Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-01-09
EDGEFIELD, S. c.. JANUARY 9, 1856
From the Charleston Mercury.
Wages of Labor.

Wages of Labor.
The picture which | drew in the former
article isonly that of every overstocked Ia.
Dor market. It's the inevitable result of
excess in the laboring population Of any
country where all the soil is owned by a
class who feel no obligation, legally, pc:
cuniarily, or morally to provide for tue
support of such laborers. The conduct of
that Landlord, Green, may be character
lied by some as cruel and oppressive. Is
it his fault, or the fault Of the'system-the
condition of society in which he lives!
He says, and no doubt he says truly, that
he went openly into the labor market and
bid for laborer, the customary price Of
one half penny per week, and the offer
brought Walsh to his service. 1t is true
he fed him on the starvation principle, but
is he to blame for that. He fed him &C.
cording to the custom Of the country upon
a little corn meal grucl-iust enough to
sustain life; he could not afford to fatten
him, for he only wanted his services for a
ffs,xsllays, and then he would turn him out
to starVe ofiaaiiee,aaeEhaps. d aie; with no more
feeling than you or | would RICK Eisst'-eas eas-. q
worthless cur. If he died, who would care
the country was full of just such; no one
would feel the loss--pcrhaps some would
feel glad to get rid Of him before they were
taxed for his support. This farmer acted
towards his laborer just like all in that
country who hired starved laborers, who
were willing to work for just enough to
keep life in their bodies little longer, and
therefore should not be called cruel. And
what is it different from the same system
all over the world. That the result is not
the same in the United States, is because
the labor market is not yet overstocked.
Turn loose upon the world three million
of labo-crs without foot of land to call
their own, or but to shelter themselves
subject them to the necessity of laboring
for Just such sum as might be offered, or
starve, and what would be their condition
within less than a quarter of q century of
times Would it be any better than that of
Ireland now!
I'll IT be said that advocate system
of labor which gives no wages at all to the
laborer, for this | have often been told. |
deny the assertion. Let US examine the
case. In the first place, the r-of all
"I;;; coSa;ricsiis ;csirdned 5y prudential mo
tivcs, and in some by law, from enterins
into that blessed condition of enjoyment Q
life, the conjugal state, for fear of inabilit
to provide comfortable support for thci
offspring.
The Southern negro has no such fear
to operate upon his mind. His children
IN sickness or health are taken care of b
his employer. lie is also morally certaii
that he will be fed with suficiency o
! good nutritious food, not only to proven
starvation, but to keep him in q health,
condition Of sleek fatness.
And what opportunity has he for tn
procurement OF the little Injuries of life
such as crafty the palate or amuse the eye
Why, here in this part of South Carolin;
nearly all the plantation labor is periormc,
by task work, and instt nd of being obliged
like poor Walsh, to work from dayligh
to dark for half Il penny, they are generalf,
out of the field by three o'clock in the at
ternoon-the task completed.
They may then devote the remainder O
the day to labor or idlencss as they choose
They are always welcome to cultivate
just as much land as they please. Some
avail themselves of this advantage, ane
raise considerable crops, which they may
either eat or sell, Certainly they are no
necessitated to eat it, for their master al
ways provides their food and to prove
is sufficient, allow me to state, that thu
lowest ration given is heaped half bushe
measure of sweet potatoes per week
which, by repeated experiments, | find te
weigh from AZ to 4S lbs.-six to sever
pounds day. Throughout the creates
portion Of the South the regular ration tc
all labo;ers is three and 4 half pounds o
clear bacon, and apeck and half of swee
corn meal per week to every man and wo
man. Besides this they have large guam
titles of vegetables, or in base OF laborine
in situations where these cannot be OBJ
famed, an Increase of meat and bread
For instance, the shingle-makers in North
Carolina are given six pounds of pork 4
week. AS for clothing, did any person
ever see better clothed laborers, bond OF
free, than the great mass of slaves through
out the whole country, and in the vicinity
of Charleston particularly. Then they
are we'll housed and attended by good
physician when sick. In addition to the
crops which they have an opportunity tc
raise and sell, nearly every family have
pigs, poultry, eggs, brooms, baskets. OF
something every year to sell for money
which they spenu freely for present graft
fications, as they have no occasion to lay
it up for future wants. Besides this, many
negroes receive more money every year in
Christmas presents than the total amount
of wages OF the poor laborer mentioned.
1t was my fortune two days ago to
make the passage from'J John's lslandin an
eight-oared boat loaded to her full capa-
city with all manner Of things that 60 to
make up Christmas marketing Of the
slaves upon one of those plantations. II
was III o'clock at night when we left, not