Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-01-18

whose iptegris uff can implicitly rely Il
AS to the terms, Of contracts for the coming
year I am obliged to express my unqualified
approval OF tho system Of paying wages in
money, for such periods as may be agreed UP.
on, giving preference TO payments at tho end
of tho year as the plan best calculated to in
sure the laborer portion of his pay at the
Termination of his contract, and it also gives
the. planter opportunity to at once discharge
an idle. or disaffeotcd employee upon payment
Of wagos duo to date of discharge twill
also toudto produce u more uniform ratio Of
wages throughout the country and thus avoid
the breach of contracts frequently mado on
various prctcxts for the purpose of hiring to
another plautet} who may temporarily giyo au
Increased stipend. s ~ ,ss. 5..5 81
would not be understood as advising any
combination on the part Of the planters to re.
duce or keep down wages, neither would
countenanoe like combination by froedpco.
pie to secure the wages that planters cannot
afford to pay; but it would DO for the inter.
est of all parties to fix upon some approxi-
mato amount within the power Of the plan.
ters to pay, with reasonable profits to them
sci. es, and not beneath the limits Of sufli
cient support for froc laboring man aud his
! family. 1t is not within my province to fix
this desirable rate, but may express the opin
ion that the contracts made during the past
year upon tho Sea Islands and upon tho coast
were moro liberal in their general character
ana amount of wages paid, than those of the
upper country.
Whenever from lack OF means the contract
system based upon shares of the crop, has to
be adopted, the apportionmcnt of the gross
proceeds should be made as follows TO tho
land one third; to the laborcr one third the
capital consisting of work animals aud their
feed, implements and fertilizers one third !;
the interest Of the laborcr to terminate upon
the completion of the gathering and market
ing Of the crop.
1t is more than probable that the majority
of planters will be obliged from want of funds
to adopt the latter system or somo other ap
proaching in it its nature, but differing in its
details, but contract no less remuncratiye
than the one third suggested for the laborer,
should in my opinion be rendered or received.
1t is furthermore desirable that planters
make arrangement with physicians to attend
the sick upon the plantations at reasonable
rate per visit or family; clause to the effect
that the laborcr should pay pro.rata for such
medical service, might be inserted in con
tracts. "a
cannot too strongly recommend, brief.
ness and simplicity of form in all contracts,
without regard to their nature or terms. i.S
Many contracts have boon submitted to
me, the terms of which were simply absurd,
such as tho imposition of fnos or s.oppagcs
for impcrtnence,. for failure to comply with
certain plantation regulations, &C., &C., all of
which arc inconsistent with the laborers sta.
tus as a freeman, and an accountable being.
Such clauses in contracts will be a continued
source Of annoyance and vcxation to both
employer and employee, and should be omit
ted in all future contracts.
If a aborer 'absents himself from his allot
ted task, he should be charged for the time
so lost at the rate which he would have re.
ceivcd if he had worked all addition of OK.
''a h''eS iot ioSt tihe ls improper, and should
never be proposed in community where the
free labor system is expected to succeed.
Time will not permit me to further discuss
this question, but it must be apparent to all
practical mon that the planters in this State
must in tho future look mainly to the colored
race for tho greater part of their laborers.-
1t should therefore be the earnest cndcayor
of all good citizens to fix the coored people
in permanent locations, to assist thom in pro.
viding schools for the education of their chill.
dren, in supporting intelligent, religious in
struction among them, and by proccpt and
example to foster the virtue, of confluence
and sobrioty; teach them respect for the mar.
riage relation and tho laws of the country
and in fact by systematic course of fair treat.
ment to win their confidence and respect, and
thus mako them valuable citizens in a commu.
nifty in which, although natives, they have
acquired new rights.
II. X. SCOTT, III,
Bpi Mgior General,
Asst. Commissioner. Il
The Grandest Eruption Of Vesuvius Known