New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-21
Cash price. Lien price.

On common shoes the advance in price ranges from
10 to 80 cents per par ano ano on per Cent 1t should
be borne in mind that no part of these accounts ,
runs longer than six men'hs ana some part u ''
Even day laborers on farms are frequenuy paa
with orders" or drafts, which are nled al credit
prices by the merchant who runs the iarned EN-, ne
aboref whose Gon ira heavy interest on
his wages. Last summer an Ola negro hesn h On
August to cut forty-eight cords of wood at 50 cents
per cord. He received an order on local merchan.
in merchandise a. credi; prices. receiving goohs
worth about SIS He was made to pay fQr ms I'M
19avs and sucb was his simplicity that he did not
suspect that ne had been dealt with otherwise than
The question may be asked: 'Why. IL the lien Ia"
is oppressive co the poor bev do 70 50 be-
cause they have no choice in the matter they mus
have food and h is ine envy nor ere and he
labor Is the only collateral they can offer IN man!
parts OF ' me Tepea Of the lien laws But as YET
nobody to have suggested any pan Dy Wife Witt.
re merchants and the poorer class of farmers could
be secured-the one from great loss ana the o'iei
from actual Starvation
LAUDABLE AMBITION MISCARRlEs.
A strong desire TO own piece of land or mule IS
Characteristic OF the Southern negro. This laud-
able ambition transfers many of his hard-earned
dollars to the pockets OF spectators every year IL
is not difficult to persuade the negro VINO mas saved
s25 or $50 TO invest 1t in this way His next crop
he thinks will be the bountfu one which he Is al
ways about to make, and the balance can be easily
paid But alas, there un.ooked-for
drouth. boil worms. or tornado or the price OF
cotton falls first payment is the only one ever
o msaer and '"s property
The "pasteboard" system which is practised
mostly on large contracts. such railroad con-
struction. phosphate mining. etc. IS another means
the payment for work of coupons, or tickets, in
stead OF money. These coupons zone Tor each Gay >
work. non-negotable and are receivable only az
the employers stores where outrageous prices are
usually charged Under this system dishonest en-
poyer is enabled to bring his simple minded labor
out with very little 10 their credit al the emo Oh
Both in buying and selling ignorance is made to
pay its tribute to shrewdness. An experience OF my
On going to little town one day i met there a
negro acquaintance who had one ba.e OF cotton for
offer OF rs cents per pound: suggested that he
put his bale on my wagon and let me sell II for him
He did So and the first offer that received was six
cents-ths being from one Of the buyers who had
ds sesn the he As e bar o of
flour There vas only one barrel Of that Kind in
Sne Ia the sna merchant i, Dee and
bought it for 81 10. For my coiored friend made
50 cents in the two transac tions-because | was
white. II possible the knowing negro will always
get white man to sell cotton for him. especially in
the smaller markets. where there is little competi-
tion among buyers.
stantly vlctim!zed by peders and agents" In my
county in the spring OF 1888 900 snowy clocks were
demanded. but in each the iliterate purchaser
gave his note and a chattel mortgage on every
I earthly t1'Ng ne possessed payable IN OctODer. IN
the autumn j saw one OF the collectors who had
I taken back two cocks (beca there was nothing
Csc TO take. and he urged me to buy OF them
cost-3
In the following year d 1884, the negroes Of the
worthless patent medicines which persuasive peders
brought TO thei. doors: and In october many Of
the purchasers their last bushe OF corn peas.
on such apparently liberal terms six months before
In other respects which need not be enumerated
at length, the negro Is at disadvantage. His
small when he rents land. and large when used
unit Of measure for work. From the
| weight Of cotton which he picks. something
is usually deducted for dsmpness or trash.
often without Most Of the obligation
is his side the verba. written contract
which he makes every year with his employer and
II he finds its conditions unbeArab.e and endeavors
employment.
| The difficulty under which the negro labors is
| not altogether, or mainly. matter or race preJu-
dice, for the poor white man Is IN nearly the same
extraordinary rascality among the Southern white
people for ignorant. foregn-born laboreTs suffer in
| much the same way In the North and West Inc
| simple fact is this: The coored mans ignorance
| IL direct invitation dishonest men 10 the
practice OF fraud and extortion-an invitation when
they cannot. or viii not resist
These things should be known and remembered
by those who inspect the negro exhibit at the cot
ton Sta and Interna tional Exposition The path
which the colored people OF this country nave Uoi
since their emancipation has moi been a smooti
one They have come up 10 their present cfedliaDit
position literally Through great tribulation Inc
highest and best in life have been made Ia spite OF
the hindrances here rccountcd. and OF many others
| not mentioned. should awaken those Rip Van Win
kles who still dream OF the negro's inherent SAY
agery and ncapscy for civilization. and Ii should
encourage his friends 10 hope for far greater
achievements Ia the future.