The Mineral argus., 1883-11-01
Nepro Peasant PrOprietOrs.

the neero-labor question is much aus
cnssed in the southern journals. NhHe
some "negro haters," like "hanOuIs
Massacre" Butler, denounee the coioIeu
laborers as idle, lazy and worthless INC
balance of opinion is quite the other
wav. and most of the planters II iarm-
ers agree in giving the colored race
fair character for industry, diligence anu
tbrift Wherever the colored men are
ou-nors oftheir farms or little plantations,
tbev are able TO hold their own with
tbeir white neighbors. Peasant pro-
nriatarv has. as in the case of the more
favored race, though perhaps with less
Jagrea conferred on the colored people
sense of responsibility, and the con-
servatisn o~fownership has spurred them
10 industry and begotten in them habits
Of thrift and c~arefulness. The clrcum-
stances under which the colored people
of America became free have not oeen
favorable to their becoming peasant
owners, and it is not surprising that
most of them are landless. Inc hulnoe5
of those who own their own farms ana
plantations. however, is yearly lncreas,
mo and the indications are that IT. VIII
continue to increase. II may be lhler-
esting. therefore to examine INTO the
condition ola negro population "n m
the majority are peasant oWneIs' LUIS
is the case in jamaica. rn.
Oftbe halEmilliOn ~ofinhabitants otthe
island of Jamaica almost all except the
European merchants OF the toWhs' lhe
English soldiery, and the English OF
fcials) are negroes. Ihelr
consists mostly of Embarrassing anu sugar
cam and coffee cultivation. Since their
u4s-, thav have made great
progress, and have most ofthem become
owners of their own little plots OF ground
averaging from three to four acres
There are in the island $1,000 holdings;
OF these 10000 are not owe an acre, anu
$4,000 are between two and three acres
In the old days ~ofslavery sugar-cahe cul
t~iyation was the principal industry OF
the island. 1t was asserted by those Wht
opposed the abolition that with emancl
patton this industry would langulsh
die. il was said the negroes would no
engage in the hard work required unies
under absolute compulsion. This has
been totally disproved by the events
The exports of sugar and rum last yea
were larger than for any yea since 1919
and in the meantime various other pro
ductive industries have been established
bv the emancipated negro peasant pro
p%rietors, adding greatly to the wealth O
the island. The value of the coffee eX
ported in 1879 alone was 81 245,OOO. Blu
the most noticeable advance made b,
the Jamaica negroes is in the cultlvatiol
of fruit, which they send largely to TN
country. In 1867 the whole fruit trad
with the United States amounted I
$3.50; last year 35, 100000 oranges alon
were sent here, and the total value
the fruit trade was 100000.
II should also be stated that while th
export trade has been growing yearly
the negroes continue to grow in know
edge, and as the number of negro pea
ant proprietors increases, theI
has been a falling of in imports. Thu
last veal the imports were s35O,O
less than the previous year, and J
the matter of breadstutfs alone. whle
form the staple import. there was a l3i
ing off in values from S, 100000 IN iol
to g, APO, 900 in 1882. The people al
learning each year to depend more an
more on home produce, and are becon
ing more skilled in cultivation.
When the negroes were emancipate
there was hardly a peasant proprietl
in the whole island. There are now o
600. mostly negroes, and all have a
uuiled their little holdings from Il
white planie rs by purchase. Their W
ership Is the fruit of honest, patient TO
II has been a hard struggle, up-h
work, so far. but their progress has be-
great. 1t will be much greater henc
forward. They have now a firmer iou
dation on which TO build; they are the
own masters, the owners Of their o'
land. There is hope ahead. WI
peasant proprietary has done for q
whites OF France and Belgium it v
also do for the negroes of the w
Indies and the United States. II v
make them thrifty and industrious, a
will bring them prosperity.-Chic,
Tribune.