The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-20

about equally upon the negroes, since
no race issues are now considered.
| The southern and eastern part of the
State is corn and cotton country.
Here are found the large plantations,
and the larger portion of the negroes.
The northern and northwestern part OF
the State 10 more mountainous, and is
rich in wheat and other cereals. There
is considerable thin land in the State,
but boundless fertility In the bottoms.
The negroes suffer less from malaria
than the whites, and, therefore, t.iiley are
the chief cultivators & the river bot
toms. The &nds are owned in large
monopoiies by the whites, and the me-
groes rent them, generally at about
eighty pounds Of cotton per acre, and
sometimes at a cash rate of eight to ten
dollars per acre.
1t is supposed that about one In twenty
Of the negro voters owns land. This
would give about 1900 negro proprietors
in the State who own either farms or
houses and lots In town. Many negroes
are struggling to become proprietors.
The white monopolists agree that negro
employers get more work out Of their ne
gro hands than masters obtained when
they were slaves; and that the cotton is
better cultivated and harvested in far
better order than formerly. Negroes are
preferred to whites both as renters and
laborers. White landlords are often suf-
ficiently attentive to their own interest
to ride daily over their plantations to ad-
wise and encourage their renters. They
find no difficulty, In collecting the rent
from negroes.
No difference is made in wages on &C.
count Of color. Farm wages are from
SIS to SIS per month, with board, or 81
per day without board. In hoeing and
picking cotton, women get as much as
men when they do as much work.
A renter of 30 acres raises say 80 acres
of cotton and 20 of corn. His cotton
yields him $1,000, out Of which he pays
$500 rent and $3.50 for labor, leaving q net
income Of $3.50. The corn feeds his
stock and chiefly supplies his family
with food-hog and hominy, ham and
dodger. A thrifty negro can safely 60
into debt several thousand dollars for a
farm. The price of bottom land is from
$50 to $50 per acre.
The planters frequently keep stores on
their plantations for the supply of rent
ers and laborers. Nearly every neigh
| borhood has church and school for COL
ored people, and also a white school. As
renters and laborers the two races are
treated as equals, because the negroes
make up for the prejudice of color by
greater industry and fidelity. Indeed,
| there is large measure Of equality as
between the planters and renters as well
as between the races. The owner of
thousands of acres dwells in about as
much of hovel as the renters, and he
has not yet "put on the style" that draws
the line of caste. This will not, how
ever, last long. Soon the planter will
move into his mansion, and in proportion
as he rises will he oppress both renters
and laborers.
While speaking of the condition Of the
negroes in Arkansas we add the facts,
officially reported, that in New Orleans
during last month but 103 oolored per-
sons fed at the public soup.house, while
the total number for the month was
4,529-and that, too, while one-third Of
the people are negroes, giving 1900 as
their proportion at the soup-house. Out
of 4,o7s persons that applied for lodgings
but 6s were negroes. This seems to show
that the poor whites of the South are
more debased than the negroes. This is
the result of the double monopoly that SO
long prevailed .there-the monopoly of
the land and the ownership of the labor
ers. The latter was abolished by the
war, and it would have been fortunate
had the former also gone into eternal
limbo. What is the use of debasing men
by keeping up foul wrong?
Kalakaua is coming to the Centennial
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