New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-01
THE SOUTH AS TT rs.


OF THE TRAvELrER--1H THE RAILROAD REsrAU-
RANTS WHOLLY vILE-PARAMoUNT IMPORTANCE
OF THE LABOR QUEsTION--NEED OF SOME sYs-
TEN TO ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE THE saw
ING OF WAGES BY WORKING PEoPLE-ANTICs OF
ANoT IMPARTIAL OBSERVER on HIS SOUTHERN
TRAVELS.
IRON SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT THE rRTBUSE.l
WASHINGTON, July 23.-In some places in the
South when political campaign is in progress,
some of the rougher class Of young men have fash
ION OF sending word" to the opposition speakers
that they cannot speak in this town. Usually no
attention is given TO this menace, and nothing very
serious is apt to result from sregardng it, though
the drinking habits of the people sometimes make
1t easy to have fights and personal difficulties" at
political meetings. There are many men in the
South, too, who enjoy taking part in "distur-
bance" at such tunes, though they would not be-
gin one themselves, and who are ready to shoot at
anybody who is running away and cannot defend
himself. wild rush after somebody, with miscel-
lancous pstol-tiring, and O clamorous accompani-
ment OF shouts, oaths and yels, is q delightful
tertainment to many a Southern crowd. Such :" af-
fairs" are not usually murderous in their results
as stranger would expect them to prove, but if ~
black man happens to be shot it makes the occasion
more interesting to the young fellows" the boys
that took a hand in the racket "-nearly every
OF whom will affirm that he =" shot the d-n niger"
Every year there is less of such savagery. South
ern white men do not like to be shot at when there
is no good reason for it, any than other people
do. would willingly undertake to make decided
Republican speech anywhere in the Southern States
OF this country, and if thought there was dispo-
stion to interfere with me would be as bitter and
vindictive"-to use a politicians phrase-as my
conscience would at all permit. Courage would
be FAR safer than timdity under such cir
cumstances and folly readily leads to trou-
BILE anywhere in times of excitement In
passing twice through nearly every Southern
State during the last few months have not seen OF
heard single alteration have no shooting,
except in the mentioned in former letter. of
mans firing his revolver so often from platform of
the car in which was riding In all this journey /
have not carried a weapon of any kind, nor have
at any time felt the slightest apprehension of danger
or personal injury.
INTERF STING TRAVELLING EXPERIENCES.
The weather bad during all the winter and
early spring, and had much rough travelling on
account of excessive rains and floods Once, in the
Bayou Pierre country in Mississippi as was cross
ing from one railroad to another, with good team
and no load but the driver and myself and small
trunk. the road was so bad that we were both COM
PEELED to walk most of the way, and at last
to place whore land-slip from the side of hill
had carried the whole breadth of the roadway into
the river. The driver said he had never left a man
in the woods but told him he had done his best,
log the young fellow chokingly said goodbye, and
walked on through the woods two OF three miles,
to the nearest settlement Three men went back
with me, and carried the trunk through.
The whole population of the little hamlet, about
hundred persons came out to meet me and escorted
me TO my lodging-place, as if had been new Liv-
mgstone returning from Central Africa. have rid
den many hundreds of miles on freight trains and
have greatly enjoyed living with the train hands.
he Ia \ hav
South is the railway clearinghouse business. 1t is
said to be everywhere under the control of great
corporation. Prices everywhere extravagant
and there Is rarely any effort to supply food that can
be eaten. II is illcooked the tables and rooms arc
hideously dirty, and the in charge are the most
uncivil people have in my journey. Often
when guests ask to have something passed to them
at table the walters reply is; ats on the table,
git it eff We want it,"
THE LABOR PROBLEM EVER PRESENT
The South is building more railroads than IL is
likely TO have business adequately to sustain. The
greatest problem of this portion of the country as of
every other, is likely think to be the labor prob
lem; how to arrange the conditions of life so that
the laboring people of the country will be happy:
that they be the strength and not the peril of
National institutions and civilization do not
think the influx of immigrants from foreign coun-
tries will be unmixed good for the South. 1t will
almost certainly be great disadvantage to the COL
ored race, by reason of increasing competition in
labor and the interests Of the of white labor
ers in the South win probably, after some little
time suffer similar injury from the same cause 1t
appears to me to be time TO inquire whether it is
wise to permit the transfer of whole populations
from European countries TO America. Why should
this country not keep its unoccupied soil for the
natural increase of the population already herei
The people of this country have undoubtedly the
right to prohibit further immigration il they wish
to do so.
The greatest need of the South to-day as of the
whole country, is higher civilization for the work
ing people; more knowledge and better Judgment
regarding the conditions of their own life or in
other words betterinstruction and education for the
men and women who work with their hands for
wages. The sanitary condition Of their homes
should receive increased attention everywhere.
and some legislation will be necessary to secure i'm
provements which are indispensable.
A NATIONAL SAVINGS BANK SYSTEM
There is one thing which think might be done
for the benefit of the working people, and which
have long believed would be of great benefit TO
them and to the country, and that is system by
which the Government shall receive the savings of
the people and guarantee their absolute security
and certain return to depostors, without n-
terest There is sound reason for the ma
TONS paying interest permanently to any
class of its citizens. On the contrary, depositors
should pay, under such system, a small sum for
each deposit made sufficient for the clerical work
required and for any real expense of the business as
persons now pay for Post Office money orders. Such
system would do more than anything else which is
feasible to educate the working people in habits of
saving, and would thus enable many of them 10 ac-
qure property, who things are will never do
so. For a large proportion of the people who work
for wages the savings banks are too far away ade