Year: 1878

Labor Difficulties


G. B. Fleece recently read an addres


before the Shelby county grange, dis
cussing questions of moment to farmers
in which he said:


"T1he result ef twelve years OF hare
work since the war, in every branch O
agriculture has been a general declin
in prosperity, lamentable increase il
the area of worn out land, very meagr,
increase in farm Improvements, and
withal general result at once mortify
ing, Encouraging and unsatisfactory.


Indeed, farm laborers, and some
proprietors. far from being prosperous
are generally poor, hopelessly in debt ol
insolvent.


"We attribute this sad condition Of
our people, in large measure, to the
fact that no system of labor has been
generally adopted aince the substitution
of free for slave labor, which has been
equitable, remunerative, practicable and
permanent"


Living, permanent institutions spring
from vital germs, and can no more be
manufactured to order than one can
fabrioate sesd of perfect wheat from
deed earth, water and air.


We have killed one institution anil
signally failed to substitute another -
Its place. We may safely say an enem &
has done this, like the man who sowed
tares in his neighbor's wheat while he
slept. No matter; the killing has
been perpetrated, and we must do
the best eur circumstances will allow.
Instead of extending the area of worn
out land" 1t would be infinitely wiser to
extend pastures for grazing sheep, cattle,
horses, mules, swine and goats. 1t will
give lis neither bread nor meat, shirts
nor overcsats 70 grieve over the loss Of
ANYTHING buried in the recent or remote
past. One thing is certain, we cannot
prosper by running into debt; but may
lose all that we have left in that way.


Settle all misunderstanding between
proprietors and laborers as suggested by
Mr.. Fleece in his essay, and the work
goes on amicably, transforming the
virgin soil into barren waste by never
ceasing to consume and export the
elements OF crops. Can agriculture,
conducted by wise and moral people,
do nothing better than make a desert
over the best farming and planting land
the sun shines upon for the benefit of
posterity !? Is there no mistake in this
southern industry? Deny the statement
who will, our agricultural labor is sadly
unemployed and misdirected. The
author OF the address before US fails to
see this pregnant truth.


4 Our rural economy was defective
when slavery existed; it is no better
now. Men who assume to know already
all that is movable, never improve
their practice Or principles. In such
case nothing remains but for kind death
TO put an end to q malady and all
its pains, which are otherwise incurable.
This done, immigrants will come
In with less bias in favor of tillage and
planting, less prejudice against grass and
grass culture, less antipathy to sheep,
cattle and horses, and more just appre-
citation Of domesticated animals, which
have changed man from wild flesh
eating beast of prey into social, moral
and Intellectual being of wonderful
attainment and ambition.


Illumination, or the chewing of the
cud, is an agricultural function of ines
Unable value to man, who has no such
powers in his person OF double mastica-
tion, and prolonged, efficient digestion.
How few appreciate this remarkable
addition to the vital resources of human
life! In thousand ways man can make
cultivated animals and cultivated plants
minister to his comfort, his dignity and
powe: with very little labor on his part.
AL our trouble comes from the combined
evils of superstition and tradition
clinging to the errors and follies of the
past, which act as sharp dead thorns in
living flesh. Tradition viii not let the
dead bury its dead.