Evening star., 1921-04-17
PEONAGE CHARGE
UNTRUE, IS CLAIM
Correspondents Challenge
Statement That Practice Is
"Rampant" in South.
To the Editor Of The Star:

| To the Editor Of The Star:
1 have just read in The Star a COM
| munication under the caption "Peon.
age Rampant. Says Southerner."
signed by NJ. N. Corbett, who says
I that he is A southern man. To a man
who has lived in the south well into
half a century and is conversant with
conditions and practices in that Sec
communication referred to are indeed
puzzlng. Its author is obviously
prejudiced and it is difficult to con-
ceive of a genuine southerner being
so badly misinformed in regard to
practices obtaining in the south.
The statement that the law impos-
ing the penalty of disfranchisement
for conviction of larceny was made
in order to disfranchise as many ne
groes as possible is unworthy of no.
tice. l suggest that this correspond
ent look into the laws of the states
in other sections
Statement Challenged.
The writer states that a sentence
of one year in the penitentiary is
the lightest sentence that can be i'm
posed for such trivial" offenses as
larceny. yet in the same sentence he
says that the judge, upon conviction
of such criminals. would turn them
costs and keep, the convicts for a year.
l challenge the truth of this state
| ment. I should like to have a cita-
tion to the statute or statutes i'm
posing minimum penalty of one
year for petit larceny and authoriz-
ing the court to sell" convicted per-
sons in consideration of court costs
and the keeping of the prisoners for
a year.
1t is a fact that members Of the
colored race are continually finding
themselves in the clutches of the law
| in, a 20 hn
mission of these trivial" offenses.
The law usually imposes fine or a
Jail or "chain gang sentence. To
avoid going to Jail the prisoner in
many instances borrows the none
from some employer of men (not
lender a note 70 rthe money and en-
tering into a contract to work for him
stated time, the loan being repaid
out of wages. This undoubtedly is
abused. but it is "a very present help
in the time Of trouble" and the lender
quite often is the loser. The court
has nothing to do with this plan other
than to release the prisoner upon pro-
duction of the amount of his fine.
Effect OF yagrancy Laws.
Concerning the reference to vag-
rancy laws: Every person informed as
to conditions in the south knows that
the curse of the south is the idle
dustrious negroes whose true friend
is the southerner. Yet there is a
class of negroes in the south who
toll not neither do they spin" They
are the ones who commit the crimes
laid at the door of the negro race.
down at the south is to keep the negro
busy. She vagrancy laws have done
more to curb crime among the negroes
Of the south than any other thing.
To save his own hide Williams
slandered the other farmers Of Geor-
gia. Peonage is wrong morally and
legally and anyone guilty of it should
be punished. If the farmers of Geor-
gia, or North Carolina, or South Caro-
lima, or Alabama, or Mississippi, or
state. are practising this crime they
should be brought to justice and the
law abiding element of those states
will see to it that they are. Yet state
ments such as are made in the article
rfeerred to in the foregoing are in
correct. JOHN McJOHN.
Another Correspondents View.
To the Editor of the Star:
My attention has been called to a
communication in your paper of the
14th inst, signed by NJ. y. Corbett,
which goes considerably further than
anything l have recently read in point
of absolute igronarnce of the subject
1 uc dttCIhplS 10 QlSCuSS. i nave 10 1Ocd
where Mr.. Corbett halls from, but
judging from the manner in which he
! entirely ignores facts, and deals in
| wild flights of pure "moonshine,'
an convinced he has spent but little
If any time in at least one of the
states he mentions.
AS a native Mississippian, where the
greater part of my life has been spent,
| where l am familiar with the negro
| labor question and with the laws and
! mode Of enforcing same. / challenge
Mr.. Corbett to produce evidence to
show AN instance where a circuit
| judge has imposed a fine under the
conditions he named. or a single case
| where a wife and children were held
for the debts of a deceased negro.
| His reference to the vagrancy laws
| of Mississippi and the manner Of en-
forcing them, as well as his entire
| article. are just as different from
facts and true conditions there as is
day from night, and the letter is char
acteristic throughout with lack of
information which should deter any
| man from giving publicity thereto.
One who writes in ignorance of
facts and states in lieu thereof things
that are the reverse Of truth, is more
apt to injure than benefit his cause
and leaves on the mind Of his reader
a strong belief that he is actuated by
ulteriOr motives. r. S. FIELD.