How Free Labor Pays
Dublin Core
Title
How Free Labor Pays
Description
A planter of the Parish of Iberville, La., has addressed the following communication to the Freedmen's Aid Association of New Orleans:
"I am a planter of twelve years' experience; this year I am working twelve hands, six men and six women; my laborers are to get one-fourth of the net proceeds of the crops. They have a full understanding of the interest in the said crops. Our contract was made on the 1st of February last, and the results so far is a complete success; we have to-day 85 arpents of corn, all in perfect condition. I don't mention the vegetable crops. Under the old system ten arpents to the and was considered a fair result, and more than three-fourths of the plantations failed to come to that standard. My laborers are all good people behaving well, having good common sense; they are honest and true to their family. Besides the crop in common, they have raised for their private account small crops of corn and vegetables; they have poultry, etc., of their own. Not a single difficulty has occurred among them since they have agreed to work on my farm."
Thus, says the Pittsburg Dispatch, is the whole labor problem solved. Deal justly, give the freedmen some interest in their work, and there will be no trouble. In this case fifty per cent more of ground is cultivated under the old system, and the probability is that the planter will make that per cent more. It is probably best to "peg away" at the old slaveholders till they conclude to deal justly, and thus "fight it out on the line." It is nothing but sheer ugliness on their part that causes all the trouble and inflicts all the distress upon the freedmen.
"I am a planter of twelve years' experience; this year I am working twelve hands, six men and six women; my laborers are to get one-fourth of the net proceeds of the crops. They have a full understanding of the interest in the said crops. Our contract was made on the 1st of February last, and the results so far is a complete success; we have to-day 85 arpents of corn, all in perfect condition. I don't mention the vegetable crops. Under the old system ten arpents to the and was considered a fair result, and more than three-fourths of the plantations failed to come to that standard. My laborers are all good people behaving well, having good common sense; they are honest and true to their family. Besides the crop in common, they have raised for their private account small crops of corn and vegetables; they have poultry, etc., of their own. Not a single difficulty has occurred among them since they have agreed to work on my farm."
Thus, says the Pittsburg Dispatch, is the whole labor problem solved. Deal justly, give the freedmen some interest in their work, and there will be no trouble. In this case fifty per cent more of ground is cultivated under the old system, and the probability is that the planter will make that per cent more. It is probably best to "peg away" at the old slaveholders till they conclude to deal justly, and thus "fight it out on the line." It is nothing but sheer ugliness on their part that causes all the trouble and inflicts all the distress upon the freedmen.
Source
Elevator
Date
10.27.1865
Collection
Citation
“How Free Labor Pays,” No Stain of Tears and Blood, accessed October 22, 2026, https://productsoffreelabor.com/items/show/75.
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