The Batesburg Advocate, 1901-03-13

j ? ,MV ?? . * a* a liipi i?UU J A. Emerson should bo presented by tho grand jury for tho cifanacB abovo mentioned, ?nu wo so icoommtnd. kuab mcork s plan. Id many rcspcots the most mm*''.ablo otso coming under our coti' . is that of Elias Mcgoe, who has no\ _r om ployed State convict?, but who built a stockado and prepared to troat his la borers as convicts. IIis contraots pro vide that the laborers shall bo worked under guard and looked up at night and there war abundant cvidenoo to Bhow that bo ht.d locked up in the stockade, worked under guard and whipppod his laborers Among those who suffered a rart or all of these abuseso were Wesloy Norman, Handy ldtrle, Vance Smith, (Jeorgo Tilly, John Clinkscalcs, Clar onoo (jMilliard, Evins Wood, Louis Alexander, Morris Jordan. Some of these negroes had been arrested and signed contracts after being put under arrest. .John Ciink cilcs was accused by Elias McQcc of stealing cora, was brought to Anderson handoutf id and after he had sigaed a contract, but without any trial, turned over to W. Hammond, who carried him to the latter's stockade. Wo think the grand jury should make presentment against Elias McGoe, and we so rcooinmeud. W. Hammond runs a largo farm in this county and employs a considerable numoer both of Slate convicts and "free" laborers, llis contracts provide that the "freo" laborers shall bo worked' under g*.ard acd locked up at night, and they suffer th;s illegal imprisonment and more, for the tvidenoe shows that a cum'-or of these unfortunates have been worked under u *rd and gun, have been locked up at night and on Sundays and have b.on shackKd and whipped. Among those who suffered these thiegs at the hands of Mr. Ham mond and Lis overseers, Win. liailey, James Martin ard Hay, are the following: Ishatn Abcrcromoio, l'ick Uogers, James Ciintion, .John llowey, Tom l'arks, Charley Johnson and John Cltnkseilcs. Several of those wcro in jail at tho time of our examination, fbcv lud been indicted last fall for gambling, bad been takon out of j ail on bond by Mr Hammond and kept at his farm without trial until the inveBtigaback to the sheri^^^^C^^^r"^^ ,-7lT The negro, ca<?o |

ww u w l tw wv& i?i o rcauiv ui iu1h in* vesiigation and that some of (ho parties havo been to ua with tho assurance that they would immediately oorreot th' -evils existing on thoir farms to i- .tich wo havo oallcd attention. Owing to tho widespread influence and (if ot that follows any public dis cussion of tho quoation of farm labor in this State and tho result that many follow a presentment such as wo pro poso it iB proper that we should in clos. ing this icport enter into a br'cf discussion of tho influences that have brought about 4ho ovila reported and make suggestions as to tho romodies therefor. Wo havo hoard rumors that this investigation has already created a widet pread interest and that tho conditions have-been discussed with some feeling bu< wo have as far as possible avoided reading anything published or said in this respect in order that we might pursuo our investigations without any influence or bias from any quarter. Tho question of farm labor in this State is a very difficult one and the present laws regulating tho sarno aro insufficient. Tho negroes whom wo f<t>nd confined in tho stockado woro composed largely of a clasj of shiftless debtors who arc subject tc indictment for potty offenso, and who could not bo snoooss fully worked undor ordinary oontraots. They arc men who havo no property, and mon who evade their dcbis udIcsb compelled to pay them. Against them tho process of a civil coutt is worth less; that of tho criminal eourt under existing laws is inadequate. Somothing should bo done by the legislature to grade the punishment of this olass according to tho offcnco. But the worst ircuble has not been in the defect of 1 the provisions of tho law so much as 1 its enforcement. It has come to bo a icttlcd policy in this county that in ' lictmcct for violation cf contract and 'or disposing of property under lien ' ihould bo compromised, and not tried. ( Wo are oonvinoed that this is wrong in principle and dangerous in praotice. Whatever injustice may bo dono an J ndividual by disposing of proporty on vhich he has lien, or by tho violation ] >f a contract by ono of his employes, 1 tnr) irkftfurar f^?

mo 01 The followirg is the text of tho act w passed at the recent session of tho gen- fi cral asecmbly in regard to tho making <i of returns of property for taxation, a U1 measure which is of oonoeiD to the pco p,( plo of tho cnt're S ate: #1 An act to amend scotion 4 of an act entitled "An act to further provide for the return of property for taxation," [j approved the 2nd day of M?roh, A. 1)., l, 1897, so as to make township assets :rs, aJ equalizers as well as assessors of prop ]0 erty. 8coti n 1. Bo it CDaeted by tho gen cral assembly of tho State of South a? Carolina, that section 4 of an act en 1' titled "An act to further provido for f? tho return and assessment of property ti for taxation, approved the 2nd day of Si March, A. D., 1897, bo amended by h1 striking out in line 20 the words "but ca not" and inserting in lieu thereof the ^ word "or," and by inserting on lino 40 between tho words "greater"' and U "them" tho words "by one hundred dol lars or more," aod that said section bo *r further amended by inserting tho fol- " lowing words between the words 80 "them" and "said" in lino 27 of the kt section, to wit: "tut they shail Dot ra duei tho aggrcgato value of real and to personal property below the aggregate & value thereof as returned to the county 8* auditor," so that caid section 4, when an so au.ci.ded shall read as follows: co Section 4 Tho township board of of commissioners and special Loud of as- ho scssors shall meet annually on the first to Tuesday in March, or as bood there- 00 after as practicable, at some convenient St place for tho purpose of performing 'o tho duties devolved upon them. It co shall ho their duty to carefully eon a ' t-ider the returns and lists laid before ha them by tho county auditor aid if P* necessary to compare the same, with th the tax return and duplicate of the 00 previous year or years. They shall de diligently seek foi and discover all ab property, both real and personal, in flh their respective tax districts not pre- tr< vitusly returned by the owner cr oo

