New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-11-27

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charity; or must they suffer from the bitter
cold Of long, dreary winter: There is no
use of deny ing the fact that famine has taken
hold Of the people in this State; that starva-
ton stands to-day and confronts over one
hundred thousand people in Alabama
is beyond dispute. This does not imply, by
any means, that we have not raised enough
this year to feed US /; but it does imply that
the present system of farming will eventually
starve Us all out. II has already brought
US to the present crisis. The poor of this
State are annually growing poorer because
the landlords will not allow The privilege Of
raising what the body can subsist upon.
Three-fourths Of the farmers Of Alabama will
not allow their laborers the opportunity of
even raising chicken; and we can never
make farming a success until we can have
the privilege of raising chickens, hogs, geese,
sheep, turkeys. and cattle generally-yes.
anything we see proper to raise. Let it be
stock, grain, poultry, cotton or whatever it
may, We must have the right to raise what
ever we want in order to make farming a
success in this country. The great grand
fault with us now is too much cotton; and
what is worse still is the fact that the land
lords will not allow You TO raise anything
else. Hence by the time. the poor unedu-
Gated blacks get through paying commissions
on this and on that he has not penny left.
Why? Because he cannot keep W with
this commission and that commission, this
per cent. and that per cent. Alabama can
not any longer withstand the aristocrat's
system of farming-One man working thous-
and hands, and at the expiration of the year
every hand upon the farm is in his debt
through his multifarious schemes of commits
sion. We don't want much of this tOmfOol-
ing and will not stand it any longer. Mr..
Editor, the PRESENTS n very serious question
in my Humble judgment, and / hope you will
consider it so, and your considerations sink
deep, for l assure you it weakens me when
| see hundred and thousands of my people
daily with budgets upon their backs travel
ling toward the setting sun, l ask myself the
question, what does all this mean: and the
answer is starvation.
One may ask is it not the proud boast Of
Alabama that she can raise anything that
grows beneath the canopy of Heaven? Yes,
but her landlords have impoverished the
State through their msanthropy and hatred
of the negro, and they themselves are grow
ing poorer by their mistaken idea Of main
taining the aristoCracy or the southern chv-
airy. Their continuous efforts of trying to
keep the negro in scrvitudc has very nearly
put the Odums of malversation upon them
selves, and very justly too; for those who
would bring common humanity to the verge
Of bread riots, ought to have the most fright
full atrocities inflicted upon them. OF all
things, let common humanity breathe, and
do not let natures god be robbed Of her COM
mon destiny on this earth.
Now, Mr.. Editor, l hope you will scruli-
nizc this question or at least give it some
thought, for it is an impossibility for the
thousands Of the good people Of Dallas and
of the adjoining counties to pass through the
ordeals of the present winter without some
thing being done.
1t is Il question that the statesman must
have for subject, for the philanthropist to
take unGer CONSIDERATION one liiat nuilliu!lS
calls loudly forth.
To relieve the distressed is a duty incum-
bent upon all men; we are linked together
by an indissouble chain Of sincere affection !;
to soothe the unhappy, to sympathize with
their misfortunes, to compassionate their
miscries, and to restore peace to their
troubled minds is the great aim we have in
view. On this basis we form our friendships
and establish our connections.
Hoping the love you have for your race
will be revived and renewed.
Adieu, w. L. STEVENS.