Ridiculous comments upon the action
of Capt. Frank Ottendorfer of the steam
er DeSmet in employing white labor on
his boat, impels the writer to suggest
that, should all steamboatmen follow his
example and employ white instead of
colored hands, it would eventually prove
the source of much good. The colored
man will thou, more than ever, be obliged
to seek his livelihood in the productive
fields of our fertile country, under a sys
tem of yearly and regular employment,
where payments are usually made only
monthly, and then he will become a man
of better habits. As it is now, he does
but too slowly evince the acquirement of
true civilization and refinement. Too
many of his race are ignorant of the con
duct which marks the true citizen. Daily
occurrences testify to this fact. How
many cases of assault and battery, petty
larceny, and even highway robbery and
murder, appear upon the dockets of our
courts, in which the accused are colored
persons that have no rigular means of
employment and subsistence; but seldom
will you hear of a regular employee eh
gaging ili such disreputable business.
And to this rule a number of white peo
ple, better brought up and enjoying su
perior advantages, form in exception.
When money makes its way slowly to
the possessor, he has more chance to
consider and meditate how to use it with
most benefit to himself and his family.
