New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-03
MOVABLE LABOR.

haps Intentionally, rebukes the dema-
gogues who affirm that the Republican
party has demoralized the labor Of the
South, by attracting the colored people to
political meetings when they should have
been engaged in saving the crops. In the
first place the Price Current declares that
the cropis good, and that if it is not saved,
it will be because more cotton has been
cultivated than the labor of the State can
save. This WAS always the cry of the
South. She has never been able to pick
out her entire growth of cotton. The
colored people have wrought well this
year, and New Orleans is now depending
on the product Of their labor to enrich her
bushes from now until next summer. in
the first period Of their political en-
franchisement they were extravagant OF
their time and money, but during the Last
two years We contend that they have
learned to economic both. Their at
tendance at political meetings has been
delayed until after night relieved them
from the duties of the field; and they
have given great and commendable heed
to their private welfare and to their social
and religious Improvement.
The Price Current covertiy lectures the
white people of the South on their entire
want of organization. With every recur-
ring year the product of cotton has been
in excess of the labor necessary to gather
it, Just as the hop, grain and hay crop
of the West is always too great to
be harvested by the regular supply
of labor engaged in producing it. But
the West forces the want, and organizes
relief by hiring labor in other markets at
the crisis of the harvest season. When
the hop vines are ready to be pulled up
and stripped, the farmers send all over
the West, and employ every able-bodled
woman that can be found to go into the
field. Labor agencies are established to
group this extemporized assistance, so
that each vicinity will be supplied with
just what help it needs. At Portage,
Wisconsin, for instance, when the hops
were ready to be picked, fifteen hundred
girls, i'll gangs Of twenty-five, We're for
warded to that place, ana they were
distributed so that none were without
employment, and so that the entire crop
was saved. In order to accomplish this
wholesale movement Of labor, the most
liberal inducements had to be held out.
The girls were paid double and treble
wages. Their transportation and board
were secured foE them. Al they had to
do was to be ready to start at the exact
time, when it was named. By this means
the farmers were allowed to pat IN large
crops, because they felt assured that there
would be no difficulty in gathering them.
And the work was done so closely and so
expeditiously, that while the producers
had to pay out q liberal amount for few
days, they felt that their increased crops
more than repaid the outlay. If the
Southern planters had this system fully
organized for their own benefit, they
might put III broader belt
of cotton, and at the right time they
could put such q force in the field that the
entire enlarged crop could be picked ont in
less time than it now requires to save
part of the product. They might have to
build additional barns in which to save
the cotton while it was waiting to be
ginned, but this expense would be untelt
after the first year. But in order to intro
duce this system Of movable help, the
South will have to improve in its eating
department. Independent laborers from
the Northwest or from Europe viii never
consent to subsist on pork and corn bread.
They will require fresh meat and milk.
They will want sugar, coffee and wheaton
bread The introduction Of these luxu- |
ries is easy Of accomplishment. |
The South can grow fresh meat, !
and she can produce her own |
mich cows. Sugar grows all through |
the cotton belt in one shape or another. |
The West grows sorghum, and so does
North Louisiana. Nothing but coffee and |
-four would have to be bought. With our
increased production we can certainly
afford sugar and coffee. Hundreds Of
these laborers will stick after they have
tried two seasons in the South. They
will not only help to gather our extended
crops, but they will try and improve the
uncultiyated lands. Their arms and
hands will be at our service; their wealth
will build us up.
We have improved somewhat on the
text Of the Price CurreHt, but there is
still room to state its advantages that we
have not gone over. VIII our faithful
commercial friend resume the Argument?