New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-09
ROOT. HOG, OR DIE ~

ROOT, HOG, OR DIE"
This is not what you would call an elegant
extract; but it is sturdy, rugged Anglo-Saxon,
and perfectly ineligible. 1t is the rule which,
we insist, must be applied to the relief of
Southern distress. In 1865, the planting season
was quite past in the further South when the
War closed so that full crops could not be
made In 1866, there was pervading terrible
drOuth, which, i'll connection with shallow plow-
ing, lack of fertizing, andi inadequate cultiva-
ton, rendered the harvest-of cereals es-
pecially-a sad failure. Last Winter and Spring,
there were devastating rains and floods III the
Atlantic, as well as the Gulf States, which so
delayed planting that the worm struck the
Cotton when half matured, and reduced the
product materially; add to which, the price
has fallen from As to 10 cents per pound within
a year or so. The Corn crop was pretty good
in the average-that is, good for that region
and the South is now exporting this staple;
whereas, she used to import largely of it in her
great Planting days
Yet the cry of distress again rises from very
large sections of the Cotton region. The mig
"gers won't work-they are stealing, and getting
"shot therefor" say one set of advices; "The
planters can 7 or don't pay what they promised,
"and are turning off their hands to starve," say
another. And hereupon arise clamOrs for re-
lief-for tax remissions, loans, gratuties, &c,
&c. Many are talking as though Congress
carried the purse Of Fortunatus, and could
pour out gold (or greenbacks) adj HJitum
We protest against its attempting to do any
thing of the sort 1t cannot feed several millions
of people if it could, it would thereby do far less
good than harm. What Congress can and must do
is to secure TO every one his inalienabe right
to live and labor, and protect him in the pos
session and enjoyment of whatever he produces
or earns That done, let it answer every APP
plication for relief in the spirit of that stern
Injunction" Roof, Hoo. OR DEP
Doubtless, there is truth in the complaint on
one side that "The niggers won't work." and
on the other that the old planting aristOcracy
are neither able nor disposed to pay fairly for
Black labor For 1. "The niggers" don't like
work any better than Whites do-have been
taught by Slavery to associate it with degra-
dation-are naturally mdolent and improvident
and have been led (nore by Rebel fabrica-
tons than otherwise) to expect that they were
somehow to be subssted even though they did
not work. We do not believe that majority
MANY have that such futile expectations
are a present mischief and peril. Then
the ex-slavehOlders and their clan esteem
paying "niggers" for work an absurdity and
wrong-utterly subversive of "the resolutions
"of 49," Payment for slaves they quite compre-
hend payment for work to slaves-or those
who would have still been such but for the
"Abolition despotsmn and its most uncOnstitu-
tional Invasion of and "war on the South"
they do MT begin to see through; and they never
will. Hence, they are always scheming to re-
duce the wages of Blacks below the cost Of
their subsistence-and they always will be-
Plainly and simply, the plantation economy is
breaking down. 1t is utterly unadapted to free
labor The new wine may be put into old bot
ties, but it will not stay there. The expert
ment has resulted in disaster.
We have cOnversed with many Northern men
who have, within the last three or four years,
conducted industrial operations at the South
cutting timber, opening and working mines,
and growing Cotton. Not one of these, when
asked, clad (or have) you any difficulty in
procuring all the labor you wanted when
"you wanted it ?"--has failed to answer, "Not
" the least provided we had cash in hand to
"pay for it." Men were working for dollar
per day mot restricted to eight hours, by any
means) in Virginia last May, when less eff
Gent labor was bringing from 81 80 up to 81 and
over per day throughout the States north OF
the Potomac and Ohio. Blacks were hired at SIS
per month and rations making the net cost of
their labor about fifty cents per days work.
TO grow vegetables on the Sea Islands of South
Carolina, when as efficient labor could not be
obtained by our market gardeners for 81 90
per day.
Yet the Planting system is nevertheless a
failure. The planters cannot promptly pay THEN
hands; so they fail to satisfy and retain them
Working the land on shares has-partly owing
TO the enormous fall of Cotton-only plunged
both planter and laborer into still deeper en-
barrassment. SO, very few contracts have, as
vet, been made for this years labor; and these
at wages which win barely support existence