The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-11-06
Southern Field Labor.

Some of the soathen papers find time
even in the stress of political campaign
ing, to discuss the subject of labor sup
ply for the cotton fields. They agree
and we think they are right, that n
considerable dependence can be PLACED
on imported European labor. Her
and there little colonies of Swedes hav
made the experiment of cotton growing
on their own account or on shares, bu
the climate Of the cotton belt does no
suit them. The agencies for the impor
tation of labor from Northern Europ;
are said to have suspended operations
At the best the attempt could be only 6
test on the small scale of the feasibility
of growing cotton by white labor
There never was we'll founded hope
that enough white men could be put tc
the work to supply the place of the ne
gro labor, or exc it out to any appre
ciable extent. The effort to introduce
large numbers of Chinese laborers has
also been failure. The Cinnamon, as
we learn, have generally given satisfac'
ton. They are more industrious, thrifty
and docile than negroes, but only few
can be had in proportion to the number
required to make good the deficiency of
negro hands. A few planters have de-
rived benefit from the importation of
Cinnamon, but measure Of relief is not
open to the whole cotton growing inter
est. So, after all, the planters have or.
ly the negro to rely upon. At the pres
ent time the negro is extremely indie
pendent. He is and will be up to the
Presidential election deeply interested in
politics. He sees that he is the balance
of power, if not in the majority, through
out the South. The pride of the negro
is touched by observing the immense
Difference paid to him by the politicians.
In South Carolina each Of the Republi-
can wings has given five places out OF
nine on the State ticket to negroes.
Stump speakers of all parties are fiat
tering them and cxalting them in their
own esteem, and promising them all
kinds of impossible good things if they
will but vote the right ticket. The ne
gro has been most formidable person
age in the South ever since the war; and
this Presidential year the witty politici-
ans are trying to fool him to the top OF
his bent. It is not surprising that the
negro feels his increased consequence,
and scorns grubbing in the cotton fields.
Why should he do vile work with a
hoe, when Lieutenant-G -Governorships,
seats in Congress, and places in the Leg
islature are all open to his acceptance ?
We really think that the Southern
planters are fortunate in being able to
engage as much negro labor as they do,
when we consider the powerful attrac-
tions of politics as moneymaking pur-
suit. Plenty Of other men, with more
brains and experience than the average
negro, are seduced from honest and
steady labor by political will-o-the-
wisps. The evil will doubtless rectify
itself in time. The privilege of the
franchise and eligibility to Office will
socn cease to be glittering novelties.
The negro will become used to his hon
ors of freemanship, and value them
more cheaply than at present. He will
find that politics as a business does not
pay him that he is only being used by
the more cunning of his race and their
carpet-bag allies; and then, since he
must work or starve, he will resume his
old place as field hand, and put an end
to the anxiety now expressed of dimi-
mutton of the cotton product through
the scarcity of labor.-N. Y. Journal
Of Commerce.