wnu V/Ulib is iniamoua. 11 you aon t think bo read what wo print below from tho Columbia State: Tho Latin raccB aro accustomed to sneer at tho hypocrisy of tho AngloFaxon. Frenchman, Spaniard and lUl ian regard cant as a chartotcristio of Bitish and Amerioan expression, and they marvel much at tho curious bent of mind which oauso* tho men of theBO nations to oloak all their evil purposes with the pretonoc of high and holy motives. Kven moro do tney marvel at thia hecau o tho oloak is threadbare from ovcrmuoh use and utterly fails to conceal that which it attompta to oovor. The solomuity of this moral pretcnco is mado even moro absurd by its utter fatuity. Doea tho Anglo Saxon buo coed in fooling himsolf? askt the Latin; how oan he? And as ho cm neither doludo himsolf nor tho rcRt of mankind by tho assumption of holiaesa in h:fl worst works, what is the use of it all? Tho Latin is right. In this respect the Anglo Saxon ia his inferior, for ho not only aina as freely as any other in dividual of the human family but he aids to that sin tho further vioo of hypocrisy?and all to no iffoot except the creation of a universal diagust. The Latin docs not trouble himself to bo hj paorit'c .1. IIo takes a pleasure rather in being frauk about the mo lives for his wickednesses. If he wishos to conquer another ho admits that ho does so for tho sake of glory; if ho wishes to seize upon tho property of another ho acknowledges that he is actuated by tho desiro for loot; if ho wishes to appropriate tho rights of mother ho proclaims that ho docs it for tho sake of power. lie is above tho contemptible meanness of alleging that he indulges these appetites simply for the good of tho victim. When the United States went to war with Spain in ordorto "liborato" Cuba, 3paniarda and Frenohmon, relying up>n their generalization of tho AngloSaxon character, insisted that the pledge contained in tho Teller resolu Lion would bo violated and that a way would bo found to hold tho Cubans in lubj-ction to the oonquerors. Timo has nr^o^thaUtho^^?to^i^ht^|i^jj^^ |

a (cuius mcrooi or not listed for taxa- wt lion by the county auditor, and there- j>' upon ii 6hail be their duty to list the 84 sauio for t txation in tho name of the owner or poison to whom it is taxable, ih ^ diatnot, er entering upor^n^^^^P|fe aod lists furnished thorn. And mo'shall have tho right in performing their duties (horcunder to increase or to lower the te valuation of any property real or per wi sonal as fixed by the county auditor, or in as returned by any person; and it shall di not bo deemed material whether the ro- gi turns so increased was intentionally or ec unintentionally false, or whether the b< property whoso valuo is so raised was <J intentionally or unintentionally ro m turned at less than its fair cash valuo ai by the county auditor, and upon the le lists made out by them, the valuation d: fixed by them "but they shall not reduce gi the aggregate valuo of real and pir- h sonal property below the aggregate si value thereof as returned to tho county t< auditor," said returns and li t?, with a said valuation, to be by them laid be- u fore tho county auditor on or beforo. h the 3rd Tuesday cf March of eaoh year v i xccpt that for tho township of Kioretcs if in the county of Florenoc for tho year d 18H7, tho sauio to bo laid beforo the ti county auditor on or beforo the 31st of a March. Provided, however, that real d estate shall bo valued and assessed by said boards only in those years when real estate is by law required to bo te turned, except that raiu hoards may in any year value aud assess any real es- 8 tato and improvements thc.eoD which r they may ascortaia or diseover had not 11 previously been retured or assessed v tor taxation. Whenever tho valuation ^ and assessments of any property is c fixed by said boards, at a sum greater 1 t>y ooe hundred dollars more than tho 1 amount returned by tho owners or his 1 agents, or whenever any" property is c valued and assessed to taxation -which 1 has not been previously returned, it ' shall be the duty of the county auditor

