The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-02-13
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EAn0ht III THE s0rTaI.

We know Of nothing so devoid Of
foundation rs the notion largely enter
tanned among persons at the North,
that tho Southern whites do not work,
and that they look with contempt upon
labor. Human nature is pretty much
the same everywhere. There are few
persons who will follow tho plow in the
hot sun during long protracted sum-
mer for the love Of the thing; and there
are fewer still who work ton hours
day in crowded factory building IL
they have the means TO escape that no
cessity. But in every community tho
same law obtains People, whether they
relish il or not, are born to labor, just
as the sparks are destined to fly up.
wards. Those who can avoid actual
manual labor generally do so. Thus we
have reen, year after year, nm exodus
from Now England of the quick. witted
Yankee, who, instead of tilling the
rocky lands Of his native country, hast
ems TO the West or the South to try his
luck at school teaching or to live upon
his wits. Others again, residents on
the coast, engage in mercantile affairs,
and either ''follow tho sea" or seek a
livelihood in ncighboring town.
At the South we have few towns; we
have comparatively few school teachers,
and still fewer officials who live no en-
tirely out Of tho public crib az at the
North. Our manufactures and stores
do not employ tithe Of persons, indis.
posed to manual labor, that arc no EN-.
ployed at the North. As result, our
population, being country people" arc
forced TO follow tho plow. Il may bc
that they do not work as diligently aa
others do but what proof Is there Of
this supposed fae.l They make their
living, and produce important crops.
They probably arc as we'll or aa any ag.
rieultural people with whom their con.
dition can be compared II il folly to
suggest that these people look down
upon labor. They may not labor al.
ways to the best advantage, bat they
do as much hard work as any people
and on tho whole realize as fair 70.
turn. We cannot close this article bet
ter than by quoting what n sensible
Texas farmer has 70 say upon this sub
iect. He puts the thing in a nutshell,
and there is no gainsaying what he &c
forcibly says. Hear him:
"The white men throughout the en-.
tire region Of country who have no cap.
ital to live upon-and MS for that mat.
ter We are in that fix all over the South
work in fields, MAKE cotton, cultivate
corn, potatoes, peas, pumpkins, ,squaahes
and COOLERS, and in quantities 20 the
hand about double tho amount made BY
the hes working negroes in the coun-
try. aia n white man fifty-two years
old, and, though with no particular nc
eessity for it, this year cleaned mp
ploughed, planted and cultivated both :
cotton and corn field, aud with NO al
vantage in help, team or land over the
meanest nigger on my farm. The no
suit Of my crop is third greater than
theirs hired in hoo work to the
amount Of $500. made 800 pounds
Of lint cotton, and have sold it. getting
s3SG.03 for it. Now, ! don't writ
this with view to induce the first sin
gle inan or woman, North or West, tC
come South, but simply TO contradict
as above stated, the silly lie so often
published that white men in the Soutl
don't work. The great majority hay,
worked all their lives, and the sun does
not hurt them either"
To this We add that the ordinar,
farmer Of the South Is not n mere tile,
of the soil. Because Of his isolation
he has to rely greatly upon his own la
Dor to make what he needs. He is a
carpenter, wheelwrisht, worker il
wood, knows blacksmithing, and is gen
orally adept at all sor;s of work not re
curing any high degree of skill. In
deed, instead Of tho average Southern
white man looking down upon labor, il
would be more true to gay that he il
adept at work, kind of jack at al
trades, and good at all.