The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-06
WHITE AND NEGRO LABOR.
A Statement or Present Southern Con
dltlonS by a Citizen OF south Carolln,


To ruB EptroR or THE suN-Sir so..
weeks ago. In discussing Southern cond
lions, you said that II the South should -.
deprived OF negro tod It's industry would bs
destroyed In chief part, that Il does not ra,,
20 get rid OF its negroes: that II a chans.
from black 70 white labor ever takes H..
extensively. the probability is that there WI,
be more dissatisfaction at the south ,hs,
there n now.
on the contrary. the south is very anrlor.
~ get rid OF every negro within iu terrltor,
The Roonur the bette II will be for the p,n,
perity OF the south There seems 10 etls,. -,
idea at the North that all the Southern
farms are worked By negroes There wa.
never a greater mistake n you Will re,,v =
the census reports or 1900 you viii SEQ nv.
error. Not so per cent. OF the farmers a,
the South are negroes. The backbone NJ Nh.
Southern farm Is the white man. Az a tenA5,
and laborer the negro " complete failur.
and the southern farmer. realizing that fao
is growing more and more independent OF
the negro. lie IL working himself and ge,
ting as much labor as he can from the ne yta
but with very poor results
The Improvement in the condition OF thA
Southern white farmer IA due 10 himself For
some years past IL WAS the custom OF South
ern young men to quit the farm and s.es
employment In he cities and towns leaving
the farming TO tho neRoea. The reverse IA
leaving tho cities and towns for tho farms
and the negroes arc leaving the farms az hst
as they can. The negro prefers to mako
precarious living In tho cities and towns IN
doing hard work on the farms The conss
auence is that negro labor IA becoming verr
scarce. and in some sections OF this country
farms have been almost abandoned Nhsr,
negro labor was depended on II /. even
hard matter in the towns 10 procure cook,
and house servants. the negro women and
girls prcferrtng 70 lead immoral live, IA
working. The result has been that Southern
white people have become more .elf-relAn,
and are learning TO do their own work
If tho farming interests were left 10 ther.v-,
the South would not produce 100 ON bales NJ
cotton. The large crops that are now heins
made are made by the land owners and thc,,
children; and from that fact the South va,
never In better condition. By their rush I,
the towns and cities come, years back the
lines OF business, and necessity has forced
them back 70 the farm.
As negroes are leaving che farm 'or n.
cites. and their places must b" filled our
effort now Is 70 secure good clAss or mimi.
is,gIt n Thst s nec'svty snd'r H.. e.
and We want 70 buLld IN our waste places and
substitu u white ownershlp for the worthless
negro labor that We have Year nv year ths
negro is becoming less and less IMPORTANT
factor in every lin OF industry and We ara
now willing to zee him leave us 70 a man
Mr.. Carnegie. some months ago. in dis.
cussing the negro said that he was entitled
TO consideration. as he gave the United state.
about HOO. 600 bales Of cotton annually
In that staternent he missed the mark by
about rs per cent The negro is simply A
stumbling block in the way OF the prosneritr
OF the South, and oil men here reco gnile that
fact
There IN a new 90 ndftion here In twenty
years the negro nj be GRO wded out by good
class OF white INN lgrants men who can bur
and work our vacant lands when that "A
done. then the Sou tn Will prosper as no other
land has ever prospercd. The blot on the
prosperity OF the South is the negro. and We
are making eGors TO remove that blot.
WILLIAM p. CALHOUN.
ED0RPIKI.p, &. C., Jan 20.