The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1907-04-20
SOLVING SOUTHERN
IMMIGRATION PROBLEM
Mr.. Leroy Percy Advances Ideas
In Regard to Most Important
Question-"Share Crop" Plan

Leroy Percy, of Greenvil1e, Mss.
has perhaps relieved the immigration
situation so far as the Southern states
are concerned, and at the same tlms
revived interest in the old-time
"share CROP which was once the
rule instead of the exception or
Southern plantations. Mr.. Percy
calls it "share partners" and asks
federal authorities the pertinent ques
ton whether a planter might not
solicit and contract for partnership
relations with foreign agriculturists
in planting, making and gathering a
years crop.
The answer, according to news
items, is in the affirmative; therefore
all that remains to be done to stock
the South with thrifty agricultural
immigrants is The establishment OF
bureaus capable of conveying the full
meaning of the share partnership re
lations to this class of immigration.
There is hardly and doubt that a
"share crop" will prove acceptable
to the immigrant, for it means, so
far as he is concerned, that he is
snugly provided for throughout the
entire crop-making period. He is
given house to live in, land to
work, implements and team to work
it with, food to eat, clothes. to wear
and every other essential of frugal
farm life For his part he is called
on for honest labor, that's all, and
upon the sale of the crop he shares
the proceeds with the planter, of
course paying for his personal ex
penses contracted during the year,
but not for land nor for use of house,
implements and team.
The negro could never prosper un-
der the "share" system--nor, for that
der any other-because he lacks thrift
and frugality, but is is one of the
fairest and most equitable methods,
putting capital and labor upon just
and equal basis in the division of
earnings.
In the. South however, the system
has never been regarded in the strict
sense of partnership, and if all the
legal right involved in such relations
are to attach themselves in this
permission to solicit and induce i'm
migration the Southern planter will
hardly be found taking advantage of
it. IF, for instance, the we'll known
law that the act of one partner binds
every party in the partnership is to
prevail in the "share-partner" rela-
tions, then the government has again
handed the South a lemon, for no
planter would be willing to enter the
contract upon such menacing terms.
Perhaps, however, this question has
been decided in federal courts as well
as in state tribunals and that the
planter runs no risk of being bound
by the act of the "share-partner." If
SO Mr.. Percy's suggestion will prove
most valuable to the South; if not,
then, ere the South can profit by the
suggestion, there must be a decision
upon this point.
Mr.. Percy's suggestion, however,
reminds us of the fact that there IS
another relation between the planter
and the laborer-one under which
two-thirds of the cotton of the South
is raised, and one just as alluring to
the immigrant as the relationship
comprised in the "share-partner' sys-
tenn. We refer to that of landlord
and tenant We are not advised
whether the restrictions of immigra
tion laws forbids planter from So
Letting foreign agriculturists as ten
ants for his plantation. 1t may be
that he has legal right to rent his
lands to immigrants prior to their
departure from their home country.
If SO, then indeed is the immigration
question solved for the South, for in
the relation of landlord and tenant
there are nc perplexities whatever
Commercial Appeal.