Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1879-08-30
THE LABOR QUESTION.

Facts are stubborn things and
when they stand 10 opposition to
our interest they have nothing in
tnom pleasing or gratifying.
Cotton is the chief product, tho
revenue, the stock in trade. and
the score of wealth in the "South.
ern bet" For its profitable rro-
duction the labor mu be skilled
and educated. Although that Ia
bor has been raised in our midst
and is peculiarly if not specially
adapted to it's more kindly treat-
ed and cared for than it's class in
any other section or country and
its wages better and more certain
1T is discontented, unsatis6ed
aud hopeful of better times where
the climate is forbiddiog aud the
system aud occupation of tillius the
soil entirely different.
Large colonies from nearly every
Southern State have emigI ated, the
most dolefll accounts of their suf-
ferings have been sent back as
warnings to those who happily did
not have means to pay their trans-
20. tation. But to no purpose. Ev>
cry one wilt want to see for him
self-it is human nature, and soon.
er or later he will realize his hope,
or die in blissful anticipation. The
Kansas fever is upon them, and,
like all other such things, it must
ruu its course.
1t is idle to wish that something
in the course of nature or Of politi-
cal reason may intervene for our
protection. "God helps those Who
help themselves" and the agricul-
tural interest mus! bestir itself to
obtain a substitute. Admit that
the substitute will not supply tho
place of what is lacking" yet all
political economy teaches that any
kind Of labor, be it never so info.
rior, is better than IDLE fields.
! Besides white labor has never
been fairly treated. 1t has always
been at no difficulty in getting 9th
er employment more lucrative if
uot moro congenial to its tastes. A
general demand for it would soon
fill up outside branches Of industry
and compel the remainder, even
against their wishes, to till the soil. .
Once engaged, the time required to
prepare the ground, pi ch the crops
and gather them for market, is q
pledge of fidelity and makes ad-
vancins comparatively safe.
From all accounts the lal oring
classes IN the North are not nappy
and are as much inclined to try
something new a. the negroes arc
with US. The time seems to be ia.
vorable and but little effort might
be required TO start them :his way.
The greatest obstacle is large
plantations. Every white man will
want farm Of his own or the ex-
pectancy oft as soon as he can pay
for it. The breakup is inevitable
now, and the only wonder is that
it did not come years ago. I'm
I provements are seldom made with
, out advantage, AID customs that
rctard rather than develop the
prosperity of the country cannot be
e too quickly relinquish d. To our
, landed proprietors we Lave to say
that if they exrect their possessions
to be worth anything they must Of
4 fer inducements to some kind Of la
Dor that will take a pride and in
tercst in its improvement and be-
Il come permanent and industrious
q occupants who will make goot
neighbors aud good citizens, anc
# be an honor as we'll as an ornamen
- to the State.-Ouachita Telegraph
nI@ Col. Boyd has been named
q rooo;vor of the finds of the Uni