The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-27

the cotton center of the world. and. second, that the continued Increase in the use of cotton goods among all nations will give to every acre of land in the South value that 1t has not heretofore possessed With these fapts in mind. a natural inquiry is, what can the negro do to help for ward the interests of the South, and what can the white man do to help the negro and himself7
 l I shall hope to suggest an answer | to both these questions. A few days ago I spent a day in one of the rural counties of Georgia and heard great deal of discussion about the scarcity of efficient farm labor, After spend ing the day in the county. returned | to Atlanta for the night. Between 10 and Il o'clock made a tour through Decatur street and several streets in that vicinity I tbink I do not exaggerate when I say that l found In and near Decatur Street enough people who were not regular | ly employed to operate successfully fifty of the largest plantations in the State of Georgia. This single example would mean little except that 1t rep resents condition more or less prev alent in practically all of our larger ! cities and in all of our Southern States.
 As an economic problem. we have on i, the one hand a surplus of Idle labor in the cities and on the other much vacant land, unpicked cotton and a scarcity of farm labor; 1t is a tremen- dously difacult situation. The prob lem of changing these conditions con- fronts not only the South. and st is not by any means confined tos my race, but for the present I desire to deal with it mainly as 1t affects my race and the land owner of the South, be that land owner white or black.
 Tn order that what I may say on this subject be of any value to the white man or to my own race, shall have to ask the privilege of perfect lfrankness. The many subjects affec- ting the interests of both races re- quire perfect frankness on both sides. Your readers will agree with me. think, when I say that it is possible for negro to know more of the feel ings and motives of colored people than a white man can possibly know.
 Reasons for Idleness.
 Tn my recent visit to Atlanta did that which have often done in large cities of the South wherever have found a floating class of colored peoA pie. made individual inquiry as to why they preferred an uncertain exist enoe in a city to life of comparative prosperity upon farm, either as own CTS, as renters or laborers. While shall not attempt to use their exact words. sum up the reasons they gave me in a few sentences. Just now the South is in the midst of the season when land owners are making plans for another years crop, some of the matters that were brought out, and which shall try to discuss q little fully and maybe with profit to land owners.
 Tn, the South. as elsewhere, there are two classes, those whom labor seeks and those who have to seek la- bor. The first group Is comparative ly small, but such class exists; it can and ought to be increased. There are, in my opinion. two classes of faults as between white farmess and black labor. one. on the part of the white people, the other on the part of the black people. To find and state faults, however. is easy. To suggest remedy one that shall promote the prosperity and happiness of both races is the aim of the article.
 To return to the main complaints of the colored people as they have stated them to me time and time again. These people who have talked may be right, they may be wrong. they may state facts, or they may state untruths, but this know, they represent the atti- tude of a large class of colored people,
 sons for leaving the farms: Poor dwelling houses, loss of earnings each year because of interruptions employ CTS, high priced provisions. poor school houses short school terms, poor school teachers, bad treatment generally, lynchlngs and whitecapping. fear of the practice of peonaBe, a general lack of police protection and want of eneour- agement.
 Let us assume that these conditions do exist in some sections, and with cer- tain individual planters. As mere matter of dollars and cents, if for no higher reason, I>believe that 1t win pay every owner of a plantation through out the South to sec to 1t that the houses of the tenants are not only made comfortable, but attractive in degree. The landowner who thinks that he can secure the best class of colored people when he provides only orokenoown, one-room cabin for them to live In, VIII ana hIn,asIf mistaken. The chances are the planter who provides com fortable houses for his tenants VIII keep them much longer, and will have q more reliable service. The matter or beinR cheated out of his earnings at the end of the year is, of course, com pIaint that Is very hard to discuss. and I know is likely to involve much exag- geration. and the more ignorant the aeRrieyed person is the more given is he to such complaint and exaBgera- ton, but I must not conceal the tact that such feeling is deep and vide spread, and I ought to make the same atatepnent regarding the high prices charged during the year Tor proVlslonS' etc.. supplied. ~
 Some of the colored people who have
 niprated into the cities give as their reason for leaving the country the poor achooi facilities in rural communities Tn practically every large city in the south fine colored man is enabled by nnbIIc. missionary and private schools, to keen his child in school eight or nine montbs in the year. Not only is thus true but the school houses are com fortable. and the teachers are efnetent in many of the rural communities, the location of the school house is far from the home of the chila the building IS uncomfortable, the term lasts but four or five months, and the teachers sal" srx is so small that it generally invites . most ipeficient class of teachers. I Lnovg one community that has had grest trouble this year in getting cot Ton nlckers and other lab0rerB, ana in-' o,,jry reveals the fact that the negro cbIISren in that community were in scbooI last year only four months. and tha to,1cher received from the public SnnA but Sl1 per month for his services TTndar such conditions who can blame a large number of eolored people for