Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-07-12
Uncertainty and Instability of Labor
"a Considered.
ga The Ed;tor of the Richmond Times:

| To the Editor Of the Richmond Times:
|, The great problem is not so much one o.
quantity as OF the quality ofthe labor. There
lis an abundance of the bone, thrws and
sinews of the man, and thereis q suficiency
of intelligence to direct and guide; it to a
profitable and practical .diGculty &hich in
terests and concerns every one in all the ;af
fairs Of life is the uncertainty and instability
Of the labor after it is engaged. The house
keeper, the workshop, the. farmer, the plan:
ter, all more or less daily feelaad are disceur-
aged and annoyed By it. No one dares en-
gage in any important or extensive enterprise,
for fear that Just as the enterprise is fairly
under way the labor viii desert, and disap
pointment and failure succeed as q cohse-
duence. Hence energy, industry and enter.
prise are dwarfed, and labor, which is es.
seudally. the wealth of people, so far from
being the wealth becomes its poverty. Now
all this can be and must be renedied. How
CAN'T be done? Your, correspondent has
not the vanity TO suppose that he can solve
the difficult; by stroke Of tha pen, but ven.
lures to throw together some thoughts which,
however 7alueless they maybe, may serve
some purposes-may put other and better
thinkers, to work, and thus perfect o scheme
which will meet and satisfy the needs-of the
case,
: The uncertainty and instability Of the Ia.
Dor, anu the prorerbial infd lity of the ne,
gro to contracts, underlie, and are, indeed, the
foundation of most, if not all the trouble.
How can these be remedied? L think the
answer is after this wise: The negro is
freeman, perfectly and legally competent o
make contracts. Letth contracting parties
remember this. Let the employerdraw up
in writing,in a few simple terms, all the CON;
ditions of.the contract. Let this be attested
BY competent witnesses. Let certain peu..
aities attach to the party violating this con-
tract; and, above all, let the terms OF payment
be only and al,oays after the fullfllment of
the contract. IF theFnegro make an engage
ment to continue one or twelve months; re-
tain always at least. very large proportion
of the wages in the hands of=the employer
at least so ,largeya portion as will make it
the interest of the negro to complete the en-
gagemeut. This is not hard nor harsh to
the laborer-it is equitable and just. White
people are constantly making such. contracts.
There is very spurious sickly sentimental
~ about the nero which we must get rid uf
and that Speedily, both for our own sakes
and his; tue negro has obligations az well aS
the white man. and must be'as stcrnly bound
by the terms ofcontract as the White man.,
and must b,. taught tAat,h cannot eolate a
contract wi,hou, penalty. He. is competent
to makea bargain; he must stand to it.
Being free to make a contract. he must
and shall be bound By ii, or inevitable contu.
sion and ruin must fall upon the great agri
cultural and mechanicalinterests Of the land.
I would adduce in illustration the present
crisis inthe country. -The farmers are IN the
midst of their harvest. Fox day the negroes
NAV all desert their pos:s, and the whole
wheat crop be lost. There is nothing to for
bid or prevent.it, end so at any period Of the.
crop or year. The cotton must be picked
and the sugar cale gound, and The tobacco
housed, and the brick kiln burned, and the
house covered and the leather tlrned-in a
word, every interest has its crisis, and now
ust in our present condition of dlsorganiza--
ion, all these interests msy be crushed for
Sant of some system to compel the faithful
execution of contracts. 1t is too grave a,
natter to leave in its present condi'ion.
hnk the scheme above SUGGESTED, or some;
hing similar 10 it, will meet some ot the diii
,uities in tine case.
But l am met by the reply, the negro will
,ot consentfo such terms and condl'ions et
contract. answer, if ell employers will
ettle aud agree upon some plan, and in good
aith carry them out, be aast Consent E
tarye. Let no one employ him ::i'hou. Such
,ontrac, and he must 60 unemployed, There
5 no alternative but starvation. If the far
ners aud others should agree upon some
;uch plan, and pledge themselves one to an
,thcr that they would not curly any man
Tho could not bring clean papers from his
ast employer. l think the difficulties and
which all now feel would be
partially obviated, and some practicable and
fecs;ble scheme perfected, which wonld ulti-
mate in the procuring and secaring of the
best advantages of the present system; and
pow, where ell is unstable aud uncertain, we
should soon 6nd regularity and profit.
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