The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, March 14, 1901, Image 1
T.NHE 7PEO PLE S DL
VOL I I.-NO. 7.PICKES SC.THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 9' N OLRAYA
THE ANDERSON LA
Thirteen Men Are
" Free Laborers " Were
OVERSEERS AND GUARDS
LY BEAT
[The special committee of the grand jui
investigate the labor contracts used by ce
with the abuses to negro laborers under t
thirteen men for cruel treatment f lal
dictment of Magistrate J. J. Gilmer for in
which it is charged that Gilmer appropr
dollars. His case is of small importance
who are indicted. The finding of the c
A special correspondent of The State a
writes as follows from Anderson in ad- ti
vance of the report to the grand jury . 1
From time to time for the last year
or two a word has been dropped here N
and there about the "cinch" that An- y1
dersons farmer had in labor, but no in- ti
vestigation has ever before been made n
and the matter (lid not obtain lodg- a
ment in the public mind. Anderson is w
considered one of the most enlightened a(
counties in the State and her negroes e
are supposed to be as intelligent as any S
in the "up country"-much more en
lightened than those living in the lower N
belt of counties. When, therefore, a o
year or two ago during the session of w
the Legislature, when some one asked p
ion. Joshua Ashley how the farmers ti
managed negroes in his county, and he t
replied " We lick 'em," his fellow law- I'l
makers laughed, but gave no weight to bI
the remark. ti
The first time that the (uestioln of N
"slavery" in Anderson was brought to hi
public attention in a serious manner Li
was (dming a debate in the Legislature j
February 1st. A bill introduced by fc
Representative John F. Banks was un- b,
der discussion. It provid(ed for sub- m
mitting to the qualified electors of the Il
State the question whether the juris- st
(iction of the local magistrates, now 11
limited to imposing sentences of thirty 8l
days imprisonment, should be increas- N
ed to three months at hard labur for w
the crime of violation of agricultural t
contracts. The measure was defended
by several members. Representative jt
Bolts, of Georgetown, the only colored le
member in the House, made his first h(
speech of the session in earnest op- v
position to the bill. It was intended d(
to amend the constitution -so that ad- t
ditional punishment could be inflicted e"
on the negro and the negro would have j
no voice in the matter. It was unjust T,
and unnecessary. w
It was at this point that J. (. Wol- in
hng, of Fairfiehl, a large farmer, took la
the floor. Ile opposed the bill. No h(
more laws were needed to enforce labor .1o
contracts. There was a grave ques. ei
Lion as to the right or wrong of these
contracts. As made in some counties m
they were wrong. Continuing, Mr. c(
Wolling said: "I have been told that at
in Anderson County the evil of the sys- s
temn is so extensive and( pronounced F
that men are actually bought andl sold Iii
on the streets of the court house town."
Mr. Ashley sprang to his feet and
made a wrathiful rejoinder, exclaimed
that the people of Anderson were as "
good people as there were anywhere
in the world. Mr. RI. B. A. Robinson, h~
of Anderson, declared that Mr. WVol- si
ling was telling what was not true and 0:
that lie knew it. It seemed for a few tl
moments as if the representatives oi
would come to blows. However, they fi
were pacified andI Mr. Wolling said lie tr
had not intended wvounding the feel- pi
inigs of representatives of Anderson, th
but a member of the Anderson (delega- w
tion was his informant and authority, f<
and lie believed his statement to lbe gi
true-.i
Thle vote on the resolution was (i4 in d
its favor and 42 against, but it required tl
84 to pass such a measure providing si
for a constitutional amcndimenit, so it it
failed. ei
In making its presentment at, the it
regular ternm of court three weeks ago ni
the grand jury of Anderson said: ci
"We have made special investigation 0o
of the labor contract systemi which ai
prevails to a large extent in this county v
aind have found on record a number of A
contracts in which laborers have agreed E
to work undler guards andl be locked up S
at night, receiving practically the same
treatment as conivicts. tL
"Our information is that these con- sa
tracts are not continedl to those plaices ii
where convicts are worked and where hs
stockades exist but have in msome in- 'a
stances been executed to hand owners j
who do not work convicts. Tfo what 'I
extent the provisions of these con- o
tracts have beeni enforced we have ti
been, so far, utbable to ascertain, if Ih
strictly enforced they have led to a vio- a
lation of the law which should at 0once e
be ended. To the end, therefore, that a f~
ful~l investigation should be made andl ti
the law vindicated, we have appointed f
a committee, consisting of IR. A. Sulli- c
van, J1. B. Leverott, ... McFall, .J. T1. h
Millford and~ E. R. Uall, and ask that t
your honor give theni full power to It
swear and examine witnesses, to corn- (
peI the ptroduiction of such papers as t
may be necessary, with the privilege hi
of visiting without hiindiance the stock- y
ades in this county and of having ac
cess to and confei ring with all laboicra v
who are or are suspected of beimg re- &
strained of their liberty under these I
contracts, which committee shall make ,f
BOR CONTRACTS.
