Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-05-06
OVERRIDING THE PEoNAGE SENSATION

From Tifon OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES readers have
surtelt OF so-called "peonage" cases Following
the startling and horrible disclosures of the state
OF affairs on the Williams farm, in Jasper county,
we have been treated to one after another cru
: NOR and report" of peonage here and prosecu-
ton there and promised disclosures in one place
ann prospective sensations in another until the
pubic turns away from the whole thing in dis
gust commenting on some of these sensational
and unwarranted news STORIES the Augusta
Chronicle says:
Gracious knows that the disgrace of the
murder farm" of which we know is bitter enough
pill tor Georgia without paradng untrue news"
OF the hnding OF additional murder farms"
Following the arraignment for the crime on
one murder farm, there has sprung lid the
follow stories There quickly came the report
that another murder farm had been unearthed
TINS time In South Georgia. No names were Civ
en- and no location cited other than somewhere
IN South Georgia. But federal agents and got
ten their tip on the new horror and 'investiea
ton, was in progress by them, and great SEN
sation may be announced by them during the
next few days And while this advance story
was flying on the wires and into columns of
South-hatlng newspapers, there comes webbing
take-that Vincent Hughes, head of the DeDart
ment of Justice for the Southeastern States an
nounces that there is absolutely nothing in the
second murder farm canard, and that he was
quoted without authority and made to saw things
Which mad never thought about saying About
inc only oasis tor the new murder farm story
arose from regular reports peonage conditions
which were received in the office of the district
attorney and turned. over to the Department of
justice Tor its attention. There was absolutely
nothing IN these reports to suggest anything
about murders. Yet the story has gone on-into
the columns of the big papers of the North, where
1t is printed under great headlines. What can be
done about it"
Along the same line, the Thomasville Times
Enterprise puts in word for a return to reason
and sober common-sense, especially on the part
OF the newspapers and their correspondents:
We are all persuaded that this is an orderly
commonwealth that it is operated on basis of
justice and moderation except in rare instances
ne rarity OF these cases is not emphasized but
the impression is left that Georgia feeks with
Peonage, slavery and other forms of cruelty and
oppression that would>do credit to a German
army on rampage. 1t has gone too far already
the reflex action is coming and the people of this
State are going to demand facts in every case
The newspapers work irreparabe harm in
such affairs They should never print rumors of
that chararter unless there is ample foundation
IN tact and not until some form of legal procedure
has been started. 1t is bad enough to have these
isolated cases but it is not bad enough to be
branded as savages 1t is neither pertinent to
justice or right to have the red-rag newspapers
OF the North send tbeir cDacio1
down here to make something out of nothing
and to portray in glaring headlines the savagery
of the State of Georgia"