Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-08-29
MUST HAVE Relief.
Judge BrawIey's Decision Has
Had Very Bad Results.
The Farmers Will be Heard nj the
Next Session of the State LcyisIa-
ture I'm January.

'SS'oh vi tne state LcStSIa-
ture I'm January.
Judge Brawleys decision. declar-
ing unconstitutional and therefore
void the statute by which, under
threat of criminal proceedings. the
farmers of this State have managed
atter fashion to enforce fulfull-
ment or labor contracts. has caused
revival of interest in measures
like Representative John II. 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 Brawleys 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 a 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
Educational and Cooperative union
of America, adopted, at its recent
meeting 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 sitIfa-
ton. 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 a 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 a
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 his home in
Anderson.
The Farmers Educational and Co
operative union is daily growing in
strength. 1t differs from the South
ern Cotton association in that ii is
composed exclusively of farmers and
holds it's meetings behind closed
doors Mr. O. p. Goodwin of Laurens
is state president. The vice president
is Mr. T. r. Workfield, of Anderson;
Mr.. b. f. Earle, of Anderson, is sec
retary and treasurer and Mr.. w. c..
Moore, of Greenville, is business
agent.