The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-12-05
CHANGE NEEDED.

CEANsJE NAEUGU.
SOME TIMELY SUGGESTIONS TO
TIE LAND OWNERS.
Present Ruinous Prae ices Eust Be
stopgsa End. a Better System
Agreed On.
Working our farms wish standing
wsges hands" is fast becoming thing
Of the past, says the Soathern Oulti-
vator. The greater part Of our ne
groes much prefer to work on shares
IS they term 1T or to rent the land.
The majority Of our farmers have
besn very lax in their methods OF
making contracts. A mere verbal
sgreement was entered into, whereby
the landlord was to furnish so many
acres Of land to be cultivated on
sasres, or for 80 many pounds
Of lint cotton. Very few land
lords have any definite understanding
as how this land Is TO be kepr up;
how fersilizsd; how plowed and cult,
vated and what crops were to be
planted. The idea has been for the
negro to plant and make al the cot
ton possible and this was all. Now
We think the time has arrived for q
radical change and according to our
oass Judgement, 1t should ba executed
something ike this:
l, Thele should be o written con.
trsct. The negro Is free. and whiis
the majority do nothing but abuse
this freedom, still We had IS well be-
gin to adjust our methods to this con.
clifton and treat with him as free
agent, but put proper and necessary
restrictions upon him. No one can
enter upon contract with another
without assuming certain conditions,
snd these conditions should bs clearly
set forth and their fulfllment duly
demanded.
2. The preservation Of the soil
should bs demanded and forfeit Tor
al failure to keep up terraces and
such safeguards fully sgresd upon.
8. Some system looking to the ro-
tation Of crops should also be demand
ed.
4. Just how much was to be furn-
ished Is the work On the crop pro-
gresssd should also be clearly Bet
forth.
Ifany one can suggest other or OF.
fer q better form OF CONTRACT our col
umns are opan to them. We 80 oftan
hear men making rem arks like these
''I would like to farm II I could cou
troll lsbor.n II can not got a negro
to take any care OF the land" i
csu not make them WORK ike ] want
to-" etc., and there is universal COM
plsint OF the unsatisfactory condition
OF negro labor. Nog the question
arises, Who Is going to rule9 Il we
tsmely submit We viii certainly be
run over,
We may have more OF less clash by
undertaking to hsvs 8 rational agree
ment, but IS we conceive it, 'tis OURS
TO dictate the terms. and then 1T Is
left with them to sccept or not. The
sooner we bsgin some rational sys-
.em, the better for both parties. We
are fully aware there are many far.
mars ct that forcsful character that
simply rule on their premises, and
thes have been enabled to get along
well, but others are not constituted
this way and they suffer.
The strong should help the weak,
snd thoss who can do without writ
ten contrscs, sn "uld use cne to help
sheir nei2hbors. All other countries
nave q system and we must have one,
700 il We wish the best results in our
lsrn operations. We admire the
example Of Mr.. J. @. trjbling, Of
Penoleton, s. @. He says no tsnsns
can stay on his lsnd who will not
agree to SOW down one third OF bis
land every year, OF carry out a regu.
lar three year rotstion Of grain, corn
sld cotton. This is good business;
In the end it will be beneficial to MI.
Stribltng, to bis land and to the ne.
gro tenant.
OF course, our negro laborers are
going to get worse and worse each
year as long as We submit to
their trifing and careless ways. It
is simply question OF Who is going
90 dictate terms We do not sdvo-
cate Hronging the negro In any way,
out If we are to dwell together in uni
tg ano for the upbuiding of our agricul.
tursl interest, then We must begin q
| more rational and exscting system Of
demands upon them for tho proper
carrying out sll labor contracts.
We csll upon al our readers not to
make trades for smother year without
s written CONTRACT and put 1t in there
how they sre to improve the land
about terraces, rocks. stunps, gullles,
CALLED spots and what they are to
plsnt and how they sre to cultivate
it. Ii is q little trouble, but 1t viii
psy both wsys-it will pay In calling
your sttension moro closely to the
needs Of your land, and it will pay In
getting the negro to do some better.
We do not claim it will be q royal
roa6;;" there will be many obstacles to
overcome; but it is certainly road
leading In the right direction.
| Got His Well Dug,
An Ir:shmap took q contract to dig
a well. When be had dug about TWEEN.
ty feet down, he came one morning