Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-11-25

A COMPLEX PROBLEM.
The Cause of the Epidemic OF whitecapism
Against tho Negro In Texas ln-
telllgently Discussed.
There are crimes which are more
significant as symptoms OF social or
industrial disease than AS mere vio-
lations of law. One of these is the
epidemic of whitecapism that has 50
ovcrspread the state us to call for Il
proclamation from the governor, offer
ing n liberal reward for the arrest and
conviction of offenders. Ii is stated
that over two thousand negroes have
recently moved to the city of Dallas
from neighboring communities on ac-
count of fear of whitecaps. Several
of the black land counties are being
depopulated of blacks. This certain'
ly means something more than mere
spasmodic outburst of the race issue.
As mater of fact, there is no race is
cap troubles have occurred. The
whites greatly predominant in popula-
ton, and the negroes have no organl-
cation of any sort. The root of the
trouble is not racial, but industrial in
its character.
The truth of the matter, startling
as it may appear in print, is that the
whitecap is the herald of an industrial
crisis, one feature of which is clash
between the non-land owning white
man who makes his living out of the
soil, and the black laborer. 1t is
wiser to anticipate an evil and to put
limit to its scope, than to shut our
eyes and stubbornly refuse to ac-
knowledge its advancement.
When cotton sold at ten cents n
pound, and nearly every farmer was
employer, the negro laborer was in
demand for cotton chopping and pick
ing, and whitecapism was not heard
of. IL these industrial conditions had
continued there would have been ne
movement, in any part of the state
to get rid of the negro. Five cent cot
ton is rapidly revolutionizing the
methods of production, and that rev
olution has brought the peripatetit
black man and the tenant farmer face
TO face in sharp competition. Their,
are now probably 100000 negroes il
| the state, nearly all of whom are de
pendent on the cotton crop for theil
maintenance. There are between $50,
600 and 100000 tenant farmers, all o
whom are compelled by custom anC
contract to devote their energies
mainly to the growth of cotton. The,
are enabled to keep at ii by usin;
their families to cultivate and pie
the crop. II they were forced to hir
their cotton picked at IS or 40 cents
hundred pounds, their general condi
ton would soon be below the level o
that of the Russian scrfs and tn
Irish peasantry. Whoever is disposed
TO scott at this assertion is challenge,
TO make a reasonable showing of prof
to renter out of cotton cultivated
and picked with hired labor. How ma,
ii be done? Who has ever done It sine
cotton crossed the seven cent mark.
1t is a sad truth, an awful truth
that, the supremacy OF the cotto
crop in Texas, and perhaps in othe
states, is maintained by the employ
mcnt of female and child labor a
what is equivalent to starvation wages
This is an appalling fact beyond tn
domain of controversy.
II the famiies-the wives and chi
dren--of the tenants were not availi
BILE for the cultivation of cotton, doe
any intelligent person suppose that
would, at the present market pric,
be perpctunted as the staple crop c
the tenant farm? The average cas
product per acre of the cotton crop {
Texas is less than so. One does nc
need TO resort to figures to ascertai
that the tenant could not pay rent an
|
tenance for himself and family out {
this small pittance.
With his wife and three or fou
children to help him to gather the co
ton crop, the tenant farmer manage
to exc out an existence barren {
many things that modern civilizatio
classes as essentials of lifc. Poor a
menia excitcs our commiseration b
cause her women and children al
forced to labor in the fields by the sic
of men, to keep alive. Wherein, undo
the hard rule of King Cotton, are "
superior to the Christian slave of II
unspeakable Turk?
|. The struggle for bread always b
gins at the bottom, but il does m
stay there. Now the competition
between those Immediately dependel
on cotton for employment. BY and |
it will reach those dependent on Il
producers of cotton for their profit
Three millions OF people can not co
tinue to enjoy prosperity, and ket
step with the march of civilizatio
while devoting their principal energi
TO the production Of crop that W
not pay wages, and avoids them
drafting in the women from the fir
side and the children from the schot
e. G. Senter, in Texas Farm al
Ranch.
, THE COTTON BALE.