Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-06
Tbo Ones,ion ofLabor.


south. Confusion followed, and all sorts .
Of specuIations were INDUCED in as 70 the .
probable result. With a thorough F.
knowledge Of the character Of the negro /
the Southern planters were in despair as .
% the future Of farm labor, but the freed I
men remained in the country, were stlll
on the plantations. AMI il was necessary
N employ them on the best terms prac-
ticabIe. Then began the share system
which did very well for a snort time. but
through abuse became Objectionable 70
both parties. and was in the main
abandoned. Next came the system Of
wages. adopted by the thriftier class OF
farmers. and was finally followed by the
tenant system. which completed the ruin
Of many farms. and bankrupted the owners
without profiting the labOrers. All three
Of these systems are still practiced TO
some extent in every section, far
mers constantly shifting from one to the
other in the hope Of improving matters
but the evil remains and the complaint
still increases that not Onlyis the labor
If the country very inferior. but even this
POOR quality Of labor J. rapidly decreas-
ing every year. The hopes Of the South
ern planters We're il a measure revived
when they saw what crops had been pro
duced bv free labor. and when IN few
wears the whole country seemed 70 enter
upon "A new era Of trade. thrift and pro-
gress. they were disposed % think that
they had been kasty in cOndemnlng the
negro: that he would prove 10 he more
valuable as a free than as a slave labOrer.
But further time and development have
not. sustained this arrest Of judgment
ON the contrary. facts show that there i
no promise Of future amendment
I'm the labor and industry Of
The race. Every succeeding year
since emancipation has recorded them
more and more dem3ralized in respect To
farm labor. and less inclined 10 labor Of
aav kind where il J. possible for them
o subsist without II. The younger gene
rations now growing up are wholly with
our industrial skill or habits. and hence.
unreliable and inferior a. lab0reTs. and
( incapable II hllin- the rapidly depicting
ranks II their ancestors. Who were Iber-
ared with the skill and habits Of industry
+ taught by their former masters Their
Z Discrimination % steady labor leads them
I 70 seek employment in the nature Of jobs.
such a. cutting stocks for saw mills.
/ boxes on turpentine farms, cutting and
zradin. on railroads. loading and unload
ins vessels. picking cotton in the tall,
/ which l. "A season Of jollincatiOn among
them. cutting oats and wheat i'm the
spring. and many other like jobs; while
7 thousands take % hUck>terinZ shoQ-keeu-
in-. drawing. serving In hotels. saloons.
/ stables. and everything else that promises
support with exemption from the
+ steadines, 8f field labor. The African
. is not am agricultIrist. and his long APP
I premiership a. a tIlIer OF the soil was a
forced one against his character and
against all the traditions If his race.
/ Modern agriculture requires degree Of
/ intelligence. sreadine>s and skill which
f the negro a. rule does not possess. In
I some sections where they are numerous
+ they Will Of course long constitute the
/ bulk Of the laborers ON the farms. how
/ ever unsatisfactory % proprietors. or ac-
I count Of the refusal of white labOreTs to
enter into competition with them. but
+ this viii be NO departure from the general
/ rule OF their gradual and steady abandon
meut # field .bor under the supervision
Y Of the white man. EuiInently social in
I disposition they can De retained longer
I and more efficiently associated in COM
munities than under any other cir
/ cumstance~. and 10 this fact j.
chiefly due the withdrawal OF
/ thousands from the small farms
and their concentration upon the large
plantations. where hundreds were already
dOmiciliated. ON "a recent tour Of inspec-
+ ton among the farms Of Louisiana. Col.
Dennet. Of the New Orleans PicdEtHe.
wrote as follows:
y great deal Of the colored labor Is
gradually leaving the cane fields alto
-ether and sliding into job work Of all
sorts. w0Od-chOpping. ditching. hand
7 ling lumber and day labor Of various
kinds.
Numerous cOlorcd Iaborers are getting
little cabins and cabin lots Of their own.
and are forming numerous villages or
l closely settled neighbOrhOOds around vii
I lagos. where they can have plenty Of So
cial eniOyments. They are the most social
\ beings on earth. and love 70 talk and hear
each other talk better than they love 10
. eat OF sleep. They are naturally tickle.
are fond Of changing and working in diff
( fareut places. fond Of eXcitemeet. fond OF
frOlicking and Of cards. fond Of meetings.
fond Of whisky and present enjOyments
regardless OF the future. Their strong
natural tastes and inclinatiOns have a
tendency 70 ultimately lead them 10 the
most squalid poverty and ruin. and 10
render them worthless a plantation
hands. The honest white mans advice
and warning do not have the weight Of a
feather with the colOred man. He has a
way Of his own, and that road he will
travel utterly regardless Of consequences.
The coIored laborer can use but four
tools with much success-the plOw. hoe.
spade and AK He dislikes improved i'm
plements of hushandry. and Will not use
them unless compelled 10. He cannot be
taught gardening. or the cultivation Of
fruits or flowers. Even III blowing and
hOeiug II Is very difficult 10 induce him
to do good work or TO do his best. The
young cOlOred men that have grown up
since the war have most Of them a natur-
al antiDathy 10 field work or sugar plant
ing. Those who employ them cannot get
from them twO-thirds a. much labor in a
day "a their fathers formerly performed.
and but little overhaul as much in a week.
such labor et 81 a day l. very expensive.
But a worse difficulty Is that this labor i
all Of the time becoming weaker and less
reliable. and therefore more expensive
and involving more losses 10 the planter"
Having thus stated the case, the writer
concludes with the following curious sug-
gestion as a remedy for the evil:
If let alone the cOl0red lab0rer would
in time destroy the planter, and his own
ruin would quickly follow. By seasonal
bly, arresting this tendency 10 decay and
general ruin both the planter and the
labCrer may be benefited. The cOlOred
race cannot control labor. or a state gov
eminent. without leaving poverty and
decay in his track. He has been tried in
both, and failed. The best place for col
Ored people Is among prosperous white
people. who manage both the government
and the agriculture of the country on the
white mans plan"
How the tendency 10 ruin" is 10 be
sseas0nably arrested" when it is admit
ted that 1.-THE honest white mans advice
and warning do not have the weight Of
feather with the colored man. Is not ex-
planned. I'm truth, no such remedy is pos
sible. The general tendency OF the race
to abandon organized labor is character
istic. and to arrest it under freedom sim
ply impossible. Things must run their
course. and it seems 10 us that the best
thing the farmers can do in the premises
Is to recognize the fact and prepare
10 meet the labor difficulty with the
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