The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-07-08
NEGRO LABOR IN MILLS.
The Experiment Being Watched
With Much Interest.
THE MOVING ABOUT HABIT
Among White Operatives - Another
Glass Who VIII Never Have Cause to
Worry About Negro Competition.

The following correspondence ap'
peared in the Charlotte II. c. Obser.
yer. under date of July 1st, from Edge
field, on the experiment of negro labor
IN the Charleston cotton mills:
Yesterday met gentleman who
has been to Charleston, C and who visited
the cotton mill there. This visit was
made about week ago. He states that
about one hundred negro operatives
were then employed in the mill. -Four
policemen were on duty in the mill yard,
presumably to prevent interference by
the white e1-operatives with the negro
employees. This gentleman saw no signs
of any disposition on the part Of any
white people to interfere with the ex-
pertinent with negro labor, and be
thought there was being more talk OF
interference than the circumstances or
evidences up to date would justify. He
thinks it is not question whether the
white working people will permit ne
sroes to work in factory, but that the
question to be solved is whether ne
Of factory. Individuals will I'M,
doubtedly be found who can do good
work, but this man thinks it is yet to
be proved whether full force Of ne
groes can be organized and maintained
to operate mill Of fairly good size.
"The experiment at Charleston, if it
is future, will not settle the question.
The Charleston mill has failed with
white operatives. If it fails again with
negro operatives the experiment proves
nothing. If it succeeds, then it will
be shown that there is profit in using
negro labor under certain conditions.
"Some of those who have seen the
Charleston mill say that the fault is in
the mill itself, and not in the opera
tives. The machinery is more or less
out OF date and needs complete re-or-
ganization and overhauling. If this is
true the new management will probably
remedy this deficiency.
''The experiment is one that is being
watched with much anxiety by those in
terested in the mill and with much in
terest by many outsiders, while cotton
mill operatives are eagerly interested.
Some people think that success at
Charleston would be a blow to the in
terests of the white operatives IN the
South. Others think it would be to the
advantage of the white operatives In
giving up the coarser work TO the ne
groes and making the development of
manufacturing finer goods with white
labor at better prices more feasible.
1T has been said that something
must be done to prevent the white op-
eratives from moving about SO much.
Some families move four or five times q
year. This sort of thing goes very far
to cause mill owners to consider the
subject of negro labor. The better
class Of mill operatives might do we'll
to use their influence to check this habit
that some families have of moving 90
often. The surest protection of white
labor against encroachment is efici-
ency. Careful attention to work and
regularity will do more to keep the
negro out of the mills than any AMOUNT
of argument E objection. The
younger people ought to go
to school and the older ones
ought to see to it that the children
do 20 to school. Those white operatives
who are we'll posted, skillful, industri-
ous and who are not always Cd the
move will never have to worry about
the negro or any other race as COM
petitor, but those who avoid schools,
lose many working days and make fire.
auent moves from one mill to another
had better mend their ways Civilizs-
ton is relentless in its progress and al
ways bears down hard on ignorance and
slothfulness. In these modern times
education, industry and steadiness Of
purpose win all fights. p"