The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1870-01-08
The Labor Question.

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Hundreds of white farmers have con.
tracted with no hands yet, and many see
no chance of getting any. Many nc
doubt, will get no hands this year. And
to those We say plainly, "Tis your own
fault" S.
While many are selling lands to the
eolored people, as many are complaining
against this, and abusing those who have
sold land to these people. We shall not
discuss the policy ofselliug land in this
way. Much of it has been sold, and
the colored men are building aud set
Ting upon it.
We say emphaticnlly, this does not in-
terfere with men contracting with them
to make their crops.
We will illustrate by the plan fur
nished bya gentleman in this county,
and one who is never at loss for as
many hands as he wants.
He has rented lands to families all
around him. The men of these families
are to work in his contract for one-third,
as heretofore. The women are allowed
to work the land rented to the family.
the owner having lien OH their crop
for the payment of the rent The owner
also by the terms of the contract, at GER
tain times can call on ali the hands at so
much per day. to work in his crop.
This plan seems to us admirable
Here the egg is broken; the problem
solved. BY this arrangement the color
ed man has his home, his family working
for him and for themselves; and the
owner of the land has hands for all the
land he wants to plant, for himself, and
the rest oft is rented out to good, paying
tenants
Nov even, suppose tho laud is sold in
stead of rented to these families, the
same plan can operate; and the same
security is given for hands for the plan
.r
ter, and q lien secures the payment for
the purchase of the land, And this lat
ter is Setter, inasinuch rs The security
to both is permanent and not temporary
for one gear. The colored man, is set
tied and happy, and the planter has
hands around him, ready at his com
mand. Mutual forbearance and kind.
ness on either side, will secure content
and prosperity to both.
The colored man is not avaricious, he
rs satisfied with comfort BY this means
aae realizes the wish of his heart, to have
a home. He is elevated as man and
laborer He has. every inducement to
be honest rs man, and industrious as
laborer. He is rendered contented and
happy. 1t takes very little to make him
happy, and he has right to be happy.
: .
Without some such plan rs this, the
same difficulty viii arise each year for
hands. And it will increase every year,
for the colorcd man is resolved to have
a home aud start in life.
And can we dare to say that they have
no right to this. Whether OF no, the
industrious of them will have it. By
the plan suggested above every land
owner has tenantry around him, Of the
most docile and tractable laborers, in the
world, and by this plan, the celored man
is elevated in the scale of humanity.
And it is to the advantage of every COM
inunity and every individual that he be
elevated How the plan will swork, and
how smooth both parties will get aleng,
depends upon how both parties act to-
ward each other.
We throw out those suggestions at
this time, when this question is all alb
sorbing, for what thay are worth. We
would commend to both parties, now,
when these questions are becoming more
complex, and more vital, spirit of calm