The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-09-04

e 1"e Oe"chS dFC cHcffSHe0--
and pr0iected Jg deiuOcrdtif ytntcsiIeu ,pLo ma,
l hOtd pOiOer in tie South,
: He then proceeds to discuss the question
OF wages, ana no one can read this DOol
{ without seeing the precise accordance will
the conclusions which the facts devclOpe,
J in this investigation will bring any fair an,
impartial mind to, whether you cOnside
, The rate OF wages, or the opportunities %
J employment, or the cost of living, or tn,
J security of person and property in tha
! section. Here is what he says:
Nothing much brings home to me the poverl,
and owness Of living OF our Indian population a
ITO hear these wages talked of as low being, as the,
are, six or eight times the wages OF o"olic il
India, while food is scarcely, if AT al, deArer II
truth, tho negroes are very well OF,
Let me read you more:
More important than the rate of wages is tn,
question whether the black aborers show any dis
position to providence and saving.
/ read this because it bears upon the sin
gle question that has been so much mOOted
.. e., the accumulatiOns by the negroes OF
the South. Says he:
There Isl good deal ol discrepancy in the evidenc,
on this subject. Is I" II seems pretty clear that
providence is as yet the exception, and that the
rule is lIght-hearted way Of spending their money
as they get it,
Here is another important observation
which he makes upon the subject of the
relations of labOrer and landlord
Not only are large farms generally unsuccessful in
America, but in the South there il very gIeut def
cheney of capital to work such farms and 80 it has
| come about that most Of the land s cultivated ON a
sort Of c0-Operntveor MHayer tenant system.
First there is Il mere cooperative arrangement
under which the owner supplies land seed muic
implements, and all and exercises II general sIpel,
vision over the culture giving the Iab1l on share Of
the crops rather than taking share from him. The
AbureIs slhre is moreover, subj jtCt to deduction for
food supplied to him during the cultiyating season.
| Then we have regular Metayer tenants, who them
selves find the mule and implements, the crop being
diYided with the landlord; and again many tenants
who lAy fixed rent in cotton-so many bales -~
and few comparatively lare) who pay money
rents. Sometimes white men rent land and culti-
Nate with negro lab1rers, but most frequently the
| owner deals dilcct with the negro.
have said that the cotton cultivation il suited
To the blacks; ii is easily carried upon small
scale as slaves they have learned to raise it, sin-
gle mule and light pl6w suffice for the operations
oi II small farm The cotton gives employment
almost all tie year round, especially at the season
nniavorablo to white labor.
Although after the war the proprietors and the
cx-sluves to terms to carry on the ltyatiou
it must not he supposed that the former, slaves
haYc generally relnuined with THEN old masters
In some cases no doubt this is So but it is the cx-
ception, Not only have war and revolution caused
considerable nlgratiUns, but there seems to have
been general feeling that freedom not pructi-
cav realized till the slaves had left their mlsters
If ii were only Tor a time Both parties se0nl to
have felt that il should he so and ii often hapUCu-
ed that while remaining on quite friendly terms
with their old masters, and even coming To them
for advice and assistance, AS former slaves would
prefer to cultivate under Il, and BIS slaves unde.
"A. Altogether, somewhat migratory habits were
set up, which the existing system OF agriculture has
not tended to diminish.
So, sir, it seems that migration were not
only frequent in the South, but encouraged
by both classes, employers and employees
lie also directed his inquiries to the sub
iect of the acquisition of land. He saws,
speaking of the negroes:
They have become accustomed to independent
labor and to raising valuable staples for the market
S0far flOm negecting these latter in order To raise
low and lazy diet, the common accusation against
them now is that they cultivate the staples, which
BRING money, too much, to the exclusion Of food
supply. l have heard much said OF the folly OF
negro farmers in buying western and bacon
instead of raising these things. This is partly the
consequence OF the system Of cotton rents, which
makes n large cotton cultivation obligatory; but
also, dare say, these people know by experience
what pays them best AT any rate, it is clear that
they are not now inclined to lapse into low styloO
living; their fault and difficulty is just in the OPP
pOsite direction Unfortunately they live too freely
and generously, and do not money to buy land,
ana nuke themselves independent, as they might.
