The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-08-28
Educating the Freedmen : A Gate
chism.

Being decidedly in favor Of educating
the freedmen, we propose assisting in that
good work by submitting few simple ques-
tons and answers, which for their own
good they should learn:
Q. Being now free men, what is your
first duty as citizens?
A. 10 provide means to support our
families and educate or children.
@. How do you propose to do this?
A. BY bodily labor and by practising
economy.
@. Is there any hinderapee to your en-
loving the reward of that labor.
A. Yes. We are almost exclusively en-
ployed in raising cotton, on which we must
pay tax of21a cents pound.
@. How much would that tax amount to
if you should make four bags Of cotton?
A.; Fifty dollars.
G. Do you have the tax to pay every
year?
A. Yes. And the harder we work and
the more cotton we raise the more tax we
have to pay.
@. Do laborers OF the North have to pay
such tax on their daily labor?
A. No. That tax is only put on cotton
which they do not raise there:
@. What class Of day laborers in the
South are chiefly engaged in cultivating
cotton?
| A. Freedmen, almost exclusively, so
that the tax becomes tax on the daily
toll of freedmen, with few exceptions.
Q. Who put that tax on cotton?
A. The Congress OF the U. S.
! @. What party was in power when thai
tax was imposed?
A. The Radical party, and it has beer
ever since.
/ @. Does the Radical party give anythin!
!, in return for the tax you pay-such as re
presentation in Congress?
A. No. They say Louisiana is not on
of the United States, and has no bushes
in Congress.
, @. How is that? If Louisiana is no
one of the United States, why DO the
> make her pay taxes to the United States
A. That's hard question, and we can
answer it. :,
: Q. Do they not give you some offices th'
pay WE'LL
: a. They say black men should not ru
: for Office. !, :.
) @. Do you say then that the Radlca
J who make you pay that heavy tax, give y'
e nothing for it.
n A. We'll. they say they set us free, al
that we can now get pay for what we 40.
it q But are you free when you are mat
s. to pay them large part Of what you ear
J lust as you did to your old MASTER VIII
= you hired your time?
~ A. 1t don't look so; because then mast
:. supported our families, and now We mu
" support them ourselves, and pay money b
lie sides.
lie @. But has the Radical party that
ct ouires this tax, not given you anythl
or else?
e A. Yes. They let us vote.
It, @. But, if they won't let you vote
n n your own people and elect them to OH
II, ~ what good does your vote DO!
h n A. We'll, we don't know how that is.
I'd Q.Don't it look like paying big pr
lis for the privilege of keeping men in oil
he who take from you your own money!
ey A. 1t does look SO.
if o. What could you do with that 800
lst YOU had not to pay it over in taxes!
all A. We could buy some good clothes
DC our families, or pay for schooling our q
b . dren, or by saving it few years, buy a
- tie farm of our own. ;
~ Q. Do you not think, that tits very 70
70 for ish to belong to party and keep it in pt
nit er, that makes you SO much money
rty nothing when you might put it to 81
ose good use? ,, !,
!. q it before we vote.