New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-24
SOUTHERN PROSPERITY.
STEPS BY WHICH TT is TO BE ATTAINED.

STEPS BY WHICH TT is TO BE ATTAINED.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST CEASE UNwAR-
RANTED NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. THE GREAT
NEED OF THE SOUTHERN PEoPLE-THE PRESENT
SYSTEM OF COMMON SCHOOLS AND ITS DEFECTS
FARMING WHICH DOES NOT PAY, AND WHY
THE NEGROES MORE DEGRADED TO-DAY THAN AT
THE CLOSE OF THE WAR.
TFRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDUNE.l
MONTGOMERY. Ala, Nov. 13.-The people of Ala
bama have in the late election, done what they
could to restore honest government to the State and
find everywhere among the Conservatives dispO-
sition to the power they have gained with wis
dom and moderation. Extreme measures of every
kind will be opposed by all the best in the
State, and it is to the work these have done that
the victory is chiefly due. there is every reason
to hope that their counscls will prevail.
At the same time this State needs outside
aid in its efforts to reclaim its waste places and to
rebuild its shattered fortunes This triumph of the
people VIII mean nothing unless they allowed to
enjoy fully its legitimate fruits There must be no
attempt to reGnact the scenes which we witnessed
in Louisiana two years ago. The United States
Government must keep its hands off and allow the
people of the State to settle any disputes that may
arise between the two political parties here. hope
that may occur, but the gathering of the Radi-
cal chiefs in this city within the last few days. and
chance remarks that some of them have made
have caused general feeling of uneasiness among
the people. Gen. Grant. in spite of all the past
blunders in his Southern policy, may yet earn the
lasting gratitude of the people of this State by in
forming his partisans in advance that they cannot
expect his assistance in any attempt to retain power
in Alabama by revolutionary measures.
EVIL RESULTS OF FEDERAL INTERFERENCE.
For of the greatest obstacles to the reGStabsh-
80 ~, ond fhn m mi
confidence in the General Government has been the
unwarranted interference of the Federal authorities
in matters which concerned the States alone. Why,
il has come to pass that the Radicals of the South,
instead of submitting with good grace to the will OF
the people, when they are fairly beaten at the ballot
box, turn without hesitation to the President ana
his Cabinet, expecting that they will restore to them
the power which the people have taken away. There
Is one thing that the Federal Government Is bound
to do and that is to it that no State deprves
the negro of any civil political right guaranteed
to him by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States. Having done that
it must keep hands OFF except when 1t Is called upon
to suppress domestic violence by the properly con-
sttuted authorities. Let the Radicals understand
that they can expect aid from Washington in
attempting to nullify legal election anywhere IN
the South, and let the Democrats be assured that
they will be allowed to enjoy the fruits of their hon
estly-earned victories-n short, let all the people
be once convinced that the destinies of these South
ern States, their government, their development,
arc in their hands, and the first element OF the
Southern problem will be solved. But let the ideas
of the CHATTANOOGA Outrage" Convention pre-
prevail let the duty of protecting the citizen in
his life and property be transferred from the State
to the National Government; let United States
marshas undertake to perform all the duties OF
sheriffs United States commissioners, justices OF
the peace; let the army of the United States take
the place OF the sherffs posse, and crime VIII run
riot not only in the South but all over the Union.
EDUCATION THE GREAT NEED OF THE SOUTH.
The people Of the South need educatiOn-not alone
the training which they get i'll the schools but they
need to foster habits of thrift industry and ecOno-
nv. There are many middleaged men in every
State of the South, of whom little can be expected.
They were the of rich planters brought up to
do no work. and to-day utterly helpless. But
the rising generation ought to be Taught selfrei-
ance; actual hard work ought to be made fashion,
able and lazness dshOnorable as it is in thrifty
w-England. The man who will go out upon the
rich praires of this State and work as the
Western farmer works, can, in spite OF the
vicissitudes of the cotton crop, realize
better profit than can be secured anywhere north
of the Ohio River How many Illinois or Iowa or
Minnesota farmers would make any profit if they
managed their places as many Southern farmers dot
If they did not raise their own beef and pork; if
they were Obliged to buy corn and even hay for
their teams, and produced nothing but wheat, they
would be bankrupt in year. Suppose that beside
this they were to hire all of their labor and instead
of going into the fields themselves with DlOw and
hoe were to ride out occasionally horseback to see
how their men getting on, spend great por-
ton of their time in the nearest town talking poll
tics and were to have nothing but borrowed money
with which to conduct their farms--suppose Western
farmers were to manage as many Southern farmers
do, they would all starve to death i'll five years.
sHIFTLEss SOUTHERN FARMING.
During my visit to Sumter County in this State
several weeks ago of the leading citizens OF
Livingston told Inc that there class of farm
ers there who making money. | asked him
who they were. lie said that they were men of lit
tie capital, each of whom worked two or three OF
four negroes But they went INTO the fields with
the blacks-not to sit in the shade of tree and see
that the latter worked but to do their full share of
the labor They got in this way 2j per cent more
out of the negroes than if they managed them in the
ordinary way. In the house the farmers wife gen.
orally did the most OF the work, thus saving the
hire of three or four negro women. Such farmers
these, besides making crop Of cotton, generally
had some corn, fodder. and hay to sell; they raised
some watcrmelons and sweet potatoes for market,
and occasionally brought in some mutton pork.
My friend vino had never been iii the North,
seemed surprise when told him that he had de-
scrbed exactly the Northern and Western style of
farming. There in this and other Southern
States a few such men this, some white and some
black; upon their increase depends in great meas
ure the future prosperity of the State. 1t Is unfor
tunate that the class have de cribed not bet
-