The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-02-10
Tho Labor Question"

on the Labor Question" and 1 am
entirely in accord with Gen. Butler
in thinking we have too many ne
groes in South Carolina for their good
or our peace. The correspondents
of the Charleston News and Courier
say "hands are scarce, wages are
high, cotton at eleven cents pays, and
therefore we haven't enough negroes
in the State" The Editor of the
News chimes in with this contracted
idea, and promulgates this Bull. off
white men were to immigrate into
South Carolina they would soon be-
come property holders because they
would work for themselves, and after
O. few years would hire the negroes,
become competitors with the present
employers, and make wages 60 still
higher" Those are not his words
but they are his ideas, and did mortal
man ever read such travesty upon
the life of tho laborer, be he black or
| white? In all conscience if the negro
works at oil. for whom does he work,
if it is not for himself? Does the
News presume to suggest, that the
white men got it all when the negro
makes crop? If so, how is it that the
negro is improving?
No sir, those mon who say labor is
scarce and therefore we want more
negroes, are short sighted, and them
selves are intent solely upon exacting
of mother earth larger cotton crop,
and are not attempting to improve
the State in any other laudable man.
ner.
AS race the negroes are anti>pro-
gressive; they have been freed for a
half generation, and I defy man to
point to q we'll improved premises
purchased by the labor of any freed>
man since the war. That some have
bought lands cannot be denied; that
five times as many have not done so
is the wonder. Injured to scanty liv-
ing and worse clothing any industri-
Gus freedman might easily have bought
him homo since 1865 had he been
thrifty and economical. But every
body knows they are not SO, and it is
equally certain if the best of them can
get dirt-daubed log house to live in,
they have few higher aspirations.
Compare the price Of real estate in
any portion of the State whore ne~
groes are in tho majority with what is
in the older settled sections where
they happen to be in tho minority,
and the comparison will reveal
wonderful fact. The superabundanco
of negroes invariably deprcssos the
value of real estate When any
thinking man advises the emigration
Of the negro from South Carolina, at
once, such correspondents as those
who do the bidding of the News cry
out "why, what will you do for las
bor?'' as if the world depended upon
the negro for labor, or as if tho negro
population of South Carolina could bo
exported in trice.
A gradual expectation of the negro
would most assuredly be followed by
a gradual importation of tho white
man. The negro has muscle and en-
durance but nothing else to commend
him. The whito man would easily
substitute improved impliments for
muscle, and horse power for physical
endurance. And indeed if we had
neither hCrso power nor improved im>
pliments, the skill and intelligence of
tho white man would in q short while
be more than match for the muscle
and endurance of the negro. Few
mon are aware to what an extent this
substitution has already been mado in
the production of our great cotton
crops. Throughout Yankee land the
negro gets credit for growing, Guilt
vating and harvesting. our immense
products. But Mr.. Editor, look a
little at the statistics.
Oconco and Pickens together havo
only 8,Ol3 negroes by the recent Gems
sus. Suppose but fifth Of them are