To Be Indicted.
Treated As Convicts.
SHACKLED AND CRUEL
THEM.
'y of Anderson County, appointed to
tain parties in that county, together
Iem11, recommended the indictment of
orors and convicts, and also the in
isappropriating court fees. The sum
iated is small, hardly more than fifty
beside that of the other thitteen men
>mmittee was as follows :]
full investigation and report the sa.-ne,
)gether with the evidence taken at the
iecial sesbion of the court which is or
Iredto be held on March 7 unxt."
Later in the week the trial of A. T.
ewell, a farmer, for the murder of
rill hull, a negro laborer, impressed
te matter so forcibly upon 1the judge's
ind that he took vigorous action, and
ado a charge to the grand jury that
as an eloqueut and almost pathetic
Idress, and for which lie has been
immended i every quarter of the
ate.
It developed during the trial that
ewell wisi a cotton planter and was
ic of the dozen private persons to
hon the State in still leasing her sur
us convicts-those not employed ia
e hosiery factory within the walis of
e penitentiary, or on the big State
rms; that Hull was not a convict,
it was a contract laborer; that a short
ie before lie was killedl he had left
ewell's stockade and gone back to
s home to see his wife and children;
it Newell obtained from Magistrate
J. Gilmer, of Anderson, a warrant
r Ili.l's arrest, and was deputized
' Gilmer as his special constable to
ake the arrest; that Newell captured
ill at his home, took him back to the
)Ckade and locked him up; that when
ill next attempted to escape lie was
ot, and killed. The jury acquitted
ewell, his evidence being that Hull
is advancing on him with a stone
idi a knife, and lie shot. in self-defense.
During the progress of the trial
idge Benet receiv( an anonymous
ter from a negro, who said lie with
Id his name because if it was re
aled lie would be killed. The judge
clared lie would make tn exception
his rule and notice such a comuni
tion. le read the letter to the grand I
ry. The writer recited the case of
,m Parks, a negro, who, lie alleged,
is charged with no crime, except bo
g absent from the stockade of his
udlord, who was caught on the court
tuse square in Anderson, and, with
it warrant or trial, and In the pres
ice of policemen and citizens, carried
to the stockade of "Quint" 11am
on1d, one of the largest planters in the
'unty; also the case of Robert, Brown,
Iother negro, who was taken i the
me manner to the stockade of J. 5.
owler, aiiothier lairge planter andl i
iential citizen.
The following is the rep~ort of the
ecial committee of the grand jury :
The prIinicipal work of this conunittee
is been the investigation of the I
ockades of the county anid the abuises
laborers und~er tyrannous contracts
at have grown out of the farming
i, of convicts and tihe working ofi
e laboreis with them. We have
ken the testimony of more that fiftyi
3rsons incliiding! that of the landlords,
cir overseers and guiardls, together
ithi a large nmuber of laborers and1( a
w other citizens. In these inivesti
itionis we have met with every cour-I
sy and generally we have found no
positioni to obstruct our work up)on
Le part, of those whose farms and
ockades we visited. A most careful
quiry failed to reveal that any gen
al abuse of the laboring class exists
Sthis county, so that our work 8001)
irrowed dlown to those pllaces where
mnvicts were employed and to two
her places where stockades existed
1(1 free laborers were employedl. We
sitedh the farms of J. JBelton Watson,1
. T. Ne well, P. B. Allen, J. R. M iller,
lias McGee, WV. Q. Hammond and ..
Fowler.
We are unable to 1find any abuses at
te farm of .J. B. Watson. lie has a
ockade and1( works free laborers, but
e fouand no0 evidlence that the free
borers were put in the stockade or
orked in line with the convicts, or sub)
ected to aiiy illegal restraint or abuse.
lie same thing was true at the farm
P'. B. Allen. We found that lie had
Lkeni two contracts in which the
borers atgreedl to work uinder guanrd
ad( 1)e locked up at night, but his own
vidence and~ that, of all the laborers so
ir as we couldh ascertain was that,
iese p~rovisionis hiad never becen en
>rcedl. A. 'T. Newell works State
mnvicts and has a stockade, but he
as worked no free laborers along with
1o convicts until recently, wheni lie
as taken two contracts of that sort.
ine of these was the case of the uiifor
mate negro Will hulh who was killed
y WV. S. Newell a few weeks ago and
rhose case is referred to above.
