I learned that the colored male citizens of Laurens County Ga., had organized a unique “Good Government Club,” and, being anxious to learn something of it, I called on the secretary. The secretary explained the club to me as follows:

“Our society is a voluntary organization, and has for its object the betterment of the race. It doesn’t cost anything to join, and any male citizen upward of twenty-one years old may become a member by taking an oath to be governed by our constitution and by-laws. There are no monthly dues. Now and then we make up a purse to help a needy brother. Our plan is to inquire into the mode of living of our members and correct, if possible, any faults. If any member fails or refuses to correct a fault complained of, he is then tried by a sort of courtmartial. The man under charge is allowed to have counsel from among the members of the organization. If he is found guilty, the punishment is usually a flogging given in the presence of the other members. We whip a man for a number of things: getting drunk, wife-beating, vagrancy, selling his vote, failure to provide for his family, failure to make an honest effort to pay his debts, using profane language and so on.

“It was reported to the society that one man’s wife was badly in need of a wash pot. The man was cited to show cause why he had not provided his wife with the article. He failed to buy one before the trial came off, and, when tried, failed to show how his wife could get along without one and still be put to no great inconvenience. Conviction followed. He was whipped, and ordered to get a pot within thirty days.... In riding past the home of another man it was seen by one of our members that the front gate had fallen down. From appearances he had made no effort to put it up. At the trial it was proved that the gate had been down for several weeks, and that his wife had tried many times to get him to take more pride in the care of his home. Conviction followed and the husband will remember a long time the flogging he got that night....”

We had a man before us once charged with kissing a girl on the street. The girl did not appear against him; we could not get her to do so; and the man stoutly denied the charge. He told our judge that he had never kissed a woman in his life. The judge asked him if he wasn’t married. ‘No, sah,’ he said, ‘my wife’s dead. I’m de daddy uv nine chilluns, an’ I nevah kissed a woman in my life.’ In the midst of much laughter, the judge asked, ‘Did you never kiss your wife?’ Without a moment’s hesitation the man said: ‘No, sah; no sah.’ Then the judge said: ‘Jim, you’re the biggest liar in town, and I sentence you to be given forty-nine lashes, but I’ll suspend the sentence if you’ll agree to leave town within the next five hours.’ ‘Judge,’ said Jim, ‘I don’t want no five hours; I’ll be gone in five minutes.’... The strangest case I remember was the case of a man charged with beating his wife. His wife was a hard-working washerwoman. She had complained to us three or four times, but always repented before the time for trial, and would not appear against her husband. When she did come to our meeting she said: ‘Now, judge, I’se a-gwine ter tell you evaht’ing.’ And she told how her husband would get drunk and come home and curse and beat her unmercifully. She gave a graphic account of the last whipping she had received. The judge said: ‘I sentence this man to be given one hundred and one lashes—the maximum of the law.’ ‘Dar, now!’ exclaimed the woman. ‘Dar now! I’se done fixed you at las’! I tol’ you ’bout beatin’ on me like I wuz a dawg!’ Turning to the judge she said: ‘Judge, I’ll take de whuppin’ fur him ef you’ll lemme; I ’spec’ he’ll be good atter dis.’”