The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-16
THE LABOR QUESTION.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

Tic question OF labor among farmers has ns-
suncd serious naturc There never was u time
Wien the energy, patience ana tact OF tho South
crn planter have been put to such severe tests.
lie Is surrounded by u concatc tcnation OF circunl-
stances sufficient TO mar the hopes Of u more
snngunc people.
Since the ciosc OF the war to the present he has
managed, Uy hook or CROOK, to command more or
less labor. The system dctcriorai,ng, though
each year. and the supply decreasing, until inally
II has become almost entirely unavailable. The
course Which contributed most 10 render the first
part of tiis assertion true, has bccm the cXistcnc.
III our midst OF Radical dCmagOgucs, wl,o make
pohfIcnl capital out or the negroes OF every qtcs.
lion Which relates TO them anil the native whites,
That Which has lent most TO render the second
true has bscn the nGdciouR policy Of the land.
owners In renting their nntls TO the only laburers
whom. under existing circumstances, they could
possibly expect to obtain.
Th.S causes tngathcr with the effect OF the re-
ccnt Labor Convention, which were represented
from nearly every portion Of the State, have re-
dnccd the prospects for farm laborers tile coming
year to still smaller proportions.
Farmers everywhere favor the introduction OF
the Chinese No matter what may DC their status,
whether they bc law w-abi,ling or not, or have any
sense OF moral responsibility, the cry is--lci them
come. An old gentleman the other day made the
profusve wish that they might Inn,l here in less
than twCnty-Gonr hours thicker than hail stones
ever fell. lie afterwards qualified it by adding, ir
wc cond feed them"
That the South docs need more lal,Dr To tle
velop her resources and make her more prosper.
Gus Is n palpablc fnct The party in power in
this State Ia oppose, to any movement which has
for It's object an increase Uf labor We, therefore
cannot expect ans aid from The State in getting
immigrants here. Hut, Mr.. Editor, cannot TIiH
NEWS as the representative paper or the State,
suggest some plan by which this result may be
accomplished. the opposition uf Scott ami his
sable subjects to Tho contrary Notwithstanding
Let the landowners and I'LL others who niny
favor the PROJECT form Immigration souieucs in
every county of the Sintc. and every person on
becoming y member contribute m admission fee.
After tile societies have been thoroughly organ
izc, and the membership Increased TO It's maxi
mum, let each member ray into the treasury Of
his society certnin percentage Of tho State tax,
to be applied to ue;rayinG the expenses Of immi-
gratlon-iie rate OF percentage, OF course TO lie
LEFT 10 u vote OF each society.
In this way each member would my prnpor-
tlonnlly. and by liking the rate sufficiently high
mnnlflccnt sum could hc realized. Let every man
who hecomcS n member do so with the dctcrmi-
nation To vote for nS high rate OF percentage on
his Slate tax as his means will permit. Then let
him make his arrangements accordingly to meet
the payment. II he Is n farmer. let linn plant 10
make Il bale or two mare Of cotton: if n merchant
| let him reduce his expenses OF living. Let every
one make temporary sacrifices for the benefits hc
will ultimately receive.
After each organization has paid It's assessed
amount, let the whole be turned over to an honest
ana reliable agent, elected by the different satic-
Tics. whose duty II shall be TO apply the funds
thus placed in his llauds to dcfrayng the en-
! penscs for transportation OF Immigrants. On
their arrival, let each county receive pro rata
number according to the sums raised, to he dis
trihntcd 10 the highest bidder FOR the price OF
labor among the members "f the society. In this
way Il general diffusion 0f immigrants would bC
| made throughout the State. They would become
| satisfied by the presence of numbers, and ut The
| same time receive the highest nrlccs their abor
would command. Competition would drive the
| negro to work, and, in the course or Il few years
| the supply of labor would equal the demand.
or course, all cannot, 1T first, expect to Obtain
immigrants. l'ut the introduction ur other labor
erS VIII supply the demand Of some, anu no dO,,b,
create q competition that will place the negro
within command OF those who may fail TO get i'm
migrants.
| offer these suggestions with hone that tho
subject under consideration may he agitatc,l, and
\ tue plan proposed improved unon tn n successful
termination. More labor Is what we need and
until we get IL our progress IA ngricuiuristB and
| manufacturers will be comparatively slow.
Fork Of E,listo. December, 1862 PAYsAS.