The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-08-19
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Colonel O.. 4. Calhoun Gives some
Opinions III 10 Eo" Ihr Negro M"E
III. Controlled.

E!rn' Press and EnRn"r:
Tue most important question: inf lht
! consideration Of our farmers Is that OF Ia,
Dor. This question has been much discussed
regulate il. VIC have tic best labor In the
world if only properly managed. but hclorc
this can he done The farmers must, be organ
izcd AMI work t"%rthrr. IL Is w.htcr'u IT,, r"W "
; we take into consideration the many uitliciii-
ties under which they have lHbnrcd; hut tlic
time has rome when many OF these uiflicui-
tics can be- overcome If they are oniy true 10
tliclnsclveS and just to tho colnrcd race. All
observing men have no doubt noticed That
YEAR by year the class OF negroes VINO caiI
themselves day la6ores are increasing, i,lu y
something is not done to stop This evil 1t Will
be lard IN Il few years to hire them nj amy
price. Tho chief reasons why the negro ob.
jects to hire by the year are: that he uISlikeS
10 do steady work under the eye OF the white
man, and then he Is beginning to learn that
TIERS Is such q thing as living upon the ncces'
Stiles OF farmers. This class OF lalor Is or
gatlized and generally stand up to agreement.
Especially in and around towns, md in the
course of time their numbers Wlll increase
and the evil will spread all orerihe country.
Just after the war and before the negro was
organized Il farmer could hire Il land Tor flny
3:cnts per day, when cotton vas worth forty
cents per pound. And If you wish to hire one
now lin the summer or Fall you must ply
sixty and Scvcnty-fivc cents, aud even one
dollar per day when cotton Is selling Tor clSnl
" itn cents per pound.
is to The labor Of the country. Ju5LlGi Sn,,tl,
q day laborcr, step over into II field where
Jones, Il hanl under contract for the year, Is
hosing cotton, and * plain to hitn what Il iooi
he Is 10 work hard NIL the year round FOR sixty
or Sc"en,y-fivc dollars, when he. smith can
few months, and loaf the balance Of the year.
If YOU Gill then follow the movements or
Jones you will see that he will follow the
advice OF Smith and help swell the ranks ol
the dly laburcrS. These day lao0rGrS. wish 10
get us many Us possible 10 follow tl;c!r exam
Die 80 us to decrease the steady labor OF the
country, and 80 place the farmer more Ut tnelr
mercy and then the negro Is easily psrSuaaca
because lie does not like steady York under
the eye Of tho white man, but liRcs To 80 ana
come when It plcaScs him.
Another evil which Is growing very rapidly
IS the tendency on the part OF the negro 10
avoid entering into written contracts. Tic Is
learning that the written contract TO some eN-
trrt prevents him from accomplishing one OF
his pet schemes, and conpels him TO perform
steady. labor. 1t seems 70 me thnt the greatest
OF his wages and then quit work, thereby
cheating his employer out or what he Is oW-
ing. Every one who has hired negroes has
experienced this difficulty, but let him once
understand that when lie makes II debt he
must remain with his employer until 1t Is
paid, aud my word for IT,, he will work as
hard TO Keep out OF debt, and not Only tile
employer will thereby be benell;tcd, but the
lahurcr also, for then 1T the end Of the year,
their will something coming 10 him, and he
will go ava better satisfied. and can be more
easily employed for another. II. however. GU
the other hand, lie finds himself In debt ut
the cid Of the year and hats no Christmas
money he Is certain to cry out that lie has
btGn chcated-iL matters not how much he has
spent during the ye;ir-alld Wlll not only not
hire to The SAINT person but will try 10 pcrs uadc
others not IA hire TO hin. You see 10y not
hiring IL the am person he gets rid oi pay
ing his debt. and by crying onl That he Is
cheated he gets the Sympathy OF ms race anu
Furnishes his employer for nollurhlshii!S MA
with money to iro.ic on during Christmas.
SO universal Is this the case that | knew 4
of farmers who make "a RUE 10 pay
their hands something the end OF !hc year TO
SAKE their creli. anon. the negroes, aliG that
is exactly villa! this little game Is meant To ac-
coinp,isiI. Tie ncg!o Is II good, easy. Soii;g
crcalr!c. but as q rule utterly void, OF SI;,ti-
dulgcl: to him during the year and allow
him To spend more than you promised To pay
and then don't pay him something Tor CHRIST
mas he will do yoi all The damage ne Gun
/ Nigh: 90 on and on cnumcrattng tho ar.
~flrultics as regards the labor OF the day INT
space will not permit. / am frank however,
to Sly that nil tho fault does nOtHic WIN The
negro. There are many things prac!icel by
sc me of our farmers which need correcting
and IT, requires Organization TO accomplish
this also. We mast learn 10 treat the negro
with fairness Cfo C We attempt 10 reform his
Ways. We nm expect all OF The fair deal
to be on his side. Let him understand that
he IS to receive just wages aud fair dealing
from the formers, and then, demand soou
work and fair dealing lroln MIN. III" man
who would take advantage Of 4 negroes Weak
hess aiid cheat him should bc held up 10 scurn
by all good men. And where the negro GOES
into Court 10 demand his just dues our iurlcs
should see that lie gets them. We can never
have good valuable labor i'll this Stale until
we do ihis and thereby gain the CONFIDENCE OF
the negro. l know that as q rnl" pit farmers
arc far too ~higirnhindcd to take advantage Of
4 negro In anything, but Know there are 4;
fcw who do, and these should be taught by nc
better part OF our farmers that must act Win
fairness towards the negro.
While Oh The labor question will say
thing about the lien lazy, but cant say an l
would likcto say, as space fyill ,n9t permit.
There Is no law upon our statute oooR when
works rs much mi ury to our farmers as inns
law. Its tendency Is to make the negro IN
dependent OF The farmer, ana enables iinny
who are too lazy To perform steady work 70
exc out 4 miserable living OH Il miserable III
tic farm. Our merchants up to lately were
strong supporters OF this Inv, but the more
sensible among them urc now In favor or It's
as they have found out That IT. Is no
longer u benefit to them. or course the ne
gro does not wish 10 sec 1t repealed, for he
Knows that as long as he eau Keep an olt!
lien and so escape steady work.. Let tnlS law
be repealed and all must hire except the best
among them, and these will du better work,
as they know they can only remain tenants
W itss" ~ thNN
way it should bc.
Ihave thrown out these few hints in the
hopes that the farmers Of this county may be
benefited by them. If they show q DISPOSE.
ton to act upon them and Organize they
can count my feeble assistance. lon fire.
qucntly hear The farmers cry out that they
arc imposed upon. 1t IS so. They are i'm,
posed upon. and will continue to be imposed
upon until they organize for their own pro-
lection. Look around yon Hnd you will see
tf'St all classes Of men are organized Tor Their
W protection except the Southern farmers,
and of ali classes of men they need OrganiZa-
tion the most: and If they fail to do SO, and
are imposed upon, they must blame them
selves. The world Is selfish, and each man
will look ont for himself first and his neigh
Dor next. The way to effect mn organization
Is for each old Democratic club To meet an
form themselves Into n farmers club, anr
then let these clubs work under q central
club. Lei w try tie experiment.. and II 1t
fats, teen let us try something else.
UitVILLE I. CALHOUN.