one is bound to respect, and that this public opinion has been active in opposing the conferring of all legal rights upon Negroes, and has never ceased to exert itself to divest them of such rights as have been given them, it can not be wondered at that, while slavery no longer exists in this country as a legal institution, it does exist in the opinion, the sentiment, and the practices of the people. It is difficult to determine how extensive the practice of peonage may be or how many victims may be held in its prison house. On this point, Assistant Attorney General Russell says "We have discovered cases of peonage and others have been brought to our attention, we have examined into many and obtained indictments and convictions, but how many cases are in existence is the same kind of a question as though the crime were pension fraud, or counterfeiting, or public land fraud, or fraud on the revenue. Where we have found several cases we may conclude that there are, or have been, or are likely to be others, but this is speculation. Sometimes we feel confident that our pounding away for nearly two years has frightened into inactivity those who were practicing peonage in the same State with the persons convicted and sentenced. We hear now and then of workmen being turned loose to the right and to the left of us when prosecutions are going on, but while it would be discouraging to think that we have not thus reduced the evil to much smaller dimensions, I regret to say that cases are still being discovered or reported in various directions."