The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-23
THE SoUTH'S FIELD LABOR.
SOME HARDsHIPs OF THE NEGRO
ON COTTON PLANTATIONS.

ON COTTON PLANTATIONS.
-
A System or working Farms ON shares ThHt
Keeps Him Poor when II Does Not beaa 20
Deb'-faiEh Prices hnc ss'sh = .h.'
ne HAS I" ray "'0
MONTGOMERY, Ala, May ~17.-Those who arc
studying the labor problem In the North would
be amazed IL they could see the dinorent phase
this problem assumes in the south. especially on
the vast cotton plantations of Alabama, Missis'
sippi, Texas. and other States. To sec IL prop
orly one should hire a team at some ittlo way
station on tho southern railroad, mako a choice
OF any road In any direction. ana whon ne mas
himself fairly well surrounded by plouRhed cot
ton fields and negro cabins, TO enter one amer
another OF these dismal abodcs ana learn
from tho occupants on what terms thcy arc
ploughing those fields and living In those CAP
ms. The investigator Is likely 10 20 greatly sur
prised by his experience, ana perhaps somewhat
dismayed to ind himself In a KIND OF black ire
land, having many OF the evils OF the Old irish
system OF land tenure nnrelieved by the many
Legislative acts ana courts OF appeal which since
1870 have been established In Ireland TO soften
the strained relations between LANDLORD ana
tenant.
The black field hand VIII explain that no mas
rented what he calls a one'horsc farm' consist
ing OF twenty-hve or thirty acres, from the
owner, VINO may DC iouhu generally at MS homo
In a ncighooring city. Inc tarm 10 rented on
shares, half the crop belonging to the land
owner and hait 10 the tenant. Inc terms oil the
agreement require lhe tenant 10 cohtrloute tho
daily Toll OF himseif' MS "ite' ana MS chiiureh'
ana sometimes that OF an extra iaborer' whom
ne ehploysll MS chiiureh are not ola ehousn,o
MS WIG Is not strong enough 10 furnish
inc amount OF iaoor necessary 10 prihs
the crop 10 pertection. Inc tenant supphcs
also mar the fertillzing material used TOT
tho iano' Whiie the lahuioru furnishes the
SEED, the mule, ana all the agricultural
AS rule thero IS out one crop
piahted' ana that Is COTTON, which Is planted up
TO the door OF the caoin. Around the caoin' IL
inc occupant DC a thrlty, lhteiilgent negro
there Will DC founa occasionally IN favorable To-
calitles a httle garden OF ABOUT ohe-quarter OF an
acre. surrounded oy q high renee OF STAKES win.
IN "hich may Do seen a rev dearly priced
green's" a few cherished peas, some beloved
sweet potatoes. and a little precious corn, sufi-
Client to last the family through the early sum
mer months, by dint of great economy.
orally after shutdown. Wherever found, it rep.
resents an immense advance in the agricultural
knowledge of the negro, It marks the progress
AsoS.u ~" ~ tosleso
the allow nrocess of tbougbt carrie, On In nm mr.
lettered brain has worked out for itself a great
economic problem, unaided by books, farmers
journals, or even by the force of example-for
few and far between in this region are the gar
dens of the white man.
the .he d inc "hi' man mas oeeh pusins
all he eats. and nearly all that his cattle eat.
lead form ss vet an oxceedinnlx small nronor.
30 "s = an Smai piopoi.
the strange commercial relations existing be-
tween the landlord and the tenant ON shares.
The negro, raising only cotton by the expressed
wish and direction Of the landowner. finds him
ser without 1000 OF money curing those months
when the cotton Is sprouting, towering and
getting ready for the market. The landlord
then advances provisions or money 10 his
tenant IN weekly or monthly supplies,
unnta as,onisn tho sno"n,.tor. - VII s,.a"t
would aston'sh the spectators OF wall street.
r Re IS Hs' PROVISIONS pR%fss' q ai hee ' from ,P 9Rs ls aSdfasi p pnS
in the first, place for every article a price con.
ond place they pay anywhere from 12Ia per
cent. to 2o per cent. interest on the supposed
place. they have to pay a years interest on the
total sum OF their Indebtedness for supplies
ward; The interest begins before the complete
loan Wb Is MADE ,hn dor ., se,t,or.nt .rr,ro. ,ho n.cro
learns nse eo ,ns %ss ut S' that he h Mlsi aires ,dy e eeseD
up the full value OF his share of the crop. The
tSeaiG Nothing hssG das t the Tten St1sH wh fas' that hst S Sn5p is
sold, but also that the balance lies the other
way. The tenant perhaps owes him u small
sum and starts the new year with a debt on his
hands, which now runs at compound interest:
bpIt will be found that many of the vast cotton
estates of the South are, rented in this way. in
small farms to innumerable black tenants; I'm
der this system almost the full value Of the en-
tire crop passes into the pockets of the land
owner, diminished only by the bare cost OF the
year. and the few articles OF clothing he has ob.
tanned to cover the nakedness OF his family.
The planter through long experience has become
penny the exact amount 1t is safe to advance to
his tenants, and employs an agent in place OF
the old-time overseer to watch both his crops
and his laborers. II the outlook be unfayorable,
he cuts the supply down to the smallest guam.
tity Of meal, molasses, and pork that will sus-
tain life.
With such a system as this 1t is almost absurd
to preach economy to the tenant. To begin with,
he Is ignorant OF the real value OF the supplies
advanced, and he is wOfully ignorant OF ac-
counts, He seldom knows how much he IL get