The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-07-21
THE CURSE OF THE SOUTH.

We do not propose to discuss tho ques-
ton that has been agitating the minds of
moralicts, statesmen, philanthropists and
statisticans since the shackles were struck
from the slave, namely: "What is the fn-
ture of the negro race 7" Nor in the home
w and matter-of-fa comments we pro-
pese to make, do we wise it understood
that severe or unjust reflection is intend-
ed to be cast upon the race which embra-
ces probably four-tifths of the laboring
population of the South. For when hun
dreds of thousands of destitute robust
white men, young and old, prefer life of
Incidence to making an honest living by
means of the hoe and pillow, what wonder
that The ignorant colored man should seek
his ease and comfort, ignoring the final
restitution to which such self-indulgence
will inevitably lead, rather than continu-
ously toll OH the plantation from years
end to years end
Withkut special censure, then, we sub
nit brief outline of the usual life of a
colored laborer in the hill lands-possibly
there may be some difference OH the river
the deteils of which have been given us,
strange to say, by very black man, but
who is remarkably observant and whose
opportunities of observation are nnsur-
passed, if equalled by any one, white or
black, in the Parish. He has been for
number of years employed by a mershant
Of this city who does lurge advancing
business to colored farmers, and is riding
almost constantly through all the section
of country Immediately tributary to
Shreveport, and especially through the
summer and fall months, when the crops
are being cultivated and harvested. In
conversation with "Scip" on the subject
Of agricultural depression, he made the
positive assertion that it was almost en-
tirely owing to the small amount of work
done during tho year by the laborers. He
requested us to take pencil and paper and
set down the facts as he would give them,
and as fairly as he was able to do. The
result was about this: The hill planters
generally get through gathering their
crops by the middle of October, and from
that time to the LIST of March following
the farm hand does almost absolutely
nothing. This gives seven and a half
working months, so-called. From this
deduct for Sundays, 80 days; for half of
Saturdays, Is days; and for rainy weather
say 80 days-equal to two and half
months. So VIC have five months left dur
ing whiah the years labor has to be per-
formed. Give ten hours as u days labor,
we find that the laborer only actually
WORDS 1900 hours, or two months and four
days in the course of q year. "Scip" mag
unanimously consented to credit him with
200 working hours in the year for outside
labor about the plantation; but he added,
"yOu know, sir, most of the cOlOred peo-
pie do monstrous slouchy ploughing and
hoeing when they's ut it," To sum tho
matter up, this country is poor brcanse
the people, neither whito nor black, do
the requisite amount of labor to produce
such crops as the climate and soil are sus-
ceptibIe of producing-and this without
consuming them, but simply as the state
ment of fact. Hill lands in Caddo Par
ish, for instance, that do not yield, one
year with another, ten bushels Of corn per
with Il little attention to fertilizing and
proper cultivation could easily be made to
yield twenty or even twenty-five bushels
And this can be said of all other products
of the field, the garden OF the orchard.
With comparatively little more care and
labor the South could raise all the pro-
duce its people consume, and this without
very largely diminishing TIT cotton crop.
But such a result can alone be attained by
the increased industry of the people
There's the rub, for there is no known
means of accomplishing such object. If
''Scip's" and our figures aud differences be
correct, one is entirely justified in the as
sertion that Incidence is the curse Of the
South.-[Shreycport Journal.