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10.

him a life of hard work and meagre pay, which reacts upon the man's spirit. This is an injury to the state for the man will not or cannot pay his taxes: it encourages crime, leads to idleness, and in fact, explains much of the present unsteadiness of labor and social confusion. The policy of landholders reacts with tremendous effect upon the welfare of the country at large: a policy not wholly due to want of capital but greatly to want of proper disposition.

Yet the freedman clings like a shell fish upon its bed rock to his old home, suspiciously rejecting every offer to take him to new and more promising fields of labor: the home instinct refers to locality, I think not at all to the "old house".

It is sad how this people lacks, inherently, the spirit of adventure: bred to a parasitical life, now that their old  props have fallen, they creep upon the ground, and refuse the opportunity to spring up for themselves.

The violation of contracts is a fruitful source of trouble, and is caused, partly by ignorance, partly by indifference as to the future. Loose contracts unwritten, are freely consented to, of which the employer takes advantage, bargaining usually for a certain

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-10-07 14:21:43