The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-11-23
OFFICIAL PEONAGE IN FAYETTE|
Reputable Citizen Demands Investigation By
Governor and Prosecuting Attorney.
White Men Enslaved.

We wish to call the attention OF
tac citizens of Fayette county to the
number OF prisoners now working on
the new county road being built from
Fayetteville to Fayette station on the
{. 4 o. lty. That is a good thing
10 do, il it is done lawfully. But it
IS not being done that way There
ar" scores or poor unfortunate men
VINO are being worked on that road
TohDeG of their liberty, simply be-
cause they happen to be found walk
ing on the right of way of the C. 6,
q. ItE., or sitting on a box car, while
they are out searching for work in
order 10 provide for wife and child
rcn.
This practice is an outrage. 1t is
not done for the purpose of eliminat-
ing crime, but for revenue purposes
only. 1t is true that now and then
NoH viii flnG-a professional hobo, or
might've from justice, but il you
VIII look over the list at Fayetteville
HoH VII not find one of that kind
OF men working on that new Soad.
} bcleVe that when a man is con-
Wcted OF petty stealing, or for any
oi"ncc for which he ought to be
Hhed, that II he is not able to pay
MS fine he ought to be sent to jaM,
and should work his fine and costs
out on the roads, but he should not
E2 sent thirty, sixty or ninety days
for the sole purpose Of building a
road, or to enable an officer to get
$500 and $500 costs from the tax
payers of the county for arresting
and sending to jail an innocent man.
II you will figure out what you
ar" paying for this kind of labor
You will find that the county court
or the county engineer, could build
more road for less money than it
costs the tax payers of the county
TO get labor from the right of way
aud freight trains of the Chesapeake
K Ohio Railroad Company. You
can employ any number of men for
Sl.5O per day, men VINO want the
work, and who need it. You now
pay for the arrest of the men that
are now working $500 to $500 per
head: you pay the man that sends
them to jail twithout authority
from $500 to $3.50 per head, ana
YOU pay guard anywhere from
$4,000 to $1,000 per month to
suard those men.
lust think of it. From III to 125
''r'Ii AZ 'LHe jail Ut Il cost 1Or board
alone from 100000 to $4,000 per
month. And this does not include
'he cost of shoes and clothing that
IS furnished these men at cost to
the tax payers of Fayette county.
Practically all of these men are fur
n:shed by the C. < o. company. Th.
man who makes the arrest charges
'h" county for the transportation
n no Al.
"i trial. and then from the place of
'TaI to the county Jail They make
uRt their claim. swear to it as bcin :
IrH", and no part of it paid, when
~ . matter of fact it does not cost
'.hm anything to travel on the c. &,
~ trains. All this the tax payers
.HN@ to pay, in order to get these
ho"r victims to Jail to work out an
unjust line and an unlawful Jail SER
j'Nr" from twenty to ninety days on
3d." county road.
mere is not any justice or mayor
I'D mis- state has right. under our
''" 20 send 2 man to jail thirty.
S'"'% or ninety days for an assault
-.'i 'httery, yet it is being done, law
ana order arc absolutely disregarded
'hos" who should at least regard
'." Jaw, if not the people.
E'"r% thing I say in this statement
M" willing to back up. | am only
iIG what [ know to be facts. Yot:
'..i Get busy, Mr.. Love. You are
Toper man to see that these out
are stopped.
Tho tax payers are paying iron
@..l.0n TO $4,000 per month. and
1 the road is completed, it will
'. .h" man who operates it, and the
' "fS Will have to pay to ride
.'~ 'H" same.
'&Nette county cannot builc
."'E roads by any other method o
.HfuH labor, then they should no
'Lt II would be better to use
oId roads for another year thar
1881! . new road by robbing poor
"oIkingmen of their liberty
- good roads, but for God
.'i!t them with honest mone:'
~ right kind of labor.
TE man that you find on a trail
from one place to another. o.
.aE ON the railway track is no
..o- And do you know hoc
mon arc used after the mayo
E labor agent delivers them t.
5T- I'll tell you:
EHeriff is paid so cents pc