.J. Rt. Miller formerly wvorked con
icts, but they were taken away by the
tate and lhe nIow employs only ''free''
tbor, if md sed we may use the word
ree to deoscrib~ed those laiorer who
have signed his contracts and subjecter
themselves to the conditions existini
on his farm. lie has a stockade whici
was originally built for his State con
victs, and his contracts provide tha
the " frec " laborers will work undei
guard and will allow themselves to b<
locked up at night.
Our first investigations at this plac<
were met by a btatelent from the ne.
groes that they were satisiled withi
their treatment, but their manner in
dicated coercion and subsequently wc
imade further investigations whici
convince(! us that J. It. Miller and hi,
overseer, .1. A. Emerson, had been
guilty of whipping negroes, locking
them up at night, of working then
under guarl and putting shacklee upon
them. Among these unfortunates
were John Harrison, Will Wright
Warren Sloan and Lige Jones. We
found several of Mr. Miller's contracts
left blank as to time of service and
amount to be paid, though the contracts
were duly signed and witnessed. li
the case of Warren Sloan lie sceens to
have been arrested by J. It. Miller and
another man, whose name we could
not ascertain, near Central in Pickens
County; there is testimony that no
warrant was exhibited if any existed,
but lie was handcuffed and taken to
Miller's stockade and kept there until
this investigation began. Since our
first visit to this stockade he was
turned loose and allowed to go home
In our judgment the said .1. It. Miller
and J. A. Emerson should be present
ed by the grand jury for the ofTences
above mentioned, and we so recoi.
mend.
In many respects the most remark
ble case coming under our notice wis
diat of Elias McGee who has never
Biployed State convicts, but who
b~uilt a stockade and prepared to I reat
is laborers as convicts. Ilis con
.racts provide that the laborers shall
be worked itudler guard and locked up
it night, and there was abundant evi
lence to show that lie had locked up
n the stockade, worked under guard,
Ind whipped his laborers. Among them
vho suffered i part or all of these
kbuses are Wesley Norman, llandy
[Carle, Yance Smith, Geo. Tilley, John
2linkscales Clarenec (Gaillard, Evins
Webb, Louis Alexander, Morris Jor.
[an. Some of these negroes had been
irrested, and signed contracts after
>eiug put under arrest. John Clinks
ales was accused by Elias McGee of
tealing coin, was brought to Anders3on
iand-cuffed, and after lie had signed a
ontract, but without any trial, was
urned over to W. Q. Iaiiond who
arried him to the latter's stockade.
rVe think the Grand Jury should make
iresentment against I.lias McGee and
ve so recommend.
W. Q. Ilammond runs a large farm
n1 this county aid employs a consider
ible number both of State convicts
oid "free" laborers. His contracts
>rovide that the "free'' laborers shall
)c worked under guard and locked up
it night and they suffer illegal im
>risonment, and more, for the evidence
hows that a number of these unfoi tu
iates have been worked under guard
mnd gun, have been locked up at night
md on Sundays, and have been shock
d and whipped. Among those who
tffered these things at the hands of
Ar. Hammond and his overseers, Win.
Bailey, James Martin and---Day,
ire the following: Lshanm Abercrom
ie, .Pink Itogers, ,Jamnes Clinton, .John
lewey, Tom Parks, Charley Johnson
Lnd John Clinkscales. Several of
hiese were in jail at the time of our
xam in ation. They had b)en in dictedl
ast, fall for gambling, had been with
mut trial until this inivestigationi began,
yhen he surrendered thenm back to the
her If.
Th'le negro, Tomn Parks, whose case
.vas called to the attention of the
~rand~ jury by the presidinig judlge was
cleasedI ahnost uniediately thereafter.
[Ie was taken lorcibly and without
rial, under one of the harqh contracts
ibove referred to, andl coniliin :d in tihe
stockade, worked with thec convicts,
ird suffereci the other atbuses above
nnentionied until this invest igatin was
Jegun. We learn that perhaps a score
>f other laborers hel undler similar
3ontracts have left this rm during the
)ast fewv weeks. One of them, P'ink
lRogers, states that lhe was given a
whipping of fifty lashes by Wim. Bailey
it tihe stockade.
