Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-02-27


From this table il appears that the
negro cultivates one-half or all the
cotton farms. more than one-third of
all the rice farms. rather less than
ore-fifth-or, &c be more exact. two
elevenths-of the tobacco farms. and
one-seventh OF the sugar farms Of
an these farms ne cultiyates more
than his due proportion. the negroes
constituting. il viii be remembered.
hardly more than one-eighth OF all
the farmers in the United States. He
also cultivates a considerable proper
ton OF the miscellaneous and yege-
table farms In none Of the
remaining classes does his proportion
come MP to per cent Of the totals
for the United States: but in the
Southern states farms operated by
negroes comprise a considerable per-
centage also of the hay and grain,
fruit. live stock. and dairy farms.
This is some more information for
the oenent OF NIr. Beckham and for
those who imagine that the conditions
OF 1853 are to be duplicated this
year or the year after or the year
after that and that a champion will
he necessary TO arouse the American
people to the sense of their duty.
But this Census Bulletin No. s
says further
The negro farmers produce almost
two hfths of an the cotton raised i'm
continental United States. more than
one-ffth of the sweet potatoes, and
about one tenth OF the tobacco and
the rice These are crops which are
mainly or entirely confined TO the
South. the two Southern divisions
producing all the rice grown in con-
tinental United states. and all the
cotton. with the exception OF a COM
paratively small quantity grown i'm
Missouri and Kansas. OF the sweet
potatoes. S7.2 per cent. are produced
in the Southern divisions. and OF the
tobacco. S4.2 per cent. Accordingly,
for these crops the proportion of
the total production of continental
United States grown on farms opc-
rated by negroes corresponds closely
to the proportion OF the production
OF the Southern states grown on their
farms.
Does Mr. Bec}ham or Mr.. Anybody
else suppose that the property-owning
white people are simple enough to
destroy this labor which comes TO
them cheaper and is more reliable
than any other labor on earth? Even
to- suggest such q proposition is alb
surd
When this gentleman SO far forgets
himself or errs 20 the extent of pre-
Stunning that the white ueople pay
wages TO colorei people that average
as much as ninety cents per day for
every man. woman and child or the
colored race. he ignores facts and
discounts statistics. Certainly he
had not read the Census Bulletin.
80. s. Page 81. for IL is as follows
There Is the farm laborer who re-
ceives for his work. at the end OF
the year. certain fixed wages varying
from $50 90 500. Some receive also
a house. perhaps with garden spot.
and have their supplies OF food and
clothing advanced: in such cases the
supplies must be paid for. with in
terest, out Of the money wages. An
other class OF laborers are con-
tract hands a. q. laborors paid by the
month or year and fed and supplied
by The landowner. Such laborers re-
ccive from 80 20 so cents Der dav
during the working season; they are
usually unmarried persons. many be
ing women, and when they marry
then they become metayers. or. oc-
.casionally. renters"
Here is then a positive statement
that the Negroes pay for in labor all
wages received and that these wages
amount TO from Cs2.5O) two dollars
and half per month to C$5.OO) five
dollars per month. This is from e.
ieven cents TO twenty-five cents per
day in cash. and with this amount
they must support a family. We
have quoted the census statistics and
we think that it is now in order for
our good friend TO revise his esti-
mates and change his figures.
Mr.. Edward Beckham's memory
is at fault, when he states that we
have at any time said that we had no
use for Frederick Douglass. His
worth we always appreciated and his
memory we still revere.
But enough for this week. We shall
deal further in our next issue with
the many phases OF this rather re-
parkable letter from the gentleman
OF Philadelphia.