The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-04-05
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Can lhe Peon Be Utilized Oar
Corn and Cotton Fields.


1t IS universally admitted fact by those |
who have had the means of obs ervatior |
that since 1865 negro labor has been grow
ing more and more unreliable until ar
present 1t cannot be depended upon at all |
tor the farm, and is scarcely worth con-
sidering i'll case OF emergency ever Tor
town service. Once this element WAS the
sole dependence in the south, but VIXEN
slavery was abolished. it TO some extent
made the white man 4 pauper and the col
ortd one prince. At least the latter
class have become so uncertain as labOrers
that instead OF being profit, Us they
once were, they are now u positive drtri-
ment in many Instances. Were we obliged
10 do without their labor in the last five
or ten years. we might have sulT red, but
1t Is doubtful ii under stern necessity we
could not have made other arrange
ments and come out more than even.
saying the least, they are not what they
once were tor the cotton and corn fields
and the idle habits into which many OF
them have fallen. coupled with :: lack. to Il
large extent, of better Intelligence
makes them a poor dependence in these
days in which the profits are in GOOD
work rapidly executed and the certainty
that labor can be had at fair remuneration
when wanted. 1t is admitted that the
negro Surpasses the white man for hard
labor in the field when he gives his attrn-
| ton 10 it. but this he has not been duin2
! for the past few years. We all know that
when the corn and cotton season comes.
| that labor is III demand and none know II
! better than the negro ami though hr may
have lain idle for months, lac will not 90
TO work unless he gets Il certain amount
Of pay, no matter whether the crop Will
! Justify paying it or not, and it has been
| the case more than once in this county
| that in order 10 have their crops Sath2tel
! farmers have paid out actually more than
| their profits. A few experiences al th!S
| kind have opened the eyes of some. Whlle
Others have yet to learn, We have in our
county those who will not plant m0le
than they can themselves save
and the experience has been that they
have made more considering the outlay,
| than farmers who have put in large crop.
and depended on cOlOrcd help to save it III
the tall. Whether the masses will admit
| ii or not, the more Obseryant ones who
are quite LARGELY in the minority find that
| il is becoming as nee SSarV To look Tor
other than negro lobOr in the field. rs ii il
in the kitchen and laundry. The EXAMIN-
EK has referred to this heretofore, and
speaks of il at this early date this season
that people may consider the matter be
tore il il TO late. In the last two Years many
| saw the prediCament they were in when
| it was too late, and now with the pros
ptct of i big crop before us. let us not be
caught again. 1t is time to stop paying
whatever is demand tor saving a crop or
leave it in the field, though we hope none
will understand us rs wishing to say that
the Iaborer should not have fair compensa-
tiOntor his hire. Fair exchange is no rob
berry hut the class of labor Texas has
had to depend on. has been unreliable rs
| int as work is concerned and when they
did work the rates were fixed regardless
OF reason or farmers the ability to pay from
his crop. The question is simply ii the
iaborer demands certain wages and labOfs
when and now he pleaSes. why
NAV not the employer have the choice
in whom he employs? 70 get choice is
another question There is no trouble in
getting white labor In the north, but in
This country the whites will not go into
the field and ply the hoe beside the negro,
OF TO the woods and swing the axe Tor wa
yes. ard the owner of the farm must do
his own work or depend on the unrelia-
bic defendants OF the toiling negro OF
| twenty or thirty years ago. The cOntrac-
tors who have been building railroads
and bridges thro. Oh this state. have
| found il Necessary to meet the emergency
and they are employing only snlan pOI-
ton OF colored help. In the northern and
eastern POI tiOn of the state. most OF their
help is white, but IN the southern part
and in Mexico, peon labor is icing largely
enjoyed. On the railroads now beng
built in Mexico and III Texas near the
Rio Grande, hundreds OF MrXicans are
l Loo, pt fl.T,l .l-ipn
thirty cents per day. Fifty cents is the
average piice and sCventy-fvc cents is
considered hy them coed wages. Thous-
ands OF these men could be had on farms
in this state in the corn and cotton season
at the latter price. They could not work
| as cheaply here IL III Mexico. because the
cost o. living is much less there. Contrary
to what many think the Mexican is will
ing to work when lie can get it, though
he does gamble and fight chick. n when
ne has leisure. In some counties III Texas
these poems were brought III by farmers in
| large numbers last Near,ihrOugh necessity,
as negro help could not be obtain 10
save the cotton crop, at Il price that Tar
mCrS could afford to pay. Wherever used,
! they did well, and we are strongly o; the
| opinion that they could be better utilized
through the great corn and cotton belt OF
! central Texas than any other class. Roads
are now open to the Rio Grande, and all
F! that is necessary is 10 let that class know
that they can yet work and they will lie
| glad to come Once here. they will in all
probability remain. Ii may be that their
transportation would have To be paid and
taken Out OF their wages, but hundreds Of
! large farmers Who had insufficient help
in the cotton season for the past ~ o years
would gladly have done this. The qu, s.
ton OF bringing this class of labor INTO
this section is worth considering and Tia"
matter should be looked into early. they
want to come. There are thousands of
them who will work tor reasonable wages
and their labor in competition with that
! Of the negro would force the latter To be
come more reliable, as il has already done
! where both classes are found. This Is
really more needed than cheap labor.
| This coming ta.l there Will hea demand
for more he P than ever before, brcause
| the crops are large and much OF the poor
| help We have bad is now employed on
rail- Oads, etc. The question OF whether
! the peUn can be utilized should he consld-
cred by the people of this section. His
| services have proved good elsewhere, and
! why not here? We shall take occasion To
| gather information on this matter aud
refer TO it again at some time in the near
! future.
| There Is one thing that the whole hu-
! man family holds III common, and that
! is Il desire to do we'll to buy the best ard