The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-08-13
THE WAY TO CONTROL LABOR.
The Only True Solution Of that Difficult and
Perplexing Question.


and is yet great deal of discussion going on
about the negro. Some say hc is failure, and
some say not In our locality there is great
deal to say about controlling him as laborcr,
and innumerebc plans lave been suggested.
Several clubs have selected writer's to write
essays on the subject. So, my club, consisting
Of myself, held meeting and after much con-
sideration selccted me 10 write an essay on the
subject, and as it was the unanimous desire OF
the club to have me 10 do 80, have concluded
to accept the honor So thought would scat
myself With pen in hand and write you few
lines and get you TO help INC out, for the Lord
knows need assistance badly. | will state o
few Of the difficulties that surround me and my
enterprise Of writing the aforesaid essay.
In the first place, my ideas spring up and
flash around so fast that | can't catch to
them, and when do get ono expressed nobody
clsc can understand it. In fact, cant under
stand it myself and then it is so far around my
subject that am unable to circumference it,
have been unable, 80 far, to distinguish head,
tail or foot of it, | can tell the outside from
the inside of it, the wrong side from the
right side of it. Nor can l tell the popular
from the unpopular side Of it, and would be
very much embarrassed and mortified il
should get inside OF the wrong side of the pop
ulnr sido of il and offend my audience which is
the said club consisting Of myself Us aforesaid.
Here arc u few of the idea, succeeded in
getting. Now, want you 10 clucilatc them
and dress them in their Sunday clothes for me,
so they will be fit to read before my said club.
My first idea il, that it IL tho easiest matter
in the world to control tho negro labor, if you
can control the money to pay him for his feed
while he serves you. IL | had the money to
pay them and tho provisions to feed them,
could control enough negro labor to level the
county, and dig n we'll for every two hundred
yards square in il, and build brick house
with ten rooms in it for every whito man in the
county, aud build enough frame houses for all
the negroes in the county. could build
enough churches, schoolhouscs, court houses,
and jails Cor all the people, without regard tp
race or previous condition. Now, if you please
inform me how can control the money and |
will have the whole thing in n nutshell ani
will give You n lesson III controlling the negro
that will make it so cany that it will make Your
heat swim. Just pay him, and feed him, and
you have got him, anil all you have to do is to
hold your grip, and don't you forget It.
My second ilca is to set the negro IL Cool
example, rs all hands agree that he can heat
the deuce at initiating. Now if could only
control my audience consisting Of myself MS
aforesaid and get it to set the negro an exam
pie Of such day 3 work, and at such prices as
1t desires, and to stick 10 it through heat and
cold, from Mon'lay morning till saturday night.
Now if could induce the said audience tn
cease fishing, hunting, picnicng and base
balinS, and stick to hard work on little pay,
poor rations anil to hc easy of control. while
thus employed, the negroes might initiate, or
in orther words if fellow might hire himself
TO work for himself, at low wages, and on short
rations, and try his level hest 10 please himself
verify believe by such example hc could
and would control the negro laborcr, need
help right here.
just about here in my essay want to say II
few words about hn,c ball. The white people
hsve learned the negroes how entertaining tho
base ball il, and the negroes follow us toa I,
and good Lord how hate TO sec negroes play
base ball, with good crowd for spectators,
while the grass is getting away with our new
ground corn
My third idea is 10 impress the Importance
on my audience Of controlling his own family
| don't believe that Hercules and Samson made
into one could control his own family on the
labor question, if they were born tired and in
hcracd the disease. know that no one ever
has, or ever will, control those who are behind
on sleep that was lost as far back as the third
and fourth generation. If they inherited this
evil from the Sleeping Beauty it can never be
cured
There is another thing would have them
broke from, ani that is reading yellow back
pamphlets that tell how red hca,l.d Salie
Scroggins married dark skinned William
Snook>, and other love stories th,: would make
mule male ancestor sick. They mix this
delightful reading and sleeping together and
the negroes arc following their example and
what could look worse than II slccIiu. or read
ing negro. while the grAS> is growing in the
potato patch
And then there arc SO many picnics and hig
meetings 10 attend and cook for that it con.
sumcs all their energies, md all Of the club !
provisions. and thcn ride or drive all Of the
club old poor horses, as long ~ they are able
To- be lr"rred ny, to sable or harne<, and the
negro follows their example. and no tongue can
tell how ! hate TO see negro on a poor oil
horse and his crop lost for want of plowing
and hocing.
have known the member Of my club, TO
spend two or three days in borrowing enough
money to control for one day, when the
weather was hot and the gras- tough anil my