Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-01-15
LAR0R SYSTEM.

The individual who has watched the ten
dency of things for the last few years, with
moderate care, can not have failed to discover
that an elementary change is gradually ta-
king place in this country. This change, it
will be admitted by every candid individual,
is absolutely necessary to the perpetuity of our
civilization. The foundations of society have
recently been, if not destroyed, very exten-
sively disturbed. The labor system of large
and important section of the United States
has undergone change amounting, in all its
important features, to destruction. The labor
system of the Southern States to-day, is who'll
ly different from what it was twenty years ago.
At present, there is no properly organized la
Dor system in the South. So far as labor is
concerned, the South is in state Of confusion.
The property holder and laborer attempt to
feel and act independent Of each other. This
state of things may be styled liberty; but 1t
is misnomer. All its tendencies are bad,
and are eminently calculated to destroy and
bring to ruin every civilized institution in
our midst. The capital of every country in
the world is dependent upon the labor Of that
country. The earth has long since ceased to
bring forth support for man spontaneously.
AS an evidence of the disturbed condition of
the labor system, we would point to thousands
ofacres of arabic land that are lying uncultiva-
ted, and the vast amount of land that is only
partially cultivated On all this land there
is a heavy tax paid annually, and the owners
are in no way whatever benefited. The in
crease of the land in saleable value is nothing,
compared with the tax and interest on the
money invested. AS things now exist, it is a
subject which admits of debate, whether to be
possessed of property makes the owner rich or
poor. Sure it is, that very small amount of
property gives the owner less annoyance than
great deal of property. Men in whom the
titles to large amounts of property are vested,
find it difficult to pay the taxes on their prop
erty. This, in State properly organized,
ought not to be the case. The property hol-
der is oppressed, and the laborer is not in the
least benefited. In fact, the laborer suffers
more than the property holder. With the
present labor system, or rather with no sys'
tenn, the laborer is doomed to poverty. Year
after year he will work hard and receive for
his toll scanty living His social and intel
lectual condition, instead of becoming better
will grow worse and worse, until ultimately
he will reach the hopeless point where he will
not care.
To save the country from sinking into bar
barism, something must be done. 1t may be
thought that reformation must be effected
amongst State officials. This seems to be the
opinion of the majority of those who think
about the drifting tendencies of things; but
we are fully convinced that the evils which
impede Southern progress never can be re-
moved by legislative bodies. There are some
things that do not come within the province
of legislatures, and these things are the most
important There are some institutions and
relationships with which law in the usual i'm
port of the term, has nothing to do. The
law has no right to meddle with the relation
ship between husband and wife; it has nc
right to say that the employe shall give the
employed so much for days labor. The
laws which govern civilized nations never
were enacted they never were written; and
they cannot be found in codes. They are
found in the general sentiment of the people,
That legislative body which would enact a
law that husbands and wives shall love each
other, would stultify itself in the eyes Of every
civilized nation on the globe Suppose leg