The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-03-18
THE NEGRO A FAILURE?
BOTH SIDES OF AN IMPORTANT AND
INTERESTING SUBJECT.

Georgia and South Carolina Farmers-A
Review OF the Past. Present and Future
of the Negro as a Laborer.
The Augusta Chronicle has within the
last ten days devoted much OF its space
to a free discussion Of the merits OF the
negro as laborer, and particularly as
TO whether he Is or is not failure IN
such capacity. The text for the INQUIRY
was the recent speech or Prof. White
before the farmers at Columbus Ca,
arraiening the negro as a laborer and
declaring that intensive farming ana I'M
migration are the best substitutes Tor the
present system Of labor.
The Chronicle, with view OF getting
the opinions of prominent South Caro-
linians and Georgians on the subject,
addressed to them circular letter ask
inc for their views. These gentlemen
have responded, and below will be found
an abstract of their opionions OH this
important subject.
In answer to the broad questions
SIS the negro failure, and do you, oe-
l,eye that we must look for a new class
to supply his place on the farm ?" Mr..
Marion Mcdowell, Of Georgia, says: :,
II answer emphatically / DO not, anu
T base my answer upon fifty years eN-
perience, Prof. White to the contrary
notwithstanding. The negro is lazy, so
is the white man; of course, we see
honorable exceptions in both races,
ofterner in the white race because they
have more pride of character ana more
sense. The negro sees and reefs thls,
hence his willingness to be guided ana
directed by the white man. 1t is wrong.
I think, to blame the negro .or his failure
on the farm where the landowner rents
to him and turns him loose to shit Tor
himself. He Is broken when he begins,
and but few white or black men rise.
So rare is it that when one succeeds 1t
is ant to be nolsed about that somebody
has suffered. The negro as laborer
on the farm, since freedom, deserves
credit instead Of censure. The change
from slavery to freedom was very great.
It actually killed a good many before
they found out that freedom would not
do to eat. Then the franchise was eS-
tended to them when they were pro-
foundly ignorant of what it meant. But
what race, nation or tribe would have
behaved as we'll under similar clrcum-
stances? No, sir; the negro ls not q
failure on the farm. Take any county
in Georgia, and where you find the most
negroes there you will find the most cot
ton made and that is the trouble and
has done more to cripple the farming
interests than bad labor. / would not
be- understood. to saY-ttat our labor
system is a good one, but LIDO say thas
1t is the best we can get, and with con,
cert of action among the farmers could
be made the best labor for the South
to be had, either from the old or new
worlds"
Capt. B. r. Tillman, Of Hamburg, S.
c., says: ,
t.Prof. White has broached a large
subject, and one that needs speedy solu'
ton. both in South Carolina and Georgia,
indeed, all over the South. I agree with
much that he says; in some things L
think he is wide of the mark. His de-
scription of the negroes as they are, Is
in the main correct, but l do not think
they are not susceptible of that tram
inc which enables them to work on
lands to the best advantage Imake
bold to assert that the negro as labor
er is fully. equal to the average land
owner as q farmer. Whenever we learn
as a people to farm instead ofplant,
there will he no further trouble about
labor. The need Of the South is not
labor but better directed labor, The
negro is here, and he is here to stay.
He is shiftless, lazy and carless OF to-
morrow; Will not lay up anything for. a
rainy day. but he cannot be displaced
by foreign immigrants because he Will
underworld them, and am not in favor
of dumping the scum of Europe on our
shores at State expense. AS a 'peasan-
try.' or smud-sills,' the negroes are as
GOOD as any. we need intelligent inn
migrants who will buy our land and
farm. not plant; but fear the develop
ment of the older and more worn out
States of the South must be wrought out
by our own people, ~
''What shall the present generation
do? Ianswer, teach farmers the error
of their ways and put them to thinking
by means Of farmers institutes. These
are not costly, and the five thous-
and dollars which Prof. White proposes
to waste in trying to findhis 'peasantry'
can be far better spent in organizing a
. corps of scientific and practical experts
who shall 60 from county to county dur
ing the idle seasons Of the year, giving
lectures, reading essays, answering
questions, &C., and teaching the people
how to farm. This system is in active
operation all over the North, and many
countries Of Europe, and costs nothing
compared to its value as means OF adj
vancing the interests of agriculture"
One OF the most interesting and eX'
haustive papers on the subject has been
contributed by Major Harry Hammond,
of Beech Island, sc. Major Hamond'
among other strong arguments, says:
ssNo one acquainted with the record