We thinik that thme facts dlisclosed
Iemuand~ that WV. Q. Haimmondh, Janes
Niartin, W m. Bailey and--Day
should be presented by the grand jury
ror the violation of law above men
aionedl and we so recommendl.
J. S. Fowlcr, who (irst used1 the con
bract providing for "free'" laborers to
bie treatedl as convicts, worked undi~er
guard, locked up), etc., empllloys a coni
niderable number of coinvicts and~ also
f the so-called "free'' laborers, lie
has two stockades one of wvhich is
tmder the sup~ervisioni of James Cook
mid which was formerly managed by
Willis McGee; the other is under the
uharge of Levi Thomas. At thiese
farms the convicts andl "free"' laborcrs
have been worked together undera
gu~ardl who carried a gun, they have
been locked up at night, and sorme of
them whipped. There wvas nio evi
hence of any of thenm having been:
shackled. Sonic of them had been ac
cused of trivial offenses and were put
tinder contiract to work out, 'lebils or t(
repay money advanced for them.
James Evins, Ihaylis A rter, Alonzc
Lark, Frank Ilowlan, John Bell,
Robert Brown, Foster Butler, D~ari
11111, Willis Iharper, .Joe Whitfield, ,Jimr
Rtice , .John Gilliamn, Turner Walker,
Andr'cw Dobbs, D)ock Freeley anm
Drayton Wheeler are some of thi
negroes who have been confined ii
Mr. Fowler's stockades. Willis Mc
Gee, Jamnes Cook, Levi Thomas
George Thoma arnd Mike Iobbin
1 should have presentment mado againist
( them by the giand jury for whipping
k different ones of these negroes.
Willis Mc(ee was especially cruel.
l It was testiied that lie had given th '
negro Baylis Arter 100 lashes on one
occasion, and that he whippet Holiert
Brown most severely and cruelly and
on one Occ-asion shot live times at
-Drayton Wheeler, one of the bullets
passing through Wheeler's hat. The
testimony goes to show that George
Thomas shot at Dock Frecl~y and that
he was also ready at the whippings.
Andrew Dobhs was found to be suffer
ing from rheumatism, which ho says
was brought on by being compelled to
stanid almost waist deep in mud and
water in colHi weather, ditching. Ile
was arrested by A. M. Bailey, who has
been acting as a sort of constable for
J. S. Fowler, but was never tried. .1.
A. Rice is a negro of rather weak
mind, who was captured in Georgia by
Elias McGee and charged with having
escaped from J. S. Fowler's stockade
inl this county. Upon being brought
here it was found that lie was not the
man he was suspectled of being, but
neertheless after being kept for sev
eral days in tho stockade lie entered
into one of these l'abor contracts and
has been in the stockaile for several
Months, though unwillii'gly there. A
number of "free" laborers have left
Mr. Fowler's farm since these investi
gations vero first begun, but some un
willing ones were still in the stockades
when we Vi8ited them.
We found n1o evidenlcce to colnect
Mr. Fowler in any way with the whip
ping of these laborers, but he wits a
party to tihse contracts which pro
vided for the illegal imnprisoiinment and
vorking under guard of the laborers
and is responsible for those provisions
being enforced and that presenitmnent
should be made against him therefor.
We submit herewith the memorauda
of testimonly which we have taken
which will simv to tile court and solic
itor more fully the facts which we
have reporied an( will enable them to
get the iames of the witnesses to prove
such facts. It is proper that we should
add that much of the abuse has alremiy
been c)rrected as a result of this in
vestigation and that some of the par
ties have been to us with the assurance
that they woni( immediately correct
the evils existing on their farms to
which we have called attention.
Owing to the widespread influence
and effeet that follows any public dis
cussion of the q1uestioni of farm labor
inl this State and the result that may
follow a presentment such as we po
pose it is proper that we should in
closing this report enter into a brief
discusioni of the influences that have
brought, about the evils reported and
make suggestions as to the remedies
therefor. We have heard rumors that
this investigation has alheady created
a widespread interest and that the con
ditions have been discussed with some
feeling but we have as far as possible
avoided reading anything published or
said in this respect ill older that we
might pursue our investigations with
out any ifluence or bias from any
quarter. The question of farn. labor
in this State is a very dillicult one and
the present laws regulating the santo
are insuflicient.
The negroes whom we found con
fined in the stockade were composed
largely of a class of shiftless debtors
who are subject to indictment for petty
offenise, and1( w~ho could not be success
fully wvorked under ordinary contracts.
