Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-02-23
THE PROBLEM or PROBLEMS.


consider those developments which
came to light in Anderson the other
day, horrible. We think so yet; but the
matter is Of grave Importance from
more standpoints than one, and it will
not become us, at this time, to exhaust
ourselves in indignation over condi-
tions that really seems to be a natural
consequence. 1t will be better, per-
haps, to take a square, honest look at
those conditions and hunt, If possible,
for remedy.
Those Anderson people, whoever they
are, are not to be excused. Their crime
Is low and contemplate. AS to wheth-
er the white people of the South owe
the Negro anything Is, to our mind,
very doubtful. They owe themselves
much, however and among other
things, they owe it to themselves to
treat the Negro with humanity and
justice. The Anderson people are, upon
the prima facie showing 80 far made,
guilty Of deceit, inhumanity and injus-
tice. They are recreant to their own
moral responsibility to themselves, and
punishment would probably help them
to a better appreciation Of the senti-
ments that should govern a Christian
community.
But we will leave the courts to set
tie with the Anderson landlords as the
law may provide. However the mat
ter may be determined, we still have
with us problem Of sufficient magni-
tude to overshadow all others. This
problem Is the establishment Of the
proper relation Of the Negro to society
and to the necessary industry of the
country. So serious is this matter that
not only the present happiness, but the
future welfare of the white race seems
dependent upon it's proper settlement at
the earliest possible moment.
Whatever may be the elaborate theo-
ries Of impractical students Of social
and economic questions is of no con-
cern to our people. They were born
and raised in the light Of the plain,
bare facts, and they see and under
stand the situation as clearly as they
do any other condition by which they
are confronted. They see that the re-
lation of the Negro to the white race
is not as 1t should be. They see con-
stant. menace in the situation, and al
though many are disposed to try to
keep their eyes closed to the actual
facts they are unable to deceive them
selves.
Previous to the war; the Negro was
the best laborer in the world Under
the instruction and control Of white
men he was capable Of being taught to
perform any and all kinds of work,
skilled or unskilled, to perfection. AL
though not naturally Industrious,
prompt or reliable, there existed con-
ditions which made him so. When he
became free at the close Of the war,
he still retained much that made him
valuable as a laborer. But since then
there has been a retrogression. The
old slave did not have the administra-
tive ability by which he could accumu-
late. It was not matter Of education; {;
but of nature. Except in the fewest
number of individual cases, this quail
| ification did not exist. Properly direct
ed, his executive ability was splendid
but his efforts Ito administer for HIM
self have proved failure, and. as the
result, we now have upon our should
ers several of the most trifing genera
tions that have ever burdened a civil
iZed people. .,
There are still few Negro laborers
that are trustworthy and reliable.
They are scarce. The old-time Negroes
have been largely thinned out since the
war. There are still alive compare
lively few who were grown-up slaves
when the war broke out. Among these,
however, are to be numbered at least
so per cent. of all the really trust
worthy and reliable Negro laborers
who are alive at this time. Possibly
we are somewhat off in our estimates;
but all whites of this country who un-
derstand the question, and most Of
them do, will realize at once that. our
line of reasoning Is correct.
Look through the town Of Yorkville,
Rock Hill and Fort Mill, the other
towns in this section, on through the
country, and it will be found that the
problem Of getting efficient and relia-
BILE house help Is an extremely difficult
matter. Most of the best places are
filled by former slaves, or their chill
dren, who were raised under the same
condition that applied to themselves.
Except the former slaves, there are few
who can be relied upon to do any kind
Of work properly or intelligently. 1t Is
seldom that one Of them ever gives
his or her employer entire satisfaction
for two days at a time, or continues to
work for the same employer longer
than few months. In nine case out
Of ten, the employer has to look care
fully after the footsteps of the employe
to get anything done at all, and there
are hundreds of good women all over
the country who have to do their
household drudgery because they cam
not get reliable help at any price, and
whose time would otherwise be en-
ployed to much better advantage in
other ways.
Go through the country today, and on
almost every farm there will be found
tenements peopled with from three to
dozen stout able-bodied men VINO
are not pretending to work. who have
no visible means Of support, and who
cannot be induced to work on the
farms. Look about through the towns