New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-20
Planter and LabOrer.

In the REPUBLICAN of Thursday last ap-
peared an article referring TO ard condemn
ing certain proposed line of action that
had been staked out for the planters. The
policy alluded to was TO the effect that the
planters should employ only such colored
persons as would be willing to vote as the
planter might direct. Our article com.
menced with paragraph denouncing that
class of aiventurers who come from the
North and, tor motives Of gain, or to curry
favor, out-Herod Herod n their treatmen
of their laborers, and are more intensely
Southern in their views and hostility to the
Northern section than even the Southern
ers themselves.
With this portion of our article the Plea
yune expresses itself as fully agreeing But
when we proceed 10 apply these princip lee
to particular instance the Picayna e. ae
usual, slops over and charges US with ha v.
ing been guilty of misrepresenting facts.
Now,we DO not OBJECT to any Northern man
simply because ne took up his abode here
''before the war; though we do conte nd
that tha. does not make him any be tier
than the Northern man who was so unf for
tunate as not 20 reach this bLssful clim e
until afterward.
The purport of our article was to con-
denim the policy proposed to the planters of
employing only such colored labOrers as
would consent to vote tie Fusion ticket
We will llprooeed in brief to show how absurd
such action would be. The assumption
that the planter protects Lis interest thereby
is not sustained by facts as they exist. The
letter quoted by us maintains tina: planters
and landholders only, have any rights or
interests at stake. Now, the majority of
plantations in this State are worked on
shares, and it would therefore appear tha.
the la5orer has sone right and interest"
at least in the crop. The laborer lie really
partner in the business, and has as much
right TO require the planter to change his
views as the planter has to dictate the vote
and opinion Of the laborer. It's the old
mistake that planters are making all the
time. There are no longer any feudal lords
Slavery is dead. serfs and vassals no longer
exist. The laboreIs are free and are enti-
tied to their opinions, religious and politi-
cal. 1t is constantly set forth by the
Democratic and Fusion Journals, that
the interests Of the white and coiored man
are identical. Why then should the one
seek to deprive the other of his right to
vote as he may think f.! Would the white
man submit to such coereionl Since the
two races possess community of interest,
it would be decidedly wiser for the white
man to abandon his foolish coercion po Icy,
and see that good crops are made. When
voting time comes let each man vote as he
thinks proper. The result will be lawfully
arrived at and duly sustained by the law.
In conclusion, we woGld state, that this
movement Of the planters and Others TO
form an exclusive white man s party, indi-
Gates desire that the community Of, in ter.
est should end, and be succeeded by the
utter subserviency of the colered laoo rers.
This result if achieved, will bring forth
nothing but disaster and discord; and we
have that faith in tle honest planters Of the
South TO believe that they will yet brand
the man who would bring about this condi-
ton of affairs as the worst enemy Of his race
and peoule