They are men01 who have no property,
andl men0 whlo evadle their debts unliess
comlpdlledl to pay them. Against them
the process of a civil court is worth
less; that (if the criminal court under
existing laws is inadeqluate. Some
thing should 1)e don1e by the legislature
to grade the punishmtient of this class
accor'dire to the offence. liut the
worst trouble has not been in the de
fect. of the provisions of the law so
much as its enforcement. I t has come
to 1b0 a settled plolicy in this county
that indictment for violation of con
tract, and for disposing of propert~y
unde10rrin shouiild be comapromiised,
and not ried. We arceconvincedl I hiat
this is wrong ini priieiple and danger
Whatever nijustice miay 1be (don1 ani
indlividlual b~y <hsposmig of property on
which lie hats lien, or by the violation
of a contract by onie of his emuployes,
and1( whatever force miight be given to
the effect, of penal statutes t.o induce
payment of (debts or fttlfillment of con
tract a that never has beenl the trute ini
tent and puripose of the penial statutes.
They are enacted to prievenit ptiblic
wrong, andl when a pr'osecuitioni hais
on1ce been instituted and the power of
the criminal court invoked, the qties
tion of private recompense should (dis
appear, and the pubihlic interest alone
shiould be conlsidIered. While this may
result in occasional hardships, it is the
only sate policy. Abuses will othber
wise grow ump until the crinmmal et1~rts
are degradled into machines for private
gain, and~ often for ex tortion ad op
p1 ession. In our1 judgimnt it should
be a crime to comlpromnise any ease
after inidictment found with a view of
p)rivate gain.
Nor can we cond~ens~i too severely
that other fruitful source-in fact, the
origin of the abuses herein rep~ortedl
the leasing out of convicts to work on
plrivate farms. Evils already dletailed
are too cluqueint to niecessitatte a dlis
cusi8Bon to pirove this. Such a system
should not 1)e tolerated after its results
have been exposed atS in this county.
We have heard it intimarnted that our
investigations and exposures would
I (disturb) the labor condiltions to sulch an
extent as to create trouble in this
State. We dho not believe that it is
- true, but if it were we would not hesi
,tate to declare the evils we find andl to
demandh1( that they should be abolished.
The dnty of this body is plain: We
iniust stop the violations of law that
flow exist, and if others begini On the
part or the laborers themselves, then
we will unite with the law-abiding
citizens of the Couinty inl pIIIIisling 1(anI
teriiuiating these evils.
The result of our ivestigations
show that the system of working
laborers under guard and confining
them inl stockudes does not exist in this
county further than we have reported.
I rooably not a1s maly as twenty men,
either as principal or agent, either di
rectly or indirectly, have been engaged
In this abuse. Oi the other hand, the
number of laborers and lietiors who
have violated the law will double that
number many titues.
We therefore reiterate that the inl
Iluence of this grand jury, and we do
not hesitate to say of the court also,
will not be extended to enable any
man to avoid a just contract, and that
we have found that lmost of the labor
contracts of the county are legal and
just. If violations of just contracts
begin as a result of the investigations
we have miiade, we suggest that wai
raints be sworn out and prompt punisi
mont given. We have not undeitaken
to asstume the responi4bility of prose
cuting tile laborers who have violated
their Contracts, becaause the position
and influence of the lanlord makes
them fully able to do Ihat without. as
sistanicie frmuill us. This special report
has been broiuht abot'l 1 :a because of the
oppression and abuse of n01 who were
too poor, too frielidless. tIoo iviorant
and often too degralded to act for
themselves, but whio are nevettheless
entitled to the fill protection ol the
law, and who because of tlt ir weak
ness live a pectiliar climii to our pr1
tection.
All of which is respectfully sub
rHIR'IS NO GOOD IN NIEGRO
Bill Arp Coninents Upon Book
Written by a Carpet-Bag
Negro.
'The ratce problem has bobbed ill)
lgaill at the North. The lion. \illiam
llnnibal Thomas out-Herods Ilerod in
his deninciation of tihe negro and The
New York- NX seems to indlorse hlim.
Thoilas is a liegiro freeborn in Ohio,
Itit clime down to South Carolina and
servedl ill the ctrpetbag li egislature
luring tihe recoit'truction period and
afterwards held judicial oflie(, and
mays inl the preface to his book that he
has been studying the inegro for thirty
ycars and is more and more confirmed
11 his opinion that there is no good in
[lim-neither socially, morally, in
lustrially ox, politically. Ilis remark
ble book has recently issued from tie
vell-known press of thie Macmillan
.o , in New York, and The New York
itin devotes at t good part of a page in
'ev'iewinlg it.
