The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-03-29
/. Correspondencs CoIumhi. PhSn SnIx, g

Z No EiDorado- .LaborC Contrac6- dfiQi1dl
--Stare Observation-Disclosures 70
Vicksburg. S. B IS S.
{, V1oKsBuna,, MIss., MafSh 26.. e z
Mr.. EDITOR: Three years ago. 7 wrote
you from this place, and the prominent
idea Of the letter was, the peculiarly Of
mine host. the "hero Of tavern keeping"
-General McMakin- who. at each meal.
after his guests were seated, would atand
at the door. and in stentorian voice, re.
pa, his bill # fare, concluding thus,
III 1onld have given yo1 :. priut-
ed bill, my friends. bat yon see
the members of the mississippi. Legis.
ilaturs always stop With me, and as
they can't read, have to recite it for
their, benefit" This same jovial- .Qoto.
genhrian! Who saya he danced at my
fathers wedding, ia South Carolina, in
January, 1912. still! .presides over the
"Prentiss Honso," "-and caters for the
public. At the etelk's Office is ,placard-
ed biz full ngtktRhotograph. which is
represented as saying some good things
''My friands, hotal. al.keepars,can.t do eve.
rythiDg. you know; then while you are
ut my house, make yourselves, at home,
and do the best you can for yourselves Z"
My clerks ore polite aud obiiging, but
they II bear watching; SO don't trust thom
too far" "My porters are effio; o;ent, but
you know they cant carry all the trunks
at onoe." His reception of the stranger
popularizes his house, but it is by no
mems first t-class hotel. +
Nicksburg uis o thriving city, ris-
ing directly Q, from the banks of
the Mississippi. and covering more
bills aud higher than did the
Eternal City" twenty centuries ago.
Except when deiuged with epidemics,
which is not oftener than three times u
year. the city is perfectly healthy. The
prevailing miasma, at present, is drum
kenness. anil if it spreads till summer,
amazing will be the consequences. For
tunateiy, the Mississippi Legislature has
just passed a liquor law, 80 stringent in
it's provisions. that its administration
will either kill or cure the contagion.
This morning, walking two squares on
one street, / passed eighteen doors;
thirteen Of them. were entrances to
saloons" and, possibly. as mauy more
could have been counted as mauy blocks
farther on. Intemperance is fearful
curse throughout the Mississippi Valley
proper.
The pas. few days have thrown me in
9.
and all of tkem I have found to agree
in one point concerning two things, end
that is, that in this rich allnyial country
the negro and farming are comparative
failures. As these are two subjects that
yitally interest us in South Carolina, 1
beg your readers will indulge me in q
few thoughts upon them. do not pro-
pose to discuss whether labor is, or is
not. capital; whether capital can, or
should, control labor, or whether the in
terests of each are identical or nntago-
nistio. No such philosophizing; but
simply to state some facts gathered from
observation and publish them for the
consideration of the farmers, planters
and citizens of South Carolina.
The valley of the Mississippi. embrsc-
ing West Tennessee, the Stntcs of Ar
kansas and Mississippi, aud the North
ern portions. OF Louisiana and Texas, is
one vast cotton field. The majority of
the population are negroes. The larger
portion of the remaining minority are
planters, reduced by the war from easy
to trying circumstances. Stable capital
has no existence here. Lands that will
produce 400 pounds of lint cotton to
every acre, have no marketable value
beyond that given it by the temporary
presence Of labor. Labor is migratory,
aud under no moro control than that of
the Bedouin Arabs. Money is awfully
scarce and high, and will sell for any
price. from two per cent. per month up.
Society hos no stains, and the mammon
Of covetousness is rs devoutly worship
ped as was ever the idols of heathendom.
Can more unhappy state of things be
imagined? And yet thousands of per-
sons in South Carolina look to this
country as the FL Dorado that is to give
na political and financial reouperation.
Everywhere have encountered intelli.
gent men who would express surprise to
me that I would consent to dig and
delve on the poor old hills of South ca.
rolina, when, with the same energy and
less money, two bales of cotton to the
acre can be made here. I reply by in.
quiring how much have you laid up
since the war? The answer invariably
begins with an eff"
There are three kinds Of contracts pre-.
valent here. First, timbered land Is
leased to negroes for Eve years for clear
ing it; second, negroes work for q pnrt
of the crop; and third, open lands are
rented to negroes ot the one price of ton