The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1915-03-25
Voting For a Continuance of
Slavery On Ships.

slavery, OF the most CALLING sort, on board
merchant ships
For generations it has been the law, that
sailors could be compelled to serve out the
alleged civil contracts that they had made
with the masters of the vessels, no matter
how harshly the seamen had been treated, and
no matter what change of circumstances ex-
cused the sailors for wanting to regain their
freedom.
lhls old law of the sea related back to the
time when seamen were numerically whip
ped by ship officers, and put in irons like,
felons.
Whenever sailor made dash for liberty
In New York, Baltimore, or any other sea-
port, the police and the constabularv would
run him down, as though he were an escaping
criminal, when In fact his fault at the worst
was nothing more than the breaking of a
civil contract
Such contracts are broken both by en-
ployers and employees, every hour Of the dav.
on land, and nobody is ever treated like
felon for it.
Only two or three years ago, some seamen
IN port at Savannah, Georgia, made an effort
to escape their harsh bondage. and the officers
OF the law of this State bounded them down.
killed one of them, and returned the others
to the ship.
The vilest negro could not be treated that
way on land without the punishment of some
body for peonage.
After years of hard struggle, Senator La
Toilette forced his bill to a vote in the Senate
a bill which merely gives to the white sail
ors on ship the same personal liberty to
quit work, that is enjoyed by every white
man, black man, brown man. yellow man,
and red man in the United States
You will be amazed, perhaps, when [ tell
you that both the Senators from Georgia
fought the bill, and voted to keep the white
scamen in slavery to shipowners
You will be amazed, perhaps, when I tell
you that Senators Hoke Smith and Hardwiclz
voted for a continuation of unconstitutional
"lnvountary servltude," ust as did the Re
publlcans Smoot, Stephenson, Lodge, Warren,
Galllnger, DuPont Lippitt and Sherman.
Thousands of readers or The Jeffersonian
will be rejoiced to learn that Senator Varda-
man, as he always does, sided with the Man
and his Laberty, against the Dollar and it's
Oppresslveness.
The speech of the Mississippi Senator was
not lengthy but it was so full of the heart
beat Of true democracy, that | lay it before
you:
Mr.. Vardaman: Mr. President realize that the
time OF this session is passing very rapidly and
the close is near at hand and great deal of leg
islation remains yet to be enacted-important
legislation. am not going to trespass very long
upon the time of the Senate this morning in the
discussion OF this question, although I regard it
as one Of the most important measures that have
engaged the attention of this body since I be-
came member of it.
1t is peculiar in this: The prominent feature,
the chief purpose, is to ameliorate the condition
of that class Of American citizens whose inhuman
treatment, to my mind, has become national dis
grace. We have given attention to the well
fare and well-being of every other class of Ameri-
can laborers except the toilers of the sea. Not
only is this legislation designed to improve the
condition of the sailor, but when this conference
report shall be adopted and this bill shall be