The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-10-01
Labor in the South.


the present time as she has had under the old
regime. Since they have obtained their free
dom many who were formerly employed upon
the plantations have moved into the towns,
and are either idling or are engaged upon the
public works. Another important fact to be
remembered is that before the war their were
no drones Every slave was kept employed,
for when he stopped work he became unprotit-
able and only the very wealthy could afford to
support an idle servant; while now nearly tue
entire female portion of the negro population
are non-producers in the most comprehensive
sense of the word, and it would to-day be a
gross insult to insinuate that they ever followed
the pillow or handled hoeVin the cotton or
corn fields. And when one considers that OF
the four million slaves nearly one-half were te-
males, and that of these fully nine-tenths were
field hands, the reason why the crops have not
reached the average yield produced before the
war is apparent. Even at that time not more
than one-twentieth part of the arabic lands
were under cultivation, and much that was
planted produced but per centage OF what it
might have yielded if thorough and improved
method had been adopted in its cultivation:
Again. the tide of emigration is small, and all
that have come here do not make up for the
loss of the women who have become non-pro-
ducers since the war. Besides, many of the
newcomers are mechanics, or have been en-
ploycd upon the various railroads and in the
shops and manufactures.
From this combination of circumstances we
deduce the fact that the great need Of the
South is labor; therefore, any movement that
tends to demoralize or unsettle what little we
have that may be depended on, must result in
disaster. We do not intend to discuss this
question as partisans, but we can not refrain
from expressing our regret that portion OF
the people of any of the Southern States have
been so ill-advised as to seek mode of address
ing their grievances by combining together in
a manner that will certainly array one race
against the other, utterly regardless of the fact
that so long as they are members of one COM
munity their interests are in common. While
the egro should be taught the binding force
of contract, and be made to understand that
the law which gave him his rights did not, by
any means, deprive the white population OF
theirs his legal position as citizen must not be
disregarded. He should be taught that his
pecuniary interests will advance in proportion
to the increase of prosperity in the section OF
country in which he resides that if no corn
is harvested there will be no bread nor meat; ;
that the receipts from cotton depend upon the
amount cultivated that if there is little to sell
wages will be low, and the calculation of
money limited that if the propcrty-hoders
are overburdened with exorbitant taxes: they
cannot employ him to clear off new fields or
otherwise improve their property, and there
fore moderate taxation is vital to his interests
as to those of the planters. These are evident
truths that should be impressed upon him until
he understands and takes an interest in all
that tends to advance the public welfare.
IL cbo bo tono to StrI1ct O1
any white man, born either North or South,
that tells him that he without education or
experience, is rs we'll qualified to perform the
responsible duties of a legislator as man who
has been schooled in public life and had years
of experience in all the duties of a citizen !;
and to treat with scorn renegade white man
who tells him that he prefers him to one OF his
own color, and plays upon his vanity to use
him for his own ends. Common sense should
enable him to see the motive that is but half
masked by such false protestations.
On the other hand, the white people must
take heed and draw clear and distinct line
between prejudice and principle The misfor
tunes that have fallen upon them from the
dominance of ignorance and corruption have
been grievous, but they cannot hope for an
improvement by following the advice of noisy
demagogues, and committing themselves to
movement that will invite war between the
races with all its attendant horrors. Such q
course would paralyze the industries of the
country, it matters not which side is victorious,
and leave as reminded of its terrors desolated
homes, blackened ruins and mourning house.
holds.
The consequences that would ensue from
such a state of affairs cannot be painted IN
colors sufficiently black. The uncertainty
would demoralize the laboring classes both
white and black emigration would be retar-
ded, capitalists will refuse to peril their per-
sons and property in locality ready, at any
moment, to plunge into the anarchy of civil
strife, while the peace-loving, and consequent
ly better class of citizens, will remove to other
places in preference to being drawn into
struggle of this character
The lessons of the late war should not be so
soon forgotten. Let every argument be used
and every effort put forth to avert the calamity
The South must not sully her name by any
rash measure. We are sure that the intelli-
gence of the people will bring them out of the
labarynth of difficulties in which they have
been cropping, and that their cooler Judgment
will find way of reconciling the different
elements that now seem so antagonistic.
COMPLIMENT TO SOUTHERN POLITICIANS.