The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-08-23
CAUSES TR!s0UsBl..Es
The Farmers Need and RaustHave.
Some Relief.

Some Effective Law Must Be Passed
by tho Legislature to Enforce La.
Dor Contracts.
The labor question is being dis
cussed from one end Of the State to
h other, and the recent occurrences
over IN the Fork near Norway are
figuring extensively in the discussion.
The following letter from Columbia
to the Augusta Chronicle will give
some idea Of how the question Is re-
garded In all parts of the State:
Federal Judge Brawley's decision
Knocking out the South Carolina la.
Dor contract law continues to cause
trouble in the rural districts with
that large class Of negroes with whom
the big stick Of a Jail sentence has to
be used to Inspire proper. regard for
contractual obligations. And though
1t is confidently hoped that the far
mers Will pull through the present
season without violence between the
races, and that legislature will next
spring enact some effective relief
measure, there is constant danger in
various parts of the state Of very
serious clashes over conditions that
the decision has brought about. The
killing Of Constable Valentine I'm Or
augsburg county a few weeks ago.
followed by the narrow escape from
lynching the negro had with all but
a rlor occurring among several far
mers gathered at the inquest In a
general quarrel about farmers en-
c~ouraging negroes to jump their con-
tracts since the decision; and half
n dozen other killings of negroes by
white men in widely separated sec
lions of the state, are but manifes-
tations of how the danger spots are
showing up
The effect of the decision has
spread with amazing rapidity ever
among the most ignorant negroes.
The scramble of unprincipled farmers
for help has perhaps played a more
important part In getting the negroes
Informed than the publication in the
newspapers. The result is that the
mean negroe has become infinitely
more insolent, and since he has got
ten it into his head that Uncle Sam
has espoused his cause his proneness
to violence has become more marked.
There Is no danger for the present
Of calling into service the dreaded
Ku-KluX-Klan, but farmers are free
ly talking of taking matters into their
own hands by means of community
bands, to stop negroes whom they
have kept from want for fOoo and
clothing through the winter from in
solently refusing to carry out their
contracts to work out their debts and
and spending the time getting drunk
and raising ows or course there
has been abuse Of the law on the part
OF some farmers, who have cheated
the negro and kept him in long SER
vitude after he had fairly discharged
his debt; but these are rare instances.
The great mass OF South Carolina
farmers have no disposition to OPP
press the negro, but they are Insist
ent, some of them to the extent OF
taking the law in their own hands,
for his written contract as others are
required to have. When the Orange
burg farmers chose a spokesman to
tell the crowd in very emphatic Ian
guage that they did not propose 10
stand for the acts OF certain white
men in encouraging negroes to jump
their contracts or tolerate such con
duct on the part Of the blacks, law OF
no law, they gave expression to q
feeling prevailing in many counties
in the State. Your correspondent
gathered his impressions not only
from visitors to Columbia, but from
personal interviews with farmers in
half a dozen counties recently.
"We've got to have relief, and
promptly, or we I coming before
the next legislature in mass and de-
mand It," said P~enitentiary Director
]. 0. Wingo, an extensive farmer and
former member of the house from
Greenville county. "There Is going
to be serious trouble If we don't get
it,"
Just what sort of law should be
enacted that will stand the test has
not SO far been definitely outlined.
length In Governor Ansel's message
next spring, though just what he will
recommend, he himself does not seem
to have determined rs yet. One aug
gcstion is that a thorough and effcc-
tive rural police system be estab-
lished for the purpose not only of
Kidding the rural districts Of the ne
gro criminal but of driving the idle
to the chain gangs az well. Some far
mcrs advocate hiring these convicts
to farmers and others, as was form
erly done with penitentiary convicts;
but these sort Of contracts wero much
abused, and 1t Is not likely that the
legislature will ever again go back to
this system.
One very hopeful sign In the pre-
SEN situation is the healthy growth
Of public sentiment against abuse of
the negro. Thesupcrstition that 1t
is dangerous to punish a white MAJ
for brutal disregard Of a negroes
rights is rapidly passing.