Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-11-22
Down South.

A writer in the 4tlantic Monthly for No
vcmbcr says:
rode out on horseback over the noun
tains from Huntsville, Alabama, dozen
miles, or more TO see cotton mill. At
one point, near the road, saw negro
digging a post hole and two tall white
men directing the job. I had been told
that the negro needed supervision, and
had thought that something might be said
in favor of this theory, bnt this seemed a
somewhat extreme application of it. A
little farther on a young negro, perhaps
twenty years old. crossed the road Just in
front of me. with books aud slate under
his arm, evidently on his way TO school
| called to him and asked him two or
three questions designed TO ciuce whatev
er knowledge he might possess on points
of interest to me. lie answered briefly
and then said, but hain't got much
time fer to STAN" | was astoundel and
could scarcely believe that | had heard
Alright. Everybody that hal ever seen
in the south before. had seemed to have
unlimited time "fer to stan'.' And this
fellows uterance had an explosive and
revolutionary sound. If should hear of
anything noticeable being done in that
region | should suspect This boy of having
a hand in it. As rode away and looked
at his energetic movement across the fields,
it occurred TO me that if should ever
write book about the destiny of the col
ored race in this country, l should like to
dedicate it to the negro who "hain't got
much time fer to STAN"
In val ious parts of the south | found a
few negroes who own and cultivate large
farms, employing many laborcrs OF their
own race. Men of this class are rarely
hopeful about their people. They "know
too much about them TO expect great
things" They always employ an overseer
and pay him more than the other hands
receive. The negroes will do no good,
such men say, without some one to oversee
them and keep them at work. The over
seer is responsible for the amount and
character OF the work DONE and if there is
any failure something is deducted from
his pay. The employer either furnishes
all the supplies for the maintenance of his
hands during the season, keeping an
account and charging them with what
they obtain, or he authorizes a merchant
in the town to supply them, becoming
responsible to tho extent of the wages of
his men. Then, as | learned everywhere,
the laborers try TO obtain credit for "all
that is coming to them" and little more.
| looked at the account books kept by
these farmers, the records of their dealings
with their workmen. Many Of the charges
we're for things that were absurd and
extravagant for the ncgres to buy-costly
articles of dress for the women and luxu-
rics for the table. | often asked such
employers why they did not give their
hands some advice about economy, and
the use of their best Judgment regarding
the selection of the articles most necessary
and useful for them eXpending their money,
but they always said it would do no good.
"Humph, dey haint got no Judgment u
l was in n country store one morning
when negro woman came in and asked
for dollars worth of sugar. The mer.
chant dipped out brown sugar, but the
woman objected and wanted white. The
merchant demonstrated with her for hel
extravaganza, saying that he himscl
could not afford to use such things AS she
bought. The woman was greatly offended
and retorted that such things might dc
fur free niggers an lov down white folks
| reckon my moneys jcs rs good US Gun
Cashum' S money" The merchant after
wards remarked that she probably ncvel
would come to his store again.
often heard the negro farmers make
such observations as these: "A nigge1
will buy anything. You could sell any
niger on my place Il steamboat, or NJ
elephant, or u circus band wagon-any
thing in the world" One man who hat
a family and was working for ten dollar
a month, took up three dollars and eighty
cents in u month ior whiskey. Sucl
extravaganza and lack of Judgment as t,
what laborer's family needs, or cal
afford to buy are very general among th
negro laborers.