The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-19
LABOR rRoBLEs IN ABBEYILLE.
Queer Phenomena i'm the Labor Mar
ket-Who is Responsible-The vnga-
ries of Leslie and his Land Commis5
sion-A Case In Point.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.


If there is any subject that has ever exer-
cised the minds Of The people OF this section OF
our State, it is the subject Of labor. Generally,
political economists tell us, trade adopts one OF
natures laws and abhors vacurm-that sup
ply will equal demand, and demand will COM
pei supply, Not so on this mammoth qass.
to purchase; the blacks (and some of them
white as to color) hold the supply and refuse
to SELL Is this vii .lesOme state OF affairs
Commercially, or in manufacturing point Of
view, this would be called "a strike.' Not SO
here No higher wages are demanded. Nor
has any Observation-Disclosures between en-
ployer and employee. But q subtle dctcrmi-
nation ON the part Of the freedmen TO cX-
clude themselves from all association or inflll-
etfGe of the white citizens Of our country Is
rapidly driving one class to want and the other
to evaporation. And as calm locker on OF
events l must think the Legislature OF our
State is being used as mighty lever 10 pro-
duce anything else than quielus Of this per
turbed state of affairs
1t is useless to refer to our hybrid Legisla-
turc as being fOrcible argument against the
existence ut present OF republican form OF
government III our State. That the taxpayers
have no representation is patent. But let us
see what weight the acts Of this Legislature
have in creating the existing excitement on
the labor question.
In 1868 the Legislature passed bill,
giving, under certain conditions, perlna-
nent possession to lessecs OF lands sold for
taxes. Subsequently, a bill was passed crea-
ting the Office of land commissioner, who
was empowered TO buy up, in the name OF
the State, any and al lands sold under any pre-
text or for any cause, publicly or privately,
and no restrictions were imposed except as 10
limit of price per acre. Under this bill, land
commissioner (Senator Leslie) was appoint-
ed, and he has dotted his purchases or State
investments all over the state.
And just here let me digress little, and In
form you that some strange tales are told OF
this mans purchases. He often buys, Urn
told; It's well enough to say this "lln told,"
whether | know whereof speak or not, ut
six dollars per acre, and has, by some species
oflegerdemain, (well, enough not TO be TOO
minute,) the titles made out as If the land
costs ten dollars per acre. suppose this ex-
ira four dollars is paid over to one kimptOn as
acrcditor of the State, DC.
But to return. Amongst other purchases
Leslie bought tract of perhaps two thousand
acres in Abbeville County, known as the Mar
shall estate. Perhaps 1900 acres were DOught,
with single reservation, that the premises,
(0f6 .dwellng.) and 200 acres attached should
not be occupied or cultivated by the freedmen;
(poair'quoi') This gave to the freedmen Of
the county an Implied right to the remainder
OF tho plantation. And accepting the impllca-
tiop, hosts o. squattcrs. perhaps us many as
two hundred, came swarmng i'll from every
section, and located on the Marshall plau-
tatlon. For miles around no labor could
be hired; planters became discouraged;
lands deprecated and could scarcely De
given away; these sqIatters brought neitl-
er clothing nor meat, corn nor mules,
and in few weeks just such Il state of affairs
existed in that section as perhaps was never
felt before in any portion OF South Carolina or
elsewhere. This purchase alone has created Il
discomfort In Abbcyie County equallcd only
by that irritating source OF troublc-tlle vile
conStabulary. low this scheme is To terml-
nate practically. no one can tell. The freed
men will certainly be the sufferers ultimately,
but what incOnvcnienccs the landowners and
employers arc in the meantime, to experience
only they can appreciate.
I'm told lyon see how we'll "Tm told" an
sworS as an exp;ctive) that Governor Scott
has issued orders lU have The Marshall estate
cleared of its occupants unless the heads Ut
families can each furnish q mule and proven
der, with family ratOns for u twelvcmunth. If
this bc true, Senator Leslie will ueXt fall have
to sell out, and "buy in" or the purchase of
the Marshall estate will huve proven dctal
cation upon the trcusIry OF the State in More
ways than one. ! ain convinced that, for the
Southern planter, Injured To slave labor, there
IL no laborcr like the negro. But the Negro
labOrrr, demon allied by Tie alien mountebank
that curses our political existence, ie u curse
to any country. But enough.
CUETRAn CREEK.
AEbeyile County, s. c.