The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-12
How the Experiment has Worked

That there should De d oeucieHeJ Va
anywhere in the South--a demand for lmm'-
grants fir N Europe, or for coolies from tne
overcrow led districts of Asia, is fact at once
curious, surprising and lamentable, when we
hear in mind that there is now, within the
hounds of the late slaveholding States, LABOR
inn nopulatiou of four millions, who but few
Years ago, were fully adequate to oil the de-
monds for labor in the several departments OF
agriculture, manufactures and commerce, to
saw nothing of the hundreds Of thousands en-
ososd as house servants in country, town and
city.
The negro, It's needless to say in very many
respects, is preferable, for tbs part OF 'ne
country, to any other laborer. l. DE is tn0-
roughly acclimated, and enjoys an immunity
from the local diseases which the white man,
tbouoh native and to the manor born, can
never hope to attain. 2. Hs is Of strong Phys-
;ous. Injured almos; from lis birth, to work.
lad, in his normal condition, has 20 other alm'
object, or ambiti n, tha'- to make comiorta-
BILE living by manual q gricultural labor. .. be
- a skilled operative, his aptitude for the sew
eral departments c. field labor, being the re-
sult of life long Tractice. His childhood has
been. heretofore, continuous and productive
apprentice ship. 4. He speaks our language
Understands US, and we, in our turn, know
MIN. He is docile and cheerful, his wants are
few. and his aspirations usually limited to
physical enjoyment 5. Having been trained
IN slavery, to industry and systematic labor,
ne is clearly the most suitable, under the pres
snt circumstances, as a hired laborer. As it
costs him but little to live, he can easily COM
pete with the white laborer, especially at q
time of financial depression, when the products
of agricultural toll promise but small gains to
the planter.
Yet, Notwithstanding all these grounds Of
preference for the negro, and with an abun-
dance OF such skilled and acclimated labor, the
undeniable fact nevertheless remains, that
the demand is not supplied. Contract labor
with the freedmen has been tried during three
consecutive years, the compacts between en-
pIOyer auV euplVyeo UoiuS hiouih@"' oSS0ANA
TO circumstances, to every conceivable degree
Some hired by the month, paying wages and
"6nding;" others paid "boardwages," the negro
"6nding himself" Others, again, gave share
Of the crop, from one-fourth to one-half, 40
cording as the employer furnished provisions
sstock," etc., or supplied and then deducted
| them from the net proceeds of the years har'
vest.
Three years would seem to be ample time
for the trial of such an experiment. What,
then, is the result? We have taken no small
pains to a.certain the truth. We have con-
| verssd, during the pant few months, with
large number of planters and farmers, in diff
| ferent sections of the State, and have endea-
| vored to obtain information principally from
men whom we knew TO be intelligent, honest,
and cautious in giving an opinion; and upon
comparison of their statements we find the gen.
eral opinion adverse to the whole system o.
contract labor.
Several causes have combined to render the
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