Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-10-09

| out of the negro exodus, it is but fair
' that a statement should be made show.
ing precisely the relations of labor and
capital in the South. Washington may
fairly be considered Southern city in
the sense that it has large negro pop.
ulation. To-day 40 per cent. of the
population is colored. Who that has
been here will say that the negroes are
a class TO inspire any sort of respect?
They are indolent, without ambition
and ignorant. Yet in proportion to its
size there is no city in the world that
offers better facilities for improving the
condition of its negro residents than
this, but instead of profiting by the in.
ducements they seem to ignore them
and act as though they believed that
having worked enough before the war
they should be maintained as Govern.
ment wards now that they are free.
This is fact that is patent to any one
and that every one has observed. Now,
despite their condition, | have no hesi.
tation in saying that the equality of the
negro is recognized in this Southern
city more generally than in New York
or Boston. How many men in the
Northern cities would leave car or
stand up in it rather than take seat
beside a negro? | venture to say that
ten would do it in New York where one
would here. Indeed it may be assumed
that many Northern negroes, who are
vastly superior in habits, cleanliness
and intelligence to those in the South,
neglect to avail themselves of all the
privileges conceded to them, because
they feel that public sentiment is not
yet developed as fully as public princl
pie. In Washington they are incapa
ble of any such delicacy. Theories here
in matters of that kind become practi
ces very quickly, and there is not a
street.car or chariot that does not carry
on every trip a full quota OF mixed trav'
clers.
Further South their proclivties are
more marked than here. Having been
relieved from oppression they think ii
becoming in them to be audacious and
lazy and impudent, naturally enough
perhaps, considering their former con.
dition. Left to themselves the differ.
ences between them and the whites of
the South would probably have been
adjusted as soon rs the first effects of
non restraint had worn off. After that
they would have sought to better them
selves through the agencies furnished
ut home for that purpose, and the
South would have regaiued that pros
pcrity il lost by the war and have held
its population intact. By the time the
outlook could have been as encouraging
there as in any other part OF the
country. But meddlesome persons had
TO interfere, and what would have de
veloped of its own accord into n desire
for improvement on the part OF the
negroes was diverted into general dis
affection and restlessness, so that in
the South to- day they are no better off
and not SO contented or hopeful as
they were in 1865. A period of fifteen
years of barbarous agitation has com.
pletely demoralized them and they
really do not know what they want and
are ready to take up with anything and
to 90 anywhere at bidding. a Mis-
sissippi planter who employs about $50
negroes and who has been a sugar and
cotton raiser for forty years said to me,
"The negroes have been battered about
40 much that they don't know what
they want and will jump at anything.
DO you know that believe. he went
on with more vigor than elegance,
"that If all the negroes south of Mason
and Dixon's should be seated quietly
in heaven and steamboat labelled
For He'll should come along with a
brass band. every one of them would
lump aboard" The despatch publish.
ed yesterday said that the wages Of
farm laborers in the south were larger
the year round than those of the same
class in any other part of the country.
One reason for this is that the land is
worked almost continuously from Janu.
airy until January. whereas in the north
the hands are idle half the year.
Wages vary from $40 to $l5 a month.
In some cases $50 is paid. This is ex.
elusive OF board, which consists OF a
weekly allowance of peck of Indian
corn meal, four pounds of salt meat
and a pint OF molasses. The fare is
simple. but ii il abundant and the ne.
groes prefer it to anything else, having
always been accustomed to IL. The
method of farm.workiBg most common
in Louisiana and Mississippi is what is
known a. "cu shares" A man will
take q farm, for instance, of twenty
acres on which to grow fifteen acres oil
cotton and FIVE acres of corn, reserving
small patch for garden vegetables. II
he can support himself while cultiva'
ting the crop he will receive half the
product of the yield. Otherwise he
will receive the same amount, less an
advance made by the planter in goods
and the prices ruling in the neighbor.
hood. The farmland has no responsi.
bility and needs no capital, as the plan.
ter furnishes team. farming implements
II InI...au hcuua Alouu tha Aiaaia.
sippi Valley land will yield a bale of
cotton to the acre, and 30 bushels oi
corn to the acre. AZ $45 for cotton
and 50 cents for corn, $775 can be
counted on per year, and the laborer
received 1881 out of that. Out of this
his family expenses only are to be de.
Quoted and they need not exceed so
If he lives on farm hand rations, rs
pork costs him 80 barrel and corn
meal from 60 TO 10 cents bushel.
r. G.. T. al