The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-13
negro Labor i'm cotton MiIIs.

Some OF the southern papers are having
a good deal to say about the employment
of negro labor in cotton mills in the south.
one of these papers deplores the introduc-
ton OF such labor into the mills for the
alleged reason that it will crowd out
white labor. and another, without express
ing any objection to such labor, takes the
position that the movement towards negro
| operatives in the mills Is due to the fact
that free coinage is not allowed TO silver.
According 10 this reasoning, the only
thing necessary to keep the negro out Of
the mills is to open the Mats to the free
coinage Of silver This argument inesup-
port of silver is about as weghty as most
Of the other silver arguments. and will
prove to be just about as effective.
No doubt the number of negroes employ
ed in cotton mills viii steadily increase,
though not so rapidly as some are inclin-
ed to believe. As far as we are at present
informed, a mill in Charleston, S. c., is
the only one in which negro operatives
only are employed. A dispatch from Co
lumbia. in that state. contains the infor-
nation that a company is being organized
there to build a mill in which negro labor
exclusively viii be employed. No doubt
other mills viii employ that kind of la
Dor if they find it to their interest to do
so.
The negro, however, does not quickly
become an expert cotton mill operative.
He seems to lack the power to concentrate
his mind upon his work. Hence, in the
not been found to be nearly so desirable
as white labor, even at lower wages It
may be that the negroes may become in
time excellent operatives. 1t is the belief
Of those who are experimenting with them
that they will but even if this view Is
correct, it will be a long time before the
blacks viii begin to crowd the whites out
of the mills, if ever
Those who are beginning to experiment
with negro labor in cotton mills are UNI
doubtedly looking towards the future.
They see that the competition between
the mills Of the north and those of the
south is steadily increasing, and in this
competition cheap labor is bound to be
a great factor. They assume that negro
labor will always be cheaper than white
labor, and that is one reason why they
are beginning to train the negroes to the
kind of work required in cotton mills The
negroes will be employed at first only in
mills manufacturing the coarser grades of
goods. II they prove available they will
be trained as operatives in the manufac-
ture of the finer grades.
Another reason for the movement to-
wards negro operatives is the belief that
they will prove more tractable-that they
will not be so ready to go on a strike
when differences with their employers are
not adjusted TO their satisfaction. No one
can predict with any degree of certainty
what course the negroes will pursue in
their efforts to secure a settlement of
their grievances when they have reached
a little higher plane of intelligence They
may have their protective organizations
and walking delegates just as white la
Dor has.
one thing is certain, and that is that
there is plenty of negro labor available in
the towns for mill purposes, and, besides,
a negro would rather live in a town on
starvation wages than in comfort in the
country. He likes the amusements which
the town affords; and also the pleasures
of the various church and social organi-
cations which the negroes support wher-
ever they are found in large numbers
It may be, therefore, that the manufac-
turers who are beginning to experiment
with negro labor in their mills are far see
ing. and that they will get the cheap la
Dor they seek. If they are right in their
views, the movement they have inaugu-
rated will grow, and no complaints about
crowding out white labor and no argu-
ments in behalf Of free silver coinage will
check 1t.