The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-01-29

40 " hS1AN"
has a constituency, just as you
have; but if he is an outsider,
say, "What is your name? Why
are you here lobbying for this
thing?" I am warning you new
members. Some Of these OLD
ones have had experience, and
they had to beg mighty hard last
to get over that exper
ience.
Now, my friends, I understand
there is going to be a bill intro
duced along a line to which l
want to call particular attention.
It is a bill to prevent Magistrates
from using the Criminal Courts
to collect debts. It is a serious
matter. A negro goes out here
and works on your farm. Some
little agent comes along and
wants to sell him a clock. or a
Bible, orsomething else-posslb'
ly a sewing machine. The agent
will sit down in the house and
talk to the negro saying. "Well.
I want to sell you this machine" !"
After a while the negro says be
will take it. The agent begins
to write, and he looks around
over the house and puts down
everything the poor negro has.
and very often something the
poor negro hasn't. He will get
the negro to sign the paper. That
agent will witness it. In the fall
of the year another agent will
come back to collect that debt.
"Where is your sewing machine?''
he will ask. ''Boss, 1 never had
no sewing maching." "Oh, here
is a paper signed by you saying
you have; don't talk about not
having any sewing machine. "
"Where is that agent what came
here?" He is gone" "Where
is that hog you had in the pen?"
BOSS never had no hog"
"OI. ves, it is in the paper. "
TT n eg)es for a little Magis-
ira 1here, and be indicts
that for disposing Of prop.
erty ur 1er mortgage. The Mag
istrate sends and has the negro
dragged into court before him.
Then he will say, ''Now, if you
will pay this man this mortgage
and pay the costs, we will let
you out" The negro goes out Of
your farm right over to another
man, borrows the money to pay
this mortgage, and binds himself
up under contract to work for
that otner man next year. And
the Magistrate, 10 open violation
of the law, uses the criminal part
Of his court as a collecting
agency, puts part of the money
in his pocket, and is threatening
to ruin the labor of this country.
Now, gentlemen of the Gener'
al Assembly, we fuss about law
and order. Why, I saw men up
here last summer hollering,
Law and Order" yelling for
Law and Order" and "We must
redeem South Carolina and [
saw some of those same men
down here to the State Fair drink
ing liquor and mixing it with
coca cola, and betting on horse
racing. Who is going to redeem
them? REDEEM South Carolina!
She is ruined! Shut up the Char
lesion horse races ''-and slip
ping down here under a stand
bringing liquor and coca: cola,
and slipping up to fellow back
ed up against the fence with a
little box IN his hand, and slip
ping out tickets to bet on the
horse races! Do you call that not
gambling? Oh, gentlemen, let
US also get to those higher up.
Here is a section of your statutes
that is being daily violated-and
I would like to ask if anybody in
this House is violating Ito f
course, I do not expect an ans
wer:
sit shall be unlawful for any
person to assume the duties of
any public Office until he has
taken the oath provided by the
Constitution, and being regular
ly commissioned by the Cover
nor. The term public officers
shall be construed to mean all
officers of the State that have
heretofore been commissioned,
the Trustees of the various col
leges of the State. members of
various State Boards. and other
persons whose duties are defn.
ed by law
Are there any men serving in
Office in South Carolina today as
trustees of colleges, or on other
boards, who are not serving un-
der commissions? If so. gentle
men, they are violating that sec:
tion of your statute-Sectiou 535
ard it is the duty Of the Attor
ney General to prosecute them.
There is no punishment provid-
ed in that section: but the Gen
eral Statutes provide that where
no punishment is provided the
Judge shall impose such punish.
ment as he sees fit. Now, gen.
tlemen, if you want to go lower
down to sustain the law, let the
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