Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1905-11-18
FARMER AND PLANTER.
SOUTHERN LABOR.
An Ever-Prescnt Problem For
which various Solutions
Are Being offered.

1t Is a significant circumstance that
leading southern newspapers have COM
menced TO argue the dcsirability of
Chinese and japanese immigration for
the southern states. The Charlotte OBJ
server says ii Is ready to commit itself
to the advocacy Of such immigration.
at if be true" it says, that the south
needs more labor-and everybody says
it does-what foreign labor half so
good as that it could secure from the
orient, except for this exclusion law?
We would chance it ten to one in
preference TO hal we might secure
from Europe"
The Charleston News and Courier,
while not ready to commit itself to
Oriental immigration, is heartily in
favor of better treatment Of the Chi
nese, recognizing a possible state of
affairs in the future that might rem
der Chinese labor quite desirable in the
south. Other southern newspapers
consider the subject worthy of the
most serious consideration.
That the south has a labor problem
on its hands, none can deny. Unless
III great cotton industry is to suffer
greatly, the time is not far distant when
the labor question will have to be set
tied. II is clear that there is a possible
trend of both whites and negroes from
the farms. The negroes. for one rea-
son or another, are, however, leaving
the farms In great volume. Already
It is difficult TO obtain cotton pickers
in Texas and 1t has come to the point
where the negroes have little to do
with the cotton except pick it. The
planting and working Is done now al
mcsf entirely by the whites. Similar
conditions prevail in some of the other
cotton growing states, and in the black
belts of Mississippi and Alabama. large
planters are beginning TO ccure En-
roFc8n labor to take the places Of the
negroes.
There is no way to compel the ne
nv ,r.rcr to l,a,o wLich f., ,boi,
right, other labor will have to be So
cured 10 take their PAGES. The negroes
arc not icing forced away. They are
.imrIy no,tirr tirod of hard ,,or,, .rd
n,efer I'M 20 i,,i5cr, to liytrg Il,
heir wits. When they leave the farms.
bor,vor tboy oro ]erroty c-,t,,ra ,h,
Ground f,or, ,,for tbo,, Eco,
rho co,to, ir,n.,rv is ooinr 81. 10
roir,oi,.d IN tbo sor,b - Is cha
Lc~oirn,ro ~ -. dor~nior,lr, :,
con. ,o,rs .La uorIl Nil E,.arl ~
ooo ooo n,ros ana rstoro a., nontrrr
l. bolf como r~oho,l, IN ana oon taIn,
yin bo noss,rr Tho ,ou.h +, aain,,
ia ,rnrIy ,ho dom,,1 howoro rrna1
!, NOV booo,,o nd thi, moon. tba,
tbo oorth 10 ,,oroiy IN tho Lan;,nina
of is labor nrohlam This lohor will
h,vo to co,,o fro,, s,uthcrr gu.oro. ~.
from Chino nj, T,nan r,,o,o 4, mo
doubt ahort that ana 90 m,tters Iool
now the oriont eaen,s In no tho su.as,
sourco of sunnIy
Tho onti-Cbino.o sortir,or, nm the
Pacific ,o,st viii Il, stro,o fnoucb IN
Fec, ,ho ori,n,oIs on, Gov owhi1o tu,
tbcr, neel lc rn foar ,b,, vhen tbo
cboioo +. bot WOO, odmitiinc tho ,ri.
entails or sacriGcing our Gallon tba
voice of tho nation will bc for the adj
mission or tna orientals
Is il not strange that in Tho heginx
ming of the labor prohlem there shoul1N
he protests AGAINST showing the negro
cut of his riehtful EMPLOYMENT. The
fact is, however, the negro is SHOW
ing himself out. If he is TO continue
his primacy in the labor establishment
of the south, there will have to be a
great change in present conditions. The
outgoing negro tide will have to set
in toward the cotton fields again, and