The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-17
.SCATH|NG REPORT
 BY FEDERAL JURY "Damnable" Used to Des- cribe Local Conditions OFFERS NO REMEDY Federal Body Expresses Its Regret That It Is Unable to Give
 Relief From Existing
 Conditions

A partial report of the federal grand jury was made to w. l. Grubb, United States judge, yesterday afternoon by that body Of all the caustie reports, crittcis- ing the fee system, that of the federal grand jury takes the lead The designa- ton "damnable" is used in the reports as a mild way of describing the situation that exists locally.
 The jury deprecates the fact that repre- sentatives of the federal government must listen to tales of wretehedness and imposition on account of that system and yet be unable 10 remedy the situation.
 The report was received by the court and the jury recessed until March 26, whereupon other investigations will be taken up
 The report as filed follows: gro the Hon w. l. Grubb, United States
 District Judge:
 "rhe grand jury begs leave to submit the following partial report of true bills returned and of conditions in this district:
 Postoffice Cases
 For breaking into postoffiees, ?: send ing obscene matter through the mail 2; stealing United States mail, 4; embezzling money order funds. 1; total. true bills.
 Internal Revenue
 "For illicit distiling %; retailing with out license. r; wholesaling without license. 4; rehllmg bottled in bond bot ties. &. having in possession unstanfped package, |; total, 5o true bills.
 Miscellaneous
 .For counterfeiting coin. 1; white slave traffic act 1 ypeonage. 1; total, true bills: grand total. e2 true bills.
 eve find a vast majority of people who engage in the liquor traffic take great care to conform to all requirements of the federal government.
 ''This being arranged. they then proceed to violate state laws they see fit on the following theory;
 T. That they will not be arrested if there as danger of conviction.
 70. That If arrested to escape trial ry reason of congested doekets and the GUS tomary continuance from term to term.
 "3. That if brought to trial to have material witnesses either out of the way or their minds changed.
 such conditions Justify stern and instant action by any commission or trary control of the liquor traffic. "That such dlatory uaneuVers may be thwarted is the only reason arbi- trary authority Is given.
 "Furthermore. liquor dealers who are Keeping faith with the authorities should be protected from tLe conse- quences of violations Drought on by dealers who do not keep faith.
 "As requested by the court q vlgor- ous search was made for peonage. We find that it doe snot exist. What does exist is 'extortion and highway rob bery This term was given the sys- tenn by members of the bar and ju- dietary who appeared before us.
 "One case was found that the jury is convinced Is in violation of the fed eral peonage statute ana n true bill Is turned in.
 "From d mass of evidence the jury became convinced that the probable reason we haven't more peonage is
 'I. Justices of the peace and their fear the federal government. "2. They have devised system of their own far more safe and Iucra- tive
 "Peonage would pay in labor Their system pays in cash. Hence it is less noticeable. less expensive.
 Their system uses cloak --the name and power of the state of Alabama when doing its work. of extortion- t is elastic and capable of being Ippliel Jam tight to pecularities. cash re- sources or surroundings of any laborer who can produce.
 The Victims
 For victims, whether male or female lit singles out in every instance those too poor or ignorant, too humble or fright ened to protect themselves! A. very large majority are negroes Were they not ne- groes but members of more. resentfuI race anarchism would he prevalent
 "Iheir system finds its most fertile lields