The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-10-01
PLANTERSvILLE, MISS,
= 1901


o the Editor Of the Comet:
While Others are telling OF evils in
,ur legislation which needs correction,
nd their remedy, propose to tell
What l think. about one matter, and
hat is the wasted and declining con-
.ition of the country, with fences
one, fields quilted, bitches and
rains filled and grown over with
riars and bushes, buildings dilapidat-
d and things generally out OF order.
he cause of it all is that the land
wners cannot control the labor to
cultivate their lands and keep up
fences, and ditch and clean up. III
they could they would have things
right on their own plantations. But
ever since the war there was been con-
tinued Legislation against the land
owners, and in the interest, as suppos-
ed, of those who are without land,
who are principally negroes. The
Agricultural Lein Law of 1867, was
the first mistake in that direction, and
it has been followed ever since. IL
works this way: A great many who
have land cannot furnish supplies and
carry on their plantations, and desire
to lease them, and the law, pandering
to the laborers who have votes, and
little else, denies any exemption as
against rent, and the landless are thus
made in measure independent Of
those who wish to hire them, and
they are not willing to hire them
selves and families to work on planta-
tions under the direction Of the
owners or the overseers. Consequent
ly the doomed land owner, unable to
procure hired labor, is driven to lease
his land to those who want it. A few
cultivate on shares, very few get
laborers for wages, but by far the
larger part lease their lands, with poor
cultivation, neglect, waste and dilap-
idation. 1t has all come of making
laws to favor labor at the expense of
capital. Our legislators have tried to
make the laboring class Independent
of the land owners, whereas the true
interest OF all requires that the labor
ers should be compelled to depend on
those who need their labor, and who
would hire them and direct their labor
to promote the best results for all or
rather laborers should be left by law
to their natural dependence ON those
who are in need of their services. 1t
would be much the best for the labor
ers who have no land to hire for wages
in the employ of those able and will
ing to employ them. They do not
know their true interest, and aided by
vicious legislation which enables all to
rent, they are deluded into renting
and farming on their own account.
The legislation Of 1866, prohibiting
freedmen from renting, was a great
deal better for them than the present
law, which makes 1t easy for them to
rent, and thereby encourages them
In il.
Another blunder in the same direc-
lion is the priority and security to the
landlord who advances supplies to his |
tenants. Now the tenant has two
chances to get supplies, and is thereby
zoo independent Of those who would
ike TO control his labor, and should be
able to do 1t, and would do IL but for
The hinderance Of these unwise laws.
tenant may get supplies from a
merchant by giving him a deed Of
rust on bis property and crop to be
made, with power TO sell on ten days
notice In default; or he may obtain
advances from his landlord under the
aw without a deed Of trust.
Let these bad laws be changed. Let
here be no leins by law or by contract.
Apply the exemption law TO all debts.
Let all stand on the same level. Let
he laborer with his muscle seek a
market for IL among those able and
Wiling 10 pay for Il, and we will soon
ZEE plantations cultivated as they
we're In the good old days, instead Of
eeing them divided up into small
loldings, and the bolders, principally
legroes, doing pretty much as they ,
lease In affected Independents In
heir proprietorship Of the leased
'remises.
Another crying EVIL is the facility
nth which the freedmen Jump
heir engagements after getting adj
ance<. This should be made q GRIM
1al offense, % that whenever one pro-
ures supplies, and then leaves, be I
light be arrested and dealt with.
his would stnp an evil practice, and
fect something towards securing J
rat proper control over labor which :
,pital b Justly entitled 10 uield. and 4
hich Il must have 10 secure the best
suits. Ikn0w these views are not
1pular, but they are those entertain '
] by LANDLORD. "