The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-09-02
S. C.
Thursd,y Morning, Sept. 3, 1869.

Oar. Present I4abor-,1.s Condition md
10 IpaProyenaeaat,sp. p.. ! fo.;s
81 However men may differ as to the pro-
per labor required in the South, this
proposition is universally accepted-th
It devolves upon uH to utilize--to make
the most Of the freed labor in our midst.
We propose IN this article to consider,
fret. 4hs present condition bfithat labor:
and, secondly, the means of its improve
meat. iHif{ Hhdl1lh1f1
According to the census OF 1861, the
totaLnapb OF, slaves in, all the States
and Territories OF the United States was
3,953, 76O. The number in the ten cot:
ton States wass8. .038. 8.245. or these. it is
estimated that less than 1900, 900 were
employed in thasoultivation of cotton.
During fhewarI the loss by death in the
negro population has been estimated at
from 500. 900 to." !, 900. .O00 But this is
only one Of the causes that. has operated
to reduce the number Of cotton laborers.
The aocking FROM the cotton fields to
the villages, towns and cities; the in
creased mortality amongst those people;
the retiring of the women from the field;
these causes have contributed further to
diminish the labor in cotton culture.
Hence, IF ], ,2OO, 900 negroes were en-
ployed In the cultivation of cotton before
the war, it ia safe to assume that not
more than 600, 900 aSe now thus employ
ed. And assuming 200, 600 whites are
engaged In the same work, it would fol-
low that the present force in the South
cannot aford an annual yield Of more
than 2,400. 600 bales of cotton-taking
as an average three bales per hand.
Another conclusion follows from our
figures, viz, this: That the scarcity of
labor is vary marked. But this is not
the point to which we are now directing
attention, Oar present object is to sug-
gest that three-fourths of the labor upon
which Re depend for the development
of our great staple is African labor.
Such being the case, aud that labor being
present, available, cheap and trained, the
Importance Of its encouragement and
utilization must at once appear. Admit
that it is demoralized to some extent
that it Is tatnpered with-that it is po-
litically used against us-that it must
decrease in strength and efficiency not
the less on these accounts, must we
make the most of it. Admit that it
should be sapplanted or supplemented.
Admit that European immigrants and
Asiatio reinforcements are imperiously
demanded by the exigences of the case.
Admit all this, and still is it good policy
to foster and use to the best advantage
the services of the freedmen of the
South.
This now brings us to the second
point OF our article, how shall this labor
be improved?
l. By habitual superintendence. The
time has passed when the farmer or
planter can stay in the house and expect
the labor in the fields to go on. As the
saying is, he must take the leading fur
rows, or, at least, he must be on hand to
urge on and speed the work.
2. The contracts made between en-
ployer and employees should be rigidly
executed.
3. The wages allowed should be as
liberal as the farmer can afford, and the
work exacted of the laborers; not for
getting that tact, fair dealing and good
management can get good deal of work
out OF men, white as we'll as black.
4.lThe laborers and their families
should be made as comfortable in their
homes as possible-the houses of the
different families being placed some dis
tance apart, and liberal garden-patch
allowed to each cabin.
We are aware of the many short
comings attributed to our colored labor.
ers. We know that their political con-
duct has embittered, the minds of many
of the Southern proprietors. Yet it is
our duty to bear and forbear. Let a
large share of responsibility be attached
to the demagogues, white, black, foreign
and domestic, who have misled and are
exciting this ignorant and impressible