Yes, sir, well may he say that they might,
if they would, buy land and make them
Throughout the Southern States there are already
a good many negroes (thOugh very few compared to
the whole number) who cultivate land of their own
and there are very many more who own houses and |
small patches, especially in the vicinity Of towns, &c
He has already stated, as quoted above, |
why there are few in proportion to the |
whole number who have become land own
ers, showing the cause to be, not any dItli-
Guilty in the acquisition, but in the habits
Df the negroes themselves,
next call attention to the statement Of
This enlightened observer which every
southern Senator and resident knows to be
true:
Many prOprietors in South Carolina and elsewhere,
ar from thinking. as some Of our cOlonists to
hnk that the best way TO make sure Vi hired
abOl is TO dchar the labOring population from any
Independent place on the land, have followed
much wiser course, and encourage by all means in
heir power the settlement of the negroes ON small
holdings owned by themselves. They have rightly
eemed that this is the best way to fix Permanent
,opulatiOn from which they can draw labor when
eeded.
He then goes on and states how these
parcels of land are allotted. Here Is what
Ie says again:
On the whole, am very agreeably surprised to
nd the position of the emancipated blacks good,
nd the industrial relations bGtwenn them aud the
,hit"s 80 little strained and difficult:
1t seemed To me that the present situation gives
|
lvOrable issue. The position uf the rultYaiurs is
ich that they may we'll, with little kindly aid,
ecOme Independent farmers; and any man Inclined
work honestly and we'll can earn sufficiently
nod wages
SupPosing things to settle down letctibly. a.
opc they may, 20 )" far as to say tnat, though
ntmng Is perfect in this world, the American ,
lacks are in fair way Ol becoming comfortable, |
elite do population To degree found in very lew
iuuties.
Now sir, how could this intelligent and OBJ
3rVant traveller labor under snch drluSiOn ,
the onc-thOIIsandth part of the falschOOds
hich have been poured into this Senate, /
the shape of testimony before inpcsii- i
iting committees, were not falsch00dS but ,
'uthsI =
go far As say that though nothing is perfect Il
this world the American blacks in very 4.
lT way ni becoming a comfortable, well-tu-,iU l
mutation to "A degree found ia very few countries ,
condition which may compare very iaVOrahly not
ly with the Indian ryOt the Russian scTf, or the W
ish tenant-fameT, hut als1 With the Durssishre I
bOrcr l doubt whether, on the whole, better
boring population more suited to the climate and :
untry in which they find themselves, is any n
heie 10 he found. The whites certainly cannot
without them; already the great drawback 4
the Southern States is the want Of that influx Of
reign population which causes the North and
est to To progress in ge"metrcal ratio
NV sdvicc would certainly he to the blacks in -
nerica "Stay at home and make the best OF an -
ccllent situation - 10 the whites: "Dp all you =
10 keep thesc people c0nciliate them, and make y
9 most Of them" l am confident that this may
will be done If only political difficulties aud
settlements do not mar the prospects. IA
may recur to this author upon another tC
anch of this subject if | have the strength Al
continue my remarks. ] wish now to =
II another witness TO the stand. | know W
at Sir George Campbell. if he were before Is
is committee would undergo avery severe ca
Dss-examinatiOn and be piled with all
rts Of skeptical and somewhat derisiye ~
estions. as were the intelligent and hon ia
t gentlemen who were brought here to %
stify upon the state Of things in that u,
gion. | propose next TO call TO the Lg
md. not before this investigating COM
ttee but before this whole country. ,,,
tness who occupies among the religious E.l
mmunities Of this country at least posi- y
N a. commanding a that which any II
her living man ever occupied in America.
d do not see what the minority Of this ~
mmittee will be able to do unle,s they ~
mmon Bishop Simpson before them. and W,
biect him 90 the fortunes Of 4 cross-cN- th
lination. Bishop Simpson, after having ha
en- on a visitation 10 the churches in the in
nth connected with the Northern Metho- "u
4 Church, said: a,
he general impressions which rcccivsi Bpou iu