The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-03-24
The Labor Problem.

The lates. issue of the Vicksburg Pan.
ter's journal saya:
'YThe labor system Of the South is
annually growing worse and worse. The
negro never was reliable as a laborer.
even in tho days when he ranked as aii,
expensive chatteI. The masters eve
Kept him in subjection, and the fear OF
the lash goaded him TO unwilling toll.
AS O freedman he Is worse than failure.
Unreliable to the last degree. he brings
rum, SCORER OF later, upon all those that
put their trust in him. Contracts are
things makes TO ba broken. The
opportunity of defrauding those who
have trusted and befriended bin ia
eagerly improved. Deceit and dissimu.
lation are Inherent traits in his character.
He is familiar with vice and does not
hesitate to commit grave crimes to pro
mote the qualification of his brutal mas.
sions. Slovenly in all his habits, he can.
not and will not comprehend the lessons
which the improved agriculture of the
period teaches"
These are pretty hard things to say.
yet 1t must be admitted by all candid
people that they pres2at vastly moro OF
truth than Of poetry. Of course there
are few honorable exceptions in almost
every community, but leaving these out
and taking all others as mass, We find
the case standing very much as our
VIcksburg contemporary puts it. Then
naturally comes in the question, "What
are we to do 2" There are not enough of
these reliable laborers to perform our
work..noth'ng like enough, and to
depend upou those unreliable cannot do
otherwise than prove disastrous. Tho
Planters Journal goes on to state, in sub.
stance, that radical change Is q neces-
eity and no time must be lost by induig-
ing in vain and useless repinings. Im-
migrants must be attracted to uB BY thou
sands. We must go after them IF they
do not come voluntarily. Money must
be expended in disseminating informa.
tion regarding the climate, soils, crops,
manufactures, mines, forests and other
resources of the South. To the masses
of the sections from which we would draw
Immigration the South is only pesti-
lentiat region, q selai.barbarian country
where might makes right, where law is
defied and crime is deemed honorable.
These wrOng Impressions must be cor
rected. Capital must be invited and its
investment be rendered reasonably
secure. Homes must be offered on rea-
sonable terms to such MS have means to
buy, and who will immediately improve
them, while lands must be rented to
those who have not the ready means, but
who are willing to work. To meet This
crying want the large plantation system,
30 prevalent in the best parts Of the
South, must be abandoned. Plantations
must be divided and sub. divided.
From this changed condition Of affairs
other resultsn. benefits will follow.
Muscles of iron and steel will be gem
orally introduced, and those who under
stand their use will find ready employ
ment. Skilled laborers will be in de-
mnnd. One Of these will, his machine
will do moro and better work, at half the
expense, than Gun now be accomplished
by score of our slovenly cultiyators
with their primitive implements. The
negro cabin will be demolishe5, aud the
white mans cottage will take it's place.
The soil will be worked to its full capac.
ity and the largest crops of the present
will be largely increased, for science will
assist the efforts Of intelligent labor.
This increase o: population, Of an
intelligent and enlightened character,
will naturally attract to us diversity
of interests, all of which will.
in due time, find ample scope aud
profitable occupation. Manufactures cs
ell kinds g'ili be established. Our incx.
haustible mines of salt, sulphur, coal.
iron and precious metals will be worked.
The wealth of our wide-spreading forests
will be utilized. Our swamps will be
drained and our waste places will be
reclaimed.
These are no Utopian ideas. They
are entirely practicable. Something of
the kind must be adopted and that without
unnecessary delay. We do not need 10
go to Europe or Asia. We do not want
the scum and dregs of any nation. Bone
and muscle without brain will do us lit.
tie good. We can and should Offer
inducements to secure the best class oil
the surplus population of our own coun
try. If thrifty, respectable emigrants
from the Old World desire 10 settle
among US they should be welcomed
There is room for them all.
in this connection it is proper to state
that the frantic efforts now being made in
certain parts of the South to procure
immigrants OF any character, can only bs
productive Of evil. We cannot afford
to furnish IN asylum for those who "leave
their country for thoir country's good.''
Neither do we believe it wise to pin our
faith On thuse who must be brought to ua
by charity. God helps those who heln
themselves, and wo'feel sure that when
we place our superior advantages prop.
erly before the world, there will bo nc
lack OF energetic and intelligent men
who will find way 20 reach us without
asking. advances from US. We have
often observed that when an Immigrant
has been paid to settle in given locality
the community soon finds it advisa.
BILE to pay him to Ego Vest" or in some
other direction: aive US only the intel.
ligent, energetic and respectable. Let
us extend to such every possible iudpce.
ment to coma and all needed sasistancc
after arrival, but let US securely close our
doors against all others.
A HARD CUsroMER.-A friend who
has been travelling recently in South.
western Georgia, heard of man now
living down II Lewndes county, whose