, 1875-05-04
THE PLANTATION BUSINESS IN TEuFEs-
HEE

We tFuht ouf [eaueE3 AAV6 pertBeQ tho very
interesting and grnphic letters Of our corro.
spondcnt now in Ito Southern States. uiH
letter published in THr TRIBUNE Of AIay
gives very thorough view of tho present
condition Of the labor troubles in West Ton
neasce. The laud for long distance on tho
road from tho North to Memphis ia desolate,-
In fact, abandoned. Tt is cotton lnnd, and
hitherto has been successfully cultivated. It
has been wished bare Of its producing
soil, and, according to tho Southern policy,
has been abandoned for now lands. This
land ). .as was explained BY planter, eau be
reclaimed A single crop Of clover, turned
under, would nlaks it valuable for
cotton !; but no ono will think of
doing tint, or Of employing any fcrtilizing
agents. Cotton is their meat and bread, aud.
as long as there ara now lanls to be worked,
no ono will give the least attention to re-
claiming that already exhausted. Tho cot
ton.seed OF ono crop would furnish the
proper mcans to produce another crop from
these lands, but that tho pooplo will not do;
they sell the aeed to the oil mills, and seek
now lands. Thoy actually sell tho manure
whicl. Nature 1as provided to keep the soil
productive.
Tie general cry il that "labor is den,oral-
ized." The decentralization consists in the fact
tAat the planters WHO arc tho lantl-holders..
insist upon perpotuating the labor-system
practically us it existed before tho War, and
to this the negro will not submit. There is
no slabor in the country but that Of the
negroes. Tho whites, M class, will not
work in tho fold There are no white
1aborers to hire. Labor in tho field il
now as much regarded o. o social
degradation aa 1t was before tho
War. There Is q complaint that the Germans
and scandinavians who havo gono there ru-
fuso to live in the old cabins or negro "auar.
ters," will not associate with negroes, and 70
away. This the average wl,itc man st the South
cannot underatand. Ho cannot comprehend
how any man a1seady 80 degraded as to bs will.
ing to work in tho fold should be unwilling to
live in tho mud-cabins and associato with ne.
groes. ue fails to understand that free labor
docs not regard itself Us degraded, and that
the free laborcr% of tho United states claims
to ho socially tl.o peor Of other men; and that,
II tho South is to bo ropeopled by white labor
eFs from tho North Of from Europe, they will
go there the owuora Of the soil they cultivate,
and tho founders Of social systo,n in which
they must he at tho top.
The cotton crop in West Tennessee vas
last year failure. Tho consequence is that
there was but poor compensation Tor planter
and 1aoorer; and tho planters are conpratu,
lating themselves on tho prospect Of q lareo
crop OF cotton this ycas, because the nep1oea
must work or staryo. Tho hard timcs. and
tho choice between hard labor aud starya.
ton, seems to ho regarded by tho planters %
providentlM measure to compel tho negroes
TO work. Thia seems strange to q pcoplo
who look upon labor aa q means of l;yeli.
hood,-who work for tho product Of their
labor, aud who look to that. product aa q
means OF supplying themselves. with com.
torts, and Of bottesing their condition eon.
orally.
:, our correspondent otfors an explanation of
th'a conduct OH tue part Of tho planters. It
aeon's that they cling 10 the old 1ride-and-
poverty system OF tho ante-War days. The
l.1an'o1s arg the nominal owners OF tho soil.
Ihey count the number Of their acres. anil
expect 70 obsain from tho land, after payipR |
oil expenses, from &e5 to SIS an aoro oon.
seauently the moro acres thoy own tho |
greater tho profit. Theao profits, In tho old |
tinaes, they expended in tho most prodiuol |
manner. Tho. owner Of all immense plania-
t1on was also tho owner OF tho labor to culti-
sats It; he lived like prince, hna soon
learned to think he waa ono. Tho general
plan was to spend each years income within
the year. Tho old style waa for planter to
have factor or com1n'saion.merchant TAia
factor received tho crop and sold 1t, aud was
Inc banker and the agont Of the planter. The
planter expended tho money. In cass Of
Short crops, the saps expenditures wero
mate' tho factor making advances, This
system these planters still preserve. They
VIII not part with IN aers Of the tand
They will work Il oa shasaz, Or otherwise.