The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1868-01-15

ducticn than South Carolina the staple CROPS
Of tho moro tcmporatc regions which are there
found so profitable TO the fafmer, arc equally
adapted TO this latitude, and the same indus
Try and care exsrted here viii be attended by
equal success. No valid reason exists 70 pro,
vent this State from being ehtltely. so,f sup
portingj more Importance should bs attached
TO the general farming interests Of tho coun.
try, at least two thirds Of the tillable land
should be devoted to tho production of pro.
vision crops, tho cultivation OF Cotton should;
In my opinion, be made secondary TO that or
cereals, ss IN increased production OF the
lsttcr, would plaee all classes Of community
beyond tho reach OF that pressing wanty which
now threatens starvation, unIes. again reliev.
cd by the donations of the charitable. !.
II certainly must be apparent to every prac-
tical man that FREQ colored labor can never DO
success In this State unlsss liberal and fair
contracts are entered into and observed the
freedpeople cannot much longer be hoodwink-
ed and imposed upon, thcy arc rapidly learn
ing the worth OF money, and all persons whu
have In any manner overresched them may
depend upon It. that eventually they will Ani
that they cannot procure labor to till their
plantations; while planters who have, by a
just and generous course Of treatment, obtain
cd the confidence Of their laborors have thus
secured themselves sufficient means to carry
out their plans for the coming year.
Itnay not bo improper for me in this con-
pection, to counsel the frcedpeople to avoid
contracting the coming year, with those plant.
ers who have pcrsistcntly wronged and de-
frauded them taking caro- and seeking prop
er advice that they may not coufound dishon
cst.ncn with those high h-miuded planters who,
owing to tho unfavorablc season, have been
unable to meet their engagements, but in
whose integrity all can implicitly rely.
As to the terms Of contracts for tho coming
year. am obliged to express my unqualified
approval Of the system Of paying weges In mol-
ey, for such periods as may be agreed upon.
giving preference to payments at tho end of
the year, as the plan best calculated 10 insure
the laborer portion Of bis pay at the termi.
nation of his contract, and 1t also gives the
planter opportunity to at once discharge an
idle or disafected employee upon payment OF
wages due to date Of discharge. It will also
tend to produce a more uniform rate Of wages
throughout the country, and thus avoid tho
breach Of contracts frequently made on vari>
ous preiexts for tho purpose Of hiring to
another planter, who may temporarily give
an increased stipeud.
would not be understood as advising any
combination on tue part OF the planters to
reduce or keep down wages, neither would
countcnanco like combination by frcedpeo-
pie to secure wages that planters cannot afford
TO pay hat Il would be for tho interest Of NIL
parties to hx upon some approximate amount
within the power Of the planters to pay, with
rcasonablo profits to themselves, and not be-
meath the limits of q sufficient support for a
FREQ iaboring man and his family. 1t Is not
within my province 10 fix this desirable rate,
but may express tho opinion that tho con
tracts made during the past year upon che Sea
Islands and upon the coast, were moro liberal
in their general character, and amount. Of
wages paid, than those Of the upper country.
Whenever from lack Of means the contract
systcm, based upon shares Of the crop, has to
DO adopted, the apportionment of the gross pro-
cecds should bo made as follows: To the land
one third to the laborcr one third the capi-
tai consisting Of work animals and their feed,
implements and fertilizers ono third tho in
terest Of the laborer to terminate upon the
completion of the gathering aud marketing of
tho crop. t.sE.
II is moro than probable that the majority
of planters viii be obliged from want of funds
Ia aHo ahsl latk I'll,
proaching 1t in It's nature, but differing in its
detailsI but q contract no less rsmunerativc
than the ono third suggested for tho iaborer,
Should in my opinion be tcndorcd or received.
1t is furthermore desirable that planters
mako arrangement with physicians 10 attend
the sick upon the plantations at reasonable
rate per visit or family a clause TO tho effect
that tho lsborer should pay pro.rata for such
medical service, might be inserted in con.
| tracts. IS.
cannot too strongly recommend, briefness
and simplicity Of form In all contracts, with>
out regard TO their nature or terms.
| Many contracts have been submitted to mo,
the torms Of which wore simply absurd, such
as the imposition Of fines or stoppagcs for i'm
pertinence, for failure to comply with certain
plantation regulations, &C., &c., all Of which
are inconsistent with the lsborers status as a
freeman, and an accountable being. such
clauses In contracts viii be continued source
Of annoyance and vsxation 30 both employer
aud employee, and should DO omitted in al
future contracts.
II iatorer absenis himself from his allot,
1 ed task, he should bc charged for the time 50
! lost, at tho rate which be would have received
n he bad worked all addition Of extra fines
for lost time is improper, and should never b,
proposed in a community whero the ffco isbol
system is expected to succeed. 90.
Time win not permit me to further discus,