The author says the race is slowly,
it surely degene rat ing-t hlt the ie
;ro is by ntilrc a savage with an in
'0111 ferocity and knows nio suich lmo
Jion as mercy---that he is a beast in
uis domllestic relaticuIs an1d will sell tle
irtuie of his wife or his daughters ain1
OSe no social position amonilg his peo.
Ile or inl his chui ch. That tlie negro
weacliers are, the worst of' thu race.
I'hey stalk into negro sancturies,
aversahdluow the pews, mvade thle pe
'ints (of domlest ic life' aiti despoil the
famdliy and1( yoke v'irgini inn~ocenlce with
brazen.0l gilit. That,1 the niegro churchles
ire d1ehaxuching rendezvous. Thai~t ne
gro religion is ia far'ce and1 wvorthiless to
reform or regenerate themi and~ the
mo(st heinous crimes are commlllit ted by
those whot readt andlwit e iI ii are
memllbers of niegro) chulrchies. lie says
hat the negro is a bru tte inl tile comn
mllission of cimel and1( is ai cra~ven
eowariid aufter it is comiitted and1( when~
rauight anid punllishedt believes imsel f
at ma11 tyr', amt1( if he0 eIscapes the gallows
would repeat h1is erimue with no0 sense
of' wrong (doing. lie has not concdep
tionl of' virtue or trutth ,no feaxr of hll
or' damnation, buxt with the hiangm ani's
r'ope around his neck is goinig si raight
to heaven.
Theli author mihily c'1(ondemns lynch
ing for certain outrages, nlot becaiuse it
is cruxel or illegal, but because it dloes
nlot deter othe ni'iegi ties from similar
outrages. lie says, however, thaxt hie
has nlot yet found that an innlocent.
maln has ever'101 b 1en iynched . ie ad
voenltes force as thle 01n1 practical re
mledy for the negro--force-conitrol
sub1jec'tioni to tile white race, nlot ill a
state (of slaveily as before the war, but
inl one of fear ando obed(ienceO. I~e
goes still fuirtheri and suggests the ex
terminlationl of the in fer'ior' loments o~f
tile race because it is better to have
m111hviodual exteri'nation than raco ex
tinct ion. lBut space forbids more' (of
these anlathlemals, and1( the wonlder is
that thle book was written by a necuro
of tixe North and that a reputable
pulisinilg house5 wold~ chauperon it be
fore tile Northlern people1 and that a
Nor'thlern edlitor, who has been1 for
year's and~ years lampooning thxe Southl
Oirn peopl)1 about the negro, shotuld
nlow give t his boo(k hlis q1uasi imlorse.
mcnllt.
Whbat (1oes all thlis miean ? W<
knew that thley didl not love the negir<
at Akron and~ P'ana, nlor inl the slulmx
of New York city, but we thought lit
was still safe iln the san~ctum~ sancetorun
of Republican edlitors. Whatt is be
hind1 this nlew dlepairture?
An agenit 11as recently beenl to 0ou
towii distributing senlsatlinal circullar')
about a new boo0k just issuied in St.
Louis inwhich theO au1thor asser1'ts t~hat
the ngro is at bea5st and( lie tries to
prove it iby tihe Bible as well as8 by3
SCienltifIc reseax'ch. TIhis book i8 bult a
revival of a foi 1mer1 book called ''A riel,"
and( publllished~ about thirty years ago.
It is reOthrleshin~g of old str'aw, btt
lieems to be a brand new (octrine u
North and has tle inidlorselment o(
numerous preachers and college pro
fessors. One preacher up in lains
it, if it had been written fort'
ago there would have been in
ar, for their people would no
II light for the freedom of a lot o
beasts. Then aigaln I see in a.i recent
editorial in I Rlepublican paper an evi
dence of weakness and reaction aboul
the negro and the editor asks, " Car
it be possible that the two huitildred
millions of money sent by the North
to educate the Southern negro has tall
heen wasted?" Apologies ate now inl
order.
lin addition to all this it has been as
serted by those who know, that AI.