| ? in/UlO VjUl U? I II O Jlglll I of April 18, 1898, when tho fauiou: reso1 lutiom went bsc'i ?nd forth bctwocn tho two houses until they ?ame to a final agreement which let slip the ar mica of tho Uuitea States for the (iutt o:patioD of tho llopublio of Cuba from the thrall of Spaio. Snator Stewart regarded "tho ro cognition of tho iodepondenoo of Cuba as a c "Edition precedent to any inter f rcnoo wha over." Ho roj udia'od all suggestion of "hostilo constraint on pa'r.ots who havo struggled as tho Cuban patriots havj." It was "with much hesitation and iiiuoh sadness" Senator liawley diseased the declaration of the independence of Cuba which ho opposed. Our own Senator Culloin denounced Sjain as a robber nation, and appealed to every "lover of freed y-n and humanity tho world over" to fu.ther tho sactel causo of Cuban indupondenoo. In concluding his speech on the question April 15, 1898, this what Sona tor Teller said in repudiating the idea of a war of agurandizemoat: ' Mr. P.esideat, I want tho senate, bofore wo conclude this debate, to fay to tho world in tho mod cotpha'io manner that wo do not in'ord in any waj or manner to derive benefit from this inteivjat on. Spain is too weak and too poor to pay indemnity. 1 want tho Ecnato to eay that we do not intend to tako that nland; that whatever wo may do as to some other islands as to this island, the great bone of con tontion, wo do not intend to tako it from the legally constituted authori tics of tho island as njw established "At the proper time, if no one else does so, I propjso to offer pome amend meit to the joint resolution that shall make it olear to t) o world that it shall not be said by any European govern ment whon wo go out to make bittlo for tho liberty and freedom of Cuban patriots that wo are doing itfjr the purpose of aggrandizement for ourselves or increasing of our territorial holdings." S.nd Mr. Teller was as good as his fi ft! lV?g* nAn.?l?a/l?nf? H .a?.nA-w?1 ^

cs where stockholders reside; ihit ll ajority of the stockholders iu tl ipital of said corporation are fre> ciders, and rceido wihin tho Stat re worth the amount of their stoc ibsoribcd to tho capital of said oo oration over all their debts and liabil cs, and exclusive of property cxem| <? law from r locution; so that whe nended said scotion will read as fo war Sic. 1 Bo it ooaoted by tho genen isembly of tho State of South Cart na, that it shall bo unlawful hereafu tr any insuratos company or assooii on to transact any business in thi a'o unless posrosBed of at least on mdrcd thousand dollars or surplus c vpital, or in lieu thereof, shall file wit 10 comptroller general the ccrtifioat tho official of somo State of th nited States, under his hand and offi al seal, that h.e holds on deposits or i ust, for tho benefit of all policy hold s or members of such oompany or at cia'ion, securities worth at least on lodrcd thousand dollars, or in th isenoo of suoh capital or deposit, tho deposit with the S.ate Treasurer c >uth Carolina, valid tocurities aggrc ,tiog $10,000, or a bond for sal count made by a solvent serurit mpany, said treasurer to be the judg the vaiidity of such securities am mds, whio> bond shall be oonditione pay any judgment entered up in an. urt of competent jurisdiction in tbi ato, upon a policy of insuranco issue* any oit'ten of this Stato by aoysuo! mpany, and said judgment shall bi lien*upon such securities: Provided iwcv?r, that all fire insuranoe com Dies incorpc r ited under tho laws o is State, with a oapital stock of $25, 0 or more, shall not bo oumpcllcd t< posit said valid securities on bond ai ovo required, provided said oompan] all procure and filo with the oomp illor general tho certificates of th< unty auditors anuually in oouatiei lere stockholders reside, that the ma rity of tho stockholders in oapital o id stockholders aro frco holders ant side within the State, and aro wortl d amount of their subscription to the

on or fccforo tfco fourth Monday in y March of tho yoar in which tho valu ( tion and assessment .is tuadOj to give 1 to the QWDer or agent of such property 1 written notice thereof, which notioe may I bo served upon such owner or his agent personally, or by mailing (ho same to. suoh person or hiB agent' at bis last known plaoo of rcsideuoc, and suoh owner or his agint, if he objects to su ih valuation and assissmcot, shall havo i the right to appeal to tho oounty board of commissioners sitting as tho oounty i board tf equalization, which appeal shall bo heard by said county board. The aooount of tho county auditor for tho necessary stationery and postago, to enable him to'give the notice heroin required, shall be a val-.d olaiin against tho county, and ulrali bo -paid as other oounty claims aro paid. Nothing in this act oontained shall be construed as iir-? teif .ring wiih the duty of the oounty of addir g 50 per oent. to tbe value of per sonal properly as. a penalty, as pro-, viued in sections 279, 295 and 297, of the lleviBtd Statutes ot nor with tho du irs of tho county auditor as pre presorib'cd - sorib'cd presorib'cd in section 290 of the Kcvistd Statutes of-1893 . "Sec. 2 -That all acts Aud parts of acts inconsistent with this.act tyo, and the same aro hereby repealed." ' INsnRAXr?..cOM,l'Al(lKp ' *' * ' And hero is (he ad amending tho law in regard to ipsurance companies, throwing further protection around (ho policy holders: An aot to amond an act chtitlcd "An i act to amend sections I and 2 of an act i entitled 4An act to requiro any insuri anco company or association to bo p03? sestiod of one handred thousand dollars f surplus or capital, or in lieu thcroof to q have ono hundred thousand dollars on a deposit with soma State for the benefit of all polioy holders, or in lieu thereof