The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-05-13
Cost of the Freedmen. Bureau.

carrying on Cne TreeOmen bureau
without existing restrictions, may be
got from learning what the cost is
likely to be with them. Nearly $12,-
600, 900 are asked for, to feed, clothe
and school the blacks. $4,000, 900
for feeding them, and $4,000, 900 for
school-houses! Verify, we have drawn
an elephant. We suppose it is
hardly less than blasphemy in the
eyes Of some of our modern political
saints, to presume to question appro-
priations which rest on professed
philanthrophy only; but it ought to
be with the public treasury as it is
with private pockets-we get the
power to be charitable by first being
economical. $11,OOO,OOO is pretty
we'll on to the whole yearly expense
of the John Quincy Adams admins
tration-a standard of Governmental
outlay which men of the latter day
radical kidney are rather partial to
citing. We are not surprised that
some degree of uneasiness was mani
tested in Congress by the reported
bill in which such an expense was
stated to be necessary.
We are reminded, however, by the
radical press that good part of this
money is to go for the support and
schooling of the poor acAites. Would
the objectors be quite willing to di-
vide the appropriations, so as to give
say one-half to the benefit of the
whites, and the other to the blacks?
Would the radicals produce and seek
to pass such a bill at all, if it did not
wear on it's forehead the stamp of
freedmen" The answer is in the
true vein of radical reasoning. OBJ
ject to an appropriation for the ne
groes, and they tell you that half of
it, or more, is to go for the poor
whites. Then let them be honest
enough to show that they have at
least equal feeling for the whites with
the negroes, by reporting bill of
relief especially for them-and not
use them rs a blind OF guy to help in
getting through their plans for the
blacks.
But this enormous bill of professed
Expenses is not for the negroes
altogether, nor the destitute whites
either, nor for both conjointly. An
army of favorites wait at the outer
doors of Congress, with extended
hands. Political pets hold planta-
tlons, which they want stocked with
laborers at q very low rate of monthly
wages. Southern men are to-day in
the freedmen's market for help also,
and offer $40 a month for capable
hands in the field The former get
all the labor they want, while the
latter are denied almost everything.
This is one reason why so much is
asked of Congress to relieve the des-
titute of the idle negroes of the South.
Then, again, many q planter, who
has got i'll his crop, or made things
already to put it in, finding it impos-
sible to obtain labor Mt any price, is
forced to sell out-land, crops and
ALTO the political favorite who
stands ready to purchase after getting
him into this corner; and after that,
there is no trouble about getting field
hands to take care of the crops, and
and at n low figure of wages, too.
This is Il sample of the practice,
abundantly authenticated, which is
being tried on with the agriculturists
of the South this spring The very
industry and products of that coun-
try are to be made subservient to the
interests of the party that claims,
while temporarily holding a majority
ii Congress, to own the land of all
the Southern States.
Stevens ceaseless desire to procure
the passage of a sweeping confscation
act betrays the purpose of all his fol-
lowers in the management of this bu-
slness Of restoration A large pro-
portion Of them covet the country.
They want the lands to grow cotton
on for twenty-five cents pound, and
they feel sure, while the mass of fire d
blacks are in their control, that they
can secure all the labor they want for
those lands at a rate of wages not
much above that paid to coolies
Further, they expect to make their
bargains and contracts directly with
the agents of the Bureau, instead of
the negroes; SO that the latter are, in
that respect, as much in state of
servitude as ever; nay, more, since in
the condition in which they were
born, there was firm domestic stay
and support under them, giving them
sense of security that added incal-
culably to their comfort and happi-
ness. The item of millions in the
bill reported to Congress, which pro-
- l. IL