The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-04-20
And Exccilent Letter o. Dr
Walden OF Carroll.
Fro1a the Field and Fas

Frona the Field and Factory.
A large crop Of cotton has been made
showing conclusively that the seasons
were good, and that both white and black
have iabored. Have We labOred in such
a way that our landed interest Is worth
what il was at the beginning year? Has
the ground work been laid for comfort and
protection and perpetual value Of our
landsS Not one planter in an hundred
can answer afirmatively, but would, on
close examination, admit the contrary.
That the cropping system is the cause
and fault Of all this, experience Of few
years has fully satisfied me, / do not
believe that the freedmen are 10 blame
for this, but planters themselves. Short
ly after the surrender, when we were
afraid to promise stipulated wages, as we
had no money to pay, aud planting on
the new system was but an experiment
OF doubtful success, we were inclined
to give part of what was actually earned.
This was fair and honest dealing, which
the illiterate freedmen could easily com
prehend. At first they began the FIRST Of
January, TO work as when slaves, clear.
ing land, splitting rails, ditching, fencing,
making manure, hauling and distributing
it. A few men may yet have these things
done, but they are few, and the conse-
quence of failure, is the worthlessness
of half the enclosed lands, with bitches
filed with briars and willows grown up,
causing overfows aud washes Of the best
creek bottoms.
Fences are rotted down, a few cart
loads of manure saved, mules and horses
badly cared for, and nothing thrives but
dogs, with two, generally, to every
cabin. / admit that his share Of the crop
is cheaper than wages and it should be
80, as he never thinks Of beginning before
March to make any preparation for bust
ness. Let the planters persist in this fol-
ly, and in ten years their ruin will be
the result.
AT the present there are fifty laborers,
so-called on my place, exclusive Of female
aristocracy; twenty are paid wages, and
thirty are cropping in squads Of their own
selection, and up 10 this time the twenty
have done FIVE times the labor Of the
thirty. But for getting hands on wages
| would abandon my place. The past
year pursued the same course, and my
permanent improvements we're worth
more than the productions Of the crop
pers, and all done by wages hands, with a
supervisor, when they could be spared
out of the crop.
Let the planters pay half the monthly
payment in money, keeping the remainder
till the end Of the year, and cropping
will soon be abandoned. We will then
have secured comfort and prosperity
Every farm or plantation will be a model
appearance and production commensurate
to our wants. Let a system Of wages be
adopted by general concurrence Of the
planters, and for them 10 have honor
enough TO commit no infractions upon a
general pledge entered into, and you will
have a proper distribution Of labor 10
every branch Of industry How often do
we find ladies at the cooking stove and
wash tub, ready and willing 10 pay full
value for help, daddy out Of the grass.
The cropping system viii prove
ruinous to the rising generation Of freed
men, and when the old crop Of freedmen
shall have passed away, industry will die
with them and laziness substituted, AT
least fear.
G. M. VAIDEs.
March ]. 1871