The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-02
THE OUTRAGE MILL.


One of the worst features of the existing
condition of things in the South is to be
found in the character and methods of a
large number of men who sell goods in the
smaller country towns and villages, and at
the cross roads and landings everywhere
These men are mostly foreigners or North
ern men, but of late there are, in some
parts of the country, few native South
erners taking mp the same kind of business
as good Southern citizens now and then
confessed to me with shame, These
merchants, or storekeepers, are as rapa-
cious as pirates, entirely destitute of prin
eiple, conscience and honestly Observe
do not say that all these small merchants
or dealers III country places in the South
are OF this character, but the class is very
large one, and it has its representatives al
most everywhere. These men are growing
rich faster than any other class in the
Southern States. They sell goods to
negroes and poor whites at 200 or 300 per
cent. profit, and much of the time they
simply take all that man has A large
part of their business is conducted in this
way. A dealer of this class makes an
agreement during the Winter with negro
or white laborer to run him for the sea-
son. That is, the merchant furnishes the
'tsmall planter" with all his provi
sions and supplies of every kind for
the Spring, Summer and Autumn.
agricultural implements and everything
| needed, on credit; all these things to be
pcid for out of the crop, when it is matur-
ed and gathered. Each dealer may thus
| supply or run, dozen, twenty, or fifty
men. During the summer and all the time
| that the crop is growing, the dealer rides
about and inspects each mans crop, or
sends some competent man to do this, so
that he can estimate the probable product.
| OF course, an experienced judge can do
this very accurately. Thus, when the cot
ton is ready to be picked, the merchant
| knows exactly how much has been produc
| ed by each man that he has run" All
| along through the season he has, of course,
entered on his books and puts down the
plice of each article, the amount which the
customer is to pay for it; and the price is
| so arranged that the aggregate charge for
| the seasons supplies will exactly take the
/ planters whole crop. The poor laborer is
thus left, at the end of the season, abso-
lutely penniless,
| There are often stormy scenes on ''set-
tlement day" Such a merchant will sub
| nit without resistance to the bitterest
cursing a wronged, disappointed, enraged
negro can utter Often there would be
violence, but the merchant is armed and
his dupe is cowed. The end or the result
of all is usually that the dealer makes the
man cheap, snowy present. and arranges
to run" him again the next year, But,
| sometimes, when negro is concerned, the
outcome is different. The merchant buys
cotton, In many cases he has a gin or a
4 cotton press of his own. This gives the
wronged, helpless negroa chance for re-
| venge. The gin or press is fired some
| Harly iCIaf ia 1p6a from
dealers profits for one year; the negroes OF
the region exult among themselves, and
there is a new political outrage" for the
newspapers and politicians.