McKinley has changed front, and that
110 moie niegroes v will be appointed to
oflice. Is the North about to abandon
the negro and turn him over to the
mercy of his former masters? If so,
the negro will be tle gaiiner, and s0
will the South. That is all we have
asked for all these years---just to be
let a lone. 'T'lhey were oIr negroes be
fore the war and they are our negroes
yet. We don't give them ollice nor
allow them to sit, oil llr juries, 1101
ride ilu our cars, nor find lodging in
our hotels, nor take pews in our
Churches, and but for Norlhern inter
ference they wouhl not have been al
lowed to vote, either State or uatitonal
or iminicipal, hii we iay them for
their labor and ive them a fair- chiea
tion. Iut for lear of shockinlg our
Nirthern friends the whiipping 1 post
would have long sinlieu' been41 the oirce
that Thoias says ilist he used, and
theni the i,000 that are in the State
and counity chai ngaigs of Geot gia
would have been rlllced to .)00 or a
less number. A bad negro wiho fears
not (God nor regards imani, cares not 1
great deal tot tle gallows an1d less for
thehaigang, and nothing filr a term
in jail, but lie does drea:1 a good whip
pi ing. We old iasters all remember
that. One good whipping will ha1t a
negro for years. The chaingaing et
teets no reform and does not last six
motbs. but tle average negro does
not neied corporal punisliment ofte ;
lie needs a boss3.
Th1oim1as ib riglit whien1 hV declares
that they are getting wors ii'iteat of
better, e.specially in the towns and1h
cities. Itearl the Atlanta paxpers and
ask the Atlanta police. Ask .Judg
I royles to compare tie records of his
couirt. Ask the judge and solettor of
aiy court. They are growing worst
everywhere, except on the farms and
plantations, where they are controllet
by landlords, who are iearly as muel
their masters as in the olden tinies
If they don't use physical force theo
exercise a will power that exacts ith
utmost obedience. Tle landlord is (hie
boss.
Thomas is right when lie asserte
that they have 110 conception of do
mestic virtue an(] morality. They
seldom marry according to law, but
just, take till and guit wheni they feel
like it. There are more negro child
ren inl this town and everyother town
who are born out of wedlock than
those who are born in it. Neither
ni nor wile nor church member loses
caste for itorious infidelity to the
marriage relation. As Thomas says
most of thh preachers are on that Iino.
Fight negro preachers are niow1 in our
State cin1igaig and as niy miore inl
lhe counity ganigs. I asked a niegro
lhe othier mday what. they tiniedl thei r
p reacher ilf foir, amd h le said " it were
for somec oiireglarit ies.'' Sonme of our
negro schocol Ieachiers it, thie samie re
puttat ii andl have to ste do~llwni and~
ot. We hadl 4one here a few yearis
ago who was highly edIulcated and
wrolte a beatitifut letter, but lie got to
kidlnpinhg little thlin gs andh ran away
in the unigh t and dlident stop uint il lie
gcot to A frica andI was mnade a b ishop.li
14it. Thomas (does lnt, tell us5 ho4w t~o
exteriiinate them, nior where to draw
Ih li ine betweeii the inif erior classes
aind thos iOCwho1 shiall be al lowedl to live
andI unutil Iy. lIIe exhaust a hiis iindig..
nalit ion wvithticm defiin bg thle mode and14
mannercm of the remiecdy, I suppose we
miighit t ranspor1t lie iiien aiid boys (IveI
to Itle 1Ph1iliin1ies andic turn the armay
loose illpon1 thiemi,hi bu that would lbe ex
penisive, dor we iiighit drive themii oul
Winest andc let lthem starve to death ot
he killed off by the Indianis. Ainyway
wotil satisfy Th'omnas if it exter-mi
naited all the had oiies. We are dii
reaisconably well 01n that, line, for be
.sicdes the lynehings for- the uisual crime
which I hope1 will be kept up diligenit
ly, we have retired ab~out 5i,000 t
pr1ivate life ii the chaingangs of (Get
gia, and 15 ,000 mor-e in other Sotuther
States.
That amnouiits to a p)artil externm
nation and( is better, for we get, thiei
labor (luring the prlocess. We ougl
to take uip every trilling vagablond an
send him there, for idleness is thi
pareiit of vice and( crimie. I f he hai
dlone somie-th ing send hiim for docing
and1( it hie hadent done anything thle
send hiim for cdoing niothing. And a
for t hose snatch thieve us w ho are pm11
suing and robbinhg the 111adies of Atlhmt
I wouldent send thema to the chaingaryh
tinltil the y liad b eeni whipped on1ce 1
week for a month. Vorce is the thong
-- -the force of a ccowhuide onl the' nikaed
skin. Th'lat is the remledy for bliack
ainc white in Ili'ware, and nit Iher a
siiatchi thief nor a bank rcobber darecs
tol stop ini thie State. They lhuirry
thIirough to aniothier State where t here
is no0 whiippinig piost. When we get. s
I d-gislare Ithat has got wisdlom antl
mocral coura'ige enoutgh to exterminata
thme dogs and1( protect the sheep thlej
will re-establish the whipping post.
