Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-01-04

49, ~ - ~ oo very lew NekfOc6 IN the Il
south betOse the war received money |
wages. but Il by no means follows from
this that they were not fully compensa-
ted for their labor"
You make a statement on one
breath and on another virtually
deny the previous one you had
made. He adds:
1T requires very casual information
and observation on the part OF any one
TO see that the wages Of even the skilled
laoorer OF Europe or Of the Northern
States are barely sufficient TO maintain
nun and bis family in ordinary comfort.
rhis. when work 10 steady. while when
it Is slack or fails him. perjury almost
to nakedness and starvation Is his lot.''
All wealth is the product Of lab
or, and consequently ali wealth be-
longs TO labor. The money made
by the plantation owners in the
south from the toll of these hard
worked blacks should have Ieone
to a fair extent at least to the pro-
Queer. Enough for that. Now, we
assert that aside from the legiti-
mate profit, the Negro s ave was
not properly paid. Aside from it's
being contrary to human nature as
it exists In this country, for him to
De properly paid we call attention
to the solid logic of facts. A slave
was worked from sunrise to sunset
He was given a slice of fat meat.
pone of.se nfaEt71 nd coffee as =
rarity. he was attired in the most
common material, gingham and
and unbleached cotton being recon
mended at all times and upon all
occasions. He was dashed until
blood ran down his back aud if at
all unruly washed down in salt and
water as reminder.
He was used for breeding pur-
poses regardless of the marital tie
His offsprings were sold, at times
when sucking at the mothers
breast. In many cases when sick.
masters would give heavy dose of
castor-oil regardless of the COM
plant, as they said to prevent
slaves from shamming. Men were
often tied up by their thumbs and
whipped. With this treatment
and with the pay cited what honest
man will say that the Negro was
well paid for his labor and suffer
ingf $1,000 per year for each man
woman and child would be small
pay. In view OF these facts it ia
amusing to say the least when we
read the following:
III this be the hard fate OF the skilled
laborer IL Is not hard to calculate "a hat
must be the condition of the Ignorant
day laborer like the Negro in the stern
struggle Tor existence in sharp compe-
tition with the labor market of the
world. Contrast the condition of the
free Negro OF to-day, with his neglect
ed childhood. laborious manhood (such
labor, II he honestly provides the neces
saries OF life for bis family. as he never
dreamed of in slavery tines) and his
cherries and desolate old age. with
none TO care for him, and ofr.n no
home but the poor house, with his easy.
bappy-go-lucky life before the war: then
ne was cared for during childhood, med
crate labor exacted from him during
youth and middle age. and kindly pro
tected and provided for in old sge.''
So you would have the skilled
labor of Europe or Of the Northern
States brought to the condition
of the Negro before the war. be.
lieving that it would be in their
favor. When the skilled labor of
North is at work, it is fairly paid.
When a cessation of labor takes
place it suffers. The laborers must
have the necessaries, reinforced by
few Injuries of life. If they were
forced to adopt the fare of the Ne
gro slave, they would save 90 per
cent OF their earnings, with no
cause to grumble. Meal is 10 cents
for half a peck, fat meat 6, 7 or 8
cents per pound. This would be as
much as would be.allowed one slave
Negro 4 days or 4 slaves l day.
What northern skilled mechanic
could subsist on that's Yet these
are the wages which you term com
pensation for services rendered.
We agree with the writer when
he says:
Give me again my hollow tree,
A crust of bread and iiberty''
Eighteen cOlored men lynched in