Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-10-24
THE SYSTEM

u 6olOuuC Es hss WIN 40
one Of our very best citizens in the
sense of persistent labor and good ex-
ample as an upright, honest gentle
man, sends us a communication under
this head, for which we regret we
cannot find room in full. But the sub.
ieet being one that lies at the basis of
our prosperity in town as well as cOun-
try, we make room for his most peril
tinent suggestions. He says: "Let
planters meet in district and county
conventions, adopt resolutions, to de-
part from which would be dishonOra-
BILE, and memorabilia Our legislative
bodies to enact wholesome laws for
the proper protection Of landlord
and tenant, and employer and en-
ploye, for we find the present con-
tract system in execution amounts
simply to a mOekery from the ire
sponsibility generally of the laborer,
who may violate, at pleasure, the con-
tract which he so scrupulously sign
ed, to the serious detriment of his en-
ployer. The contract system, then,
with the negro amounts simply to
nothing but disappointment and vex
alton. The negro has learned tina
planters are disposed to submit to
their unreasonable demands, rather
than lose their services, poor IS they
are, and take the chance of hunting up
new recruits. Now we ask in
all candor, is there no way
to make the contract sys-
tenn, or laws more binding, sufi-
so at least to compel employ
srs to be more careful in interfering
with employees when under contract,
and counteract the bad influences that
now exist. 1t is a known fact that en-
are frequentlyinduced to leave
1ne plantation and repair to another,
perhaps not more than one mile dis
ant, when to do so is ruinous to his
irst employer, when the crops are
and his services are
most needed. We must endeavor
stop this vilepractice by legislative
restraints and make the penalty so
,reat il case of violation Of the law
hat it will be sufficient to break up
he evil habit. Planters are frequently
Orced to abandon part Of their crop,
o their severe los while some one
nOre fortunate reaps the benefit of
be services OF employees whom he
las sought often at great expense.
he present system will finally so !
1uch impoverish the planter that I
rant will stare him in the face and !
be country become bank i
Ipt. We can and must an g
ct these laws OF protection. b
Ye do not object to the introduction {
more laborers. The formation of {
emigration societies, and every v
Ieans calculated to develop and faeil- Z
ate the upbuilding of the country, Il
Iould be encouraged. Yet the intro 2
A
lction Of foreign labor, so far, does >
1t seem to have met the wants Of our :
to that extent we 0ndly hoped b
r. 1t may be that we are deficient z
its management, and no doubt we
g TO some extent. We know, at
ast, that il has not been reliable, and
ncethe planter is compelled to seek
{ other channels of protection. We q
lieve the building Of railroads Z
rough our fertile regions does a great )
toward developing the resources
the country, yet, without well-reg-
ated labor, they must prove
profitable. The groundwork OF all W
enterprises can be traced back to
tilling of the soil, and when we
in this we can with
look for prosperity. Our y
will be turned into towns, and
|, towns into cities. We will then
We no use for bankrupt sales, and
d times will be obsolete words.
hills and valleys will once more
ssom like the rose, and all nature
refreshed with the salutary changes
t flow from a Wel-regulated sys
| of IabOr.O