Blut about the licasty book that sayi
the negroi( hias no0 sou1l, 1 supposei
was mnufiuacturedl to sell and1( foo
somieblpoy. As my nigger IBob one'
said to Nabor Freeman: "~ Efen~u
white man got a sotul and a nigge
To produce the best results
in fruit, vegetable or grain, the
fertilizer Ised must contain
(1nou1gi Potash. For partic
ulars see our pamphlets. We
send them free.
GluFRAN KAL.I WORKS,
93 N.awit: YtNe ork.
haint. got no soul how about a mel
Inter ?" That's a conundrum. And
how about the In(ians and Chinese
an( Cubans an(d the Arabs, How
much coloring (oes it take to germi
nate a soul? How about such high
min(led philaithropic negroes as Book.
,r Vasllington, Presi(lent Councill,
Bishop Gaiies, Bishop Turner and the
bishop of ILouisiana, who are domng
their utmost to reform their race. I
had( rather risk them and many other
oo( negroes for souls and salvation
than many a white man I know. Iow
about my faithful Tip, who was born
and raised in our family and has been
loyal an( loving to his mistress and
her children all these years, and how
about olbl-time set'vants in almost
every family who owned negroes andt
whose dlevotion never died when free
(10111 camie ?
No. Letl Thomas and Company
write books to perplex the North and
make money for themselves, but let its
1111 or negroes alone. .1 list keep
hands oftf 111( we will manage them.
We neied them in our fields and fur
naces and1 mines and on our railroads.
But for their labor as slaves the South
woul(d have been tifty years behind in
the clearinig of our forests, milding
0111 railroads aind (levelopilg our
iniiteral resources. But for them the
South would be imuntidated with a horde
of foreigners who brig with them all
sorts of isms and religions and strikes.
The icgro has his faults, but if his
presence will keep ininigrants away
t will be a blessing. It is still the
(estiuny of tile South to perpetuate an
uncontaminate(d white race who will
save the republic from anarchy and
ruin or from mperialism.
131 ,L A imi.
P. S.-We read that extermination
has begun at Terre iHaute and Indianap
olis. I hope Ihanniibal is happy.
1. A.
T111 NEW PE.NSION LaAw.-The
Columbia correspon(leit of the Neows
and0 Courier writes as follows about the
workil's of the new pelsioll Jaw:
"tIt may be unexpected, aiid it rIuay
appear remarkable, but, it is none the
less a fact, there are fewer applications
f or pensionrs this year than usual. Thes
falling off in the State's pension list
may be aiccoiunt ed1 for~ ini several ways,
but, the likelihood is that it is largely
duel to lie fact that under the new law
01(1 applications and1( paplers were rnot
regarded ats suflicient and new papers
w~ere requiredl. The county of Spartan
burg alone shows a redluction of one
hundi~redl and fIl ty peinsioners, andl it
may be that the new board for Spartan
burg is iiot lettIng so many North Caro
limnins slip in as has heretofore been
charged. Miss Maher, the clerk in
charge of the paes finds1 that in
every county from which the records
have been examm ied there has been a
conlsiderablle falling off, and this will
- necessarily mean a hitrge proportioniate
share of the fund for each of those still
on the lists.
"The blanks are gotten up with
great care, andl it ought to be an easy
matter to get the information correctly
and have the regulations complied
with. Ini ones batch alone fifty p~ension~
blanks will have to be returned, ail
though approvedl by the county boamrd,
,simply because the plain and dirc~t
' form , imlade ini compl~iance with the
3 law is, not followed. The forms rc
'iqire the signatures of two witnesses
1 who new of their own knowledge that
thle applicant , if a soldier, or the hius
- band, if thie pensioni ho for a widow,
r ee ini the Souitheorniarmy. This re
t- gureet is oftenl neglected. Ini some
53icas only one5 witness5 signs amid all
sue bpapjers havie 10 b'e returned for
I correction.
t"f t wvill necessarily 'take Lime for
1 these blanks to be perfected as they
s ought to have been before they were
- sen to Columbia, and there wil doubt
less be ecmplaints about, the delay, but
the fault is with the county autho~rities
ini not properly preplaring the papers
bef ore they are sent to Columbia.'
N orthi Carolinmma's labor commissioner
repiorts that 82 per cent. of adutlt em
pl03e and 111118 pe cent of chzildreni
read~ and1( write.
CASTOR IA
For Infants andi Ohildren.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
B ars the