Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-14
LAB0RERS IN THE SOUTH.
JOHN G. CALHOUN BEFORE THE
SENATE COMMITTEES.

Ihe Famous Statesman's Grandson Saws
Farm Hands in the South Have the
Best Advantages in the World-Indo-
Ience the Ruination of the Negroes
The Past and Present
NEW YORK, Sept. I3.-John c. Calhoun.
OF South Carolina, a grandson OF the IA
nous statesman of the same name. and
VINO is now a resident of Arkansas, was
witness before the Senate Committee on
Labor and Education this morning. He
was called to testify in regard to the con-
/ dltIon and prospects of labor in the South.
lie stated that since 1869 he had been en-
I gagged in cotton raising in Arkansas. and
mad abundant opportunities for observing
the condition of labor at the South. La
/ borers in the Mississippi Valley, said the
! witness, were entirely agricultural. But
/ few white men were employed. as they
/ soon become land owners or tenants. The
| condition OF negroes was good as COM
| pared with that of a few years ago. There
/ were three methods of employing labor
ers-for wages, working on shares. and
as tenants. There was no country in
the world where greater liberality was
! shown to labOrers. The large farmers
besides furnishing laborers with shelter
fuel and other advantages, divide the
gross proceeds of the crODs among the
employees. Under this system thrifty and
industrious labOrers ought to become
soon land owners, but the negroes are so in
d0lent that they fail to take advantage of
the opportunities offered them. They will
only devote so much Of their time to work
as VIII enable them to procure necessi-
ties. Under the renting system the best
land in the country can be obtained for
~ or $40 an acre, and with the rental
go many privileges. On his own
iarm, the witness practiced all of these
methods of employing labor, but pre-
lerred the tenant system. 1t was his OBJ
Ject to raise the standard of the cOlOred
laborer to that of the small white farmer.
This could only be done gradually. on
account OF the extreme poverty of the ne
grOes. A large portion of the cotton crop
was now raised by small farmers, and
the number of these was increasing every
year. The relations between planters
and their employees were friendly and har-
mOmous, and there was little danger OF
strikes. The lab0rers felt that they had
an interest in the soil and that a strike
would be as injurious to them as to their
employers. There was much greater Jen-
dency to conflict between the races than
between labor and capital. The witness
Thought that the interests of Southern la
borers would be furthered by establish
ing State Industrial Schools, and by the
elimination from Federal politics Of the
so-called negro question, leaving its solu-
ton to time, and by reduction of taxa
ton. For many years the negroes regard
ed themselves as the wards of the govern
ment, and it were well for them to know
that they should expect no more from the
government than the whites, and that
their future depends upon their energy
and industry. Nothing probably would
contribute so much to their prosperity as
reduction of the tariff. The wit
ness gave Il description of
the agricultural industry Of Arkansas,
lie thought that the South offered the
greatest inducements TO immigration.
The race feeling was dying out, and if the
South were left to itself there was no more
danger from it. Capital could then find
secure investment. OF the future of the
negro race he had great hope. In poll
tlcS the negro vote WaSnOt so sOidly Re-
publican as many North supposed Many
voted with their emplOyers-nOt from CO.
erclOn but by preference. The witness
favored government control of the i'm
provement of the Mississippi. He sug-
gested that the former cotton tax of
$lO,OOO,OOO should be appropriated to the
education of the negroes in the South. As
to the rest of the States, they could take
care of their colOred citizens themselves,
and he recommended that the settlement
OF all difficulties be left to time