National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-07-21


Virtual reinstatement of the negroes is
the object of plan now in successful pros
ecutlon in the state OF Arkansas, and to
some extent in other portions of tho south
west. A Little Rock correspondent Of the
st. Louis GiObe-DcDtocrdt, in q letter to
that paper, explains the system. He says
the circumstances Of the employment Of
negro labor on the plantations Of Arkansas
make It simple impossbility for the uu-
fortunates to rise above the most abject
and miserable poverty. lie presents au
elaborate explanation Of the employment
system and the exactions under It, showing
clearly the reason why negroes in Arkansas
should be among the most degraded of their
class in the south, and suggesting the neces-
sity for something more than moral suaslon
to reform the oppressor Of the race.
According to this correspondent there are
three methods of compensation in vogue.
the payment Of day wages, the dividing OF
crops, and the rental of ground, "but all
of these permit the application Of the sys-
tenn of compulsory dealing at company
stores,' and It is this system which holds
the negro to the ground without hope OF
llblIEs lut NuStb ldii w duVub
seventy-ave cents day for men and sixty
cents for women, o day being about sixteen
hours, and most OF the payments are in
"orders" on stores where the extortionato
prices put on the goods sold to negroes
make the wage amount to no more than
thirty or forty cents day. When the
regular price of meat per hundred pounds
is $6.25 the negro is charged $780, when
flour is 81 the negro pays $3.50, aud be pays
81 for forty. cent gallon of molasses.
This is bad enough, but not SO bad as the
share system for several good reasons which
the Globe. Democrats correspondent clearly
states. In the first place the planter is gen
orally destitute of funds and raises money
on his prospective crops under a most
usurlous mortgage to the supply merchants,
who charge him 10 per cent. interest, which
comes out of the negro, and there is a fur
ther charge OF 10 per cent. on provisions
advanced by the planter to the tenant,
making total of 20 per cent. that comes
out Of the negro's share, which is In addi-
tion to the enormous profit the dealer
makes on all goods sold to the negro. II
the season is prosperous one the rates are
run up, and the tenant is no better of for a
fine than an inferior crop, the advantage
being to the planter, who does nothing, and
TO the dealer, who holds a mortgage aptly
termed the "anaconda."
The third plan is not much better for
the negro. He gives mortgage on his
crop as security for his rent, has then to
take his provisions from the company store
| ~ al r,,i,, a..
chances for profit, and is only able, when
be turns his crop in, to get the bare market
price, although 1t may have cost much in
excess Of that price to raise his commodity.
1t is easy to see that In all these cases the
negro gets so much the worst of the bar
gain that he ends the year no better than
he began 1t, with nothing gained to i'm
prove his next years condition.
In support of this correspondents state
ments We have the authority OF Henry c
Caldwell, United States district Judge at
Little Rock, who has just issued pamphlet
making a complete revelation OF the damna
BILE rascality. OF the instrument by meant
of which this evil is accomplished he says
"The effect Of such mortgages, according
to the practice and usage In this state, IL
extent Of oppression, inhumanity, and In
, jury to the common veal, Is shocking Il
, every reasonable mans sense OF justice
These mortgages are without parallel In thu
creations Of men; their only likeness Il
r found in an object OF animal nature which
I naturalists have named anaconda. The In
| slant one Of these anaconda mortgages Il
executed the maker becomes practically tn,
slave Of the MORTGAGE. lie is deprived o
. all means of obtaining credit else
where. He is compelled to trad
with the holder OF the mortgage
He cannot object to the quality of tn
, goods offered to him, nor the prices charged
II the season is favorable, and the industr,
| Of the tenant is likely to be rewarded wit
q bountiful crop, worse aud worse CON
modlties at higher and higher and highc
Z prices are forced upon him, until the limI
!. of the value of his crop is reached. Th
n hard working and fortunate tenants are |
4 this way forced to pay the debts Of the idle
y the vicious, and the unfortunate; and q
i. the end Of crop-gathering time there is n
, difference in the financial condition Of th
IA two classes"
q Sixteen months ago the NATIONAL REPUl
"a LIcAN exposed and denounced this attemI
70 to re.enslave the negroes Of the black bel
N The evil is one Of the most serious OF an
II of the many Ills that menace the future
,e the republic. Where there is no politics
e freedom there can be no guarantee OF pc
sonal liberty.