New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1907-02-09
THE NEGRO ANTI-WORK So
CIETIES.

%IE- IBo.
f The New York Times brinas IL
. the interesting information that al
, over Virginia the negroes are or
gauIZing themselves Of which tht
essential feature is the taking o.
an oath not to do any kind of w0rh
for white people. In commenting
, on the movement the Times says:
GAS this amounts almost if moi
quite to a determination not to
work for anybody, it is no wonder
that the new societies are attract
ing great numbers Of the c0lored
brothers, and a less, but still large
number Of the colOred sisters. for
Of coarse they all make the Joyous
assumption that life will somehow
go on with work eliminated.
They are not the only ones
that do that, and not few others
who have the same hope have
white skins-Or at least skins as
white as can be expected when a
refOrmer devOtes all Of his waking
time to the discussion of politics
and economics. But it is true that
life will 60 on, even somehow.
without working? That interest
ing question the Virginia negroes
viii solve as true passes, and if
they report progress they will be
heard with attention. The only
substitutes for working at present
known are begging and stealing,
and the success of these demands
the presence Of many people who
work and are willing to be exploit
ed by the nonworkers. If the lat
ter organize and announce openly
their determined mode Of existance
1t Is to be feared that they will get
into rather serious trouble of some
sort or other"
We are quite sure that our New |
York contemporary is not familiar
with conditions in the South, and |
as result of its deficiency in this
respect 1t assumes that consider
able number Of the col0red sisters
are taking the oath not to engage
10 any kind of service for the
white people. For many years
the cOlored sister in the capacity of
cook or house servant has been the
lnreslstlng medium through which
5he contents Of the white mans
pantry has flowed ont of the back
gate for the benefit of loaf;ng and
lon- working negro men. 1t has
been estimated that trained and
experienced colored sister employ
d in the house of a well-to-do
White family is perfectly able by
udIclouS and regular draughts
n the groceries aud marketing TO
ecure supplies sufficient to keep the :
7olf from the door of at least two !,
egro families of considerable size.
Mr.. Harris Dickson il the Satur-
ay Evening Post takes occasion
mention this practice of long /
and contributes the fol- =
'wlng verse of song that
he loafing class of negroes in the >
outh are wont to sing quite cheer.
lily: :
ly gal lives in de white folks yard; "
e brings me bacon an she brings me lard q
hen dey has turkey gifts de stufin';
ggers think is workin', but amt dom muffin. y
This tells the whole story in a
W words and so long as the color p
sister is able to serve as a con- "
citing link between the white tf
ans store room and the idle negro &C
9n who "don't do muffin +" the 81
ter can be depended on to pre- :"
Mt her taking the solemn oath of ne
8 antl-working society. The w
Iored sister as provider of co
yuIar meals canuot be lightly OF
'pensed with, because the non OF
rklng negro men in his daily I'd
'nomy reckons her as one Of the co
~ few "sure things" he can 81
int on. Aside from this he has III
desire to rely solely on thieving 90
a means of obtaining food for al
nself, because it is to hazardous th'
either his own experience or ."'
t of others of his class has TIC
ght him that sooner or later it
| result IN a most disagreeable ND
ourn or several months in the eo'
nty Jail or period of years in cul
state penitentiary during which thi