The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-08-27

n stealing?" Stealing" he said. why
|, you can't steal from niger" II
i needs no argument to prove the dead
d ening influence upon standards of right
: and justice, of the open practice OF
!: this Englishman's doctrine
1t has been proved In Greenville
that nothing is easier than to break
up the loan shark shops, where the
faces of the poor are ground so mer-
cilessly. One brave, humane and pa
triotic lawyer, State Senator Van Bod
die, openly and boldly assailed the
robber dens. He called on every one
of the victims to bring their claims to
his office, and he would compel right
eous restitution. Others lawyers were
inspired by Mr.. Bodies example to
join in the crusade. Every demand
he made for return of over-payment,
or of personal property mortgaged
met with unresisting compliance; be-
cause the sharks knew their extor-
tons, their collections above the prin-
/ cipal of their loans with ten per cent
interest, were in express and wilful
violation of the law.
Senator Boddie calculated that five
| Greenville sharks had out $4,000 on
| loan, at % per cent a month. That
! is, each one was taking in $4,000 a
year of ill-gotten gains. All suspend
| ed, and gave up this evil revenue on
his demand. While doubled in degree
the crime was made easier of COM
mission, and perhaps of suppression,
by the fact that it was mainly perpe-
trated by justices of the peace; three
out of the five in Greenville joining
the dispensation of justice with their
trade as sharks. What chance did
poor devil of a negro have with a
joint loan shark and magistrate. An
other circumstance of note is that !
what Van Boddie did was without |
dollar of fee or money compensation. !
While it may be that imitation of |
such unselfish devotion to the cause |
of the oppressed is not to be expect |
ed everywhere, certainly his example |
will inspire legal proceedings for the |
enforcement of tn law against loan |
sharking. 1t should but need that the |
code sections bearing on the vice be
given in charge to the grand jury. |
These are quoted from as follows:
Section 1855 requires a license from
all persons who engage in the bust
ness of making loans on personal |
property, wages or saalries. Such
person may not conduct such loan
agencies collateral to any other bust
ness The hext section requires
bond to be given. Section $3.50 re-
quires books of entry, borrowers and |
lonas to be kept, open to inspection
of the mayor, sheriff or grand Jury.
The following is quoted literally.
3164-Any interest charged by
the lender to the borrower, at a
loIC VI lhLClVol III CACto0 vi l6n
per cent per annum, or any fee,
fine or charge whatsoever charged
by the lender against the borrow
er, whatever for negotiating a
loan, or for commissions, eXami
nation, attorneys fees, or any
other bonus or additional charge
whatsoever to those allowed in
Section 3163, shall be considered
as payment on the principal
loan, and the same shall be cred
tied with the amount of such addi-
tional charges and excess.
3169-Before any criminal war
rant shall be issued by any justice
of the peace or notary public and
ex-officio justice of the peace, at
the instance of any licensee I'M
der this chapter against any Dor
rover from such licensee, vendor
of wages or salary, where the
criminal charge grows out of rela-
tionships of such lender and Dor
rover, or vendor and vendee such
Hcensee, his agent or employee
shall, in addition to affidavit now
required by law to be taken, take
and subscribe to the following
oath:
Il do solemnly swear that /
have neither directly or indirect
~. by myself, agent or employee,
nor has the lender or vendee, d.