The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1911-01-19
SCOTLAND NECK, N. c., THURSDAY, JANUARY 1e, 1911.
The CURSE OF The TENANT SYSTEM.
How the Credit-MaGe Cotton Of the
Renter R0ldS Down Prices.

We read and hear much advice
given as to the Importance Of the
Southern farmers raising their home
supplies. 1t is absolutely important
that they do this to obtain success.
but it can not be done with the pres
ent tenant system. Since the prin-
cipal laborers for the Southern
farmers are the negroes, let us
briefly consider the negro as lab
orer, without discussing the race
problem. The labor problem can
be solved. How? Simply by pay
ing them wages and having them
conform to your orders as is the
case with the employees of the bank
er, merchant and all who conduct
business upon business principles.
We can never have intensive and eX-
tensive and prosperous farming as
long as we advance land, team and
all other supplies to irresponsible
and incompetent laborers. The
tenant system has proven dismal
failure to the Southern landowners
as the rundown condition Of our
large farms testifies.,
The tenant works on a certainty,
| for he is receiving advances that you
are making on an uncertainty. He
and his mule, with his management.
do not produce the crop upon so
acres that should be produced upon
fifteen acres. He must plant pes
nuts and cotton to pay the merchant
that you have endorsed to for hay,
corn and meat at high price, and
glut the market with his cotton and
peanuts for two months Of the year
He has worked upon your land and
| CAPITAL, WIlAlC CIiC opONule1tOl lloN
watched conditions and named prices
both ways for what he buys and
sells.
The negro race is a kindly dispos-
ed people, but we all know that they
must be kept under restraint. Their
labor, or any other commodity that
they have, commands the cash, anC
yet our landowners are advancing
twelve long months ahead of their
work which is often done in 2 slip
shod manner. They are a shifting
people and with their poor manage
ment and large bills often leave The
landowner much worse off thar
they found him.
With few exceptions, the man with
no capital should work for wages
whether he is employed by the mer
chant, factory or farmer. Let hin
prove that he is capable and worthy
of using another's capital before i
lis advanced tc him. The worthy
man can do this in any line of bus!
ness and the unworthy zone shoult
only be entitled to what his effort
produce. tits absurd to advance
$500 per year to $1CO man, ant
yet we know that this is often done
Slack management does not meal
prosperity for either employer o
employees 1t is not pleasant to &C
knowledge, but we Southern land
owners are very gulible and are al
lowing our laborers to dictate hov
they will or not work.
What is the remedy? Let the ten
ant go, raise stock, buy modern me-
chinery, make one acre produce q
, much as your tenant produced O.
two or three, and sell, if YOU can
] every acre OF land that you canno
J control or utilize to an advantage
! Observe these few simple rules an
then 1t you have some surplus none
0 or land and you want to deal i
' futures on cotton or peanuts, bu
"spots" in paying cash for your Il
Dor to make them and when tn
G speculator wants to buy. let him bu
y from you and not from your mel
y chant who has been advancing
q your tenant. the peanuts are TX
yours or his either They belong t
. the merchant, and he is only inteI
ested to the amount of his claim.
q If any Of our readers, Mr.. Edite
know how, the land owner can max
q money from the tenant system
n have them to speak out and tell no
it can be done and they will prov
n public benefactors. F. Grizzar'
70 Pumpkin, Va.