division, Farmers
''ucational and Cooperative union
# America, adopted, at its recent
uleeting in Greenwood, resolution
by which the members of the organ
ization agreed not to hire or harbor
hands, until the. latter had produced
certificates from their last employers,
stating that they were not under con-
tract to them any longer, but were
free to seek work elsewhere.
This resolution, which was intro
duced by former Representative J.
Belton Watson, of Anderson, was in
tended to minimize one Of the most
exasperating features of the situa-
lion. Certain unprincipled and short
sighted farmers in the several coun-
ties have sought to secure full COM
pliments of hands, for their own
places, by hiring to their employment
laborers under contract to finish the
year on other plantations, assuring
the negroes that under the BraWley
decision they could not be prosecuted
This practice has engendered bad
blood among the planters IN several
localities and in one lately came near
causing bloody riot.
The union further decided that the
interests of the farmers Of the state
demanded remedial legislation-the
repeal of the lien law, for a starter
and a committee was appointed to
come to Columbia during the next
general assembly and stay on the
ground until the legislation desired
had been enacted. In other words
there will be Farmers Lobby at
the next legislature.
Former Representative Watson is
member of this committee. For the
present he is doing organization
work, under the direction OF the state
executive committee of the union. he
spoke at Orangeburg Thursday, Bam-
berg Friday and at Barnwell Satur-
day, returning Sunday to bis home ID
Anderson.
The Farmers Educational and Co
operative union is daily growing IN
strength. 1t differs from the South
ern Cotton association in that 1t IS
composed exclusively Of farmers and
holds its meetings behind closed
doors. Mr.. o. P. Goodwin Of Laurens
is state president. The vice president
is Mr.. T. T. Workfeld, OF Anderson;
Mr.. B. F. Earle, of Anderson, is sec
retary and treasurer and MI. W. Z.
Moore, of Greenville, is business
a gent