The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-02-10

West: and here thousands colIectin search
of employment, in the fall andLwinter sea
sons, when harvesting is over in the agri-
cultural districts. The movement to send
a portion Of this surplus population to the
South where their labors are needed and
where employment can be had from years
end to years end, encounters no opPosi-
ton from any class, but seems to be favor
ably regarded by all as far as my infor-
nation extends. But there is anxious
inquiry on the subject of the treatment of
immigrants and the inducements held out
to them, and every report from the South
is caught up with eager interest. A
single case of maltreatment is heralded
through the newspapers, and exceptions
are magnifed into general rules. In
German paper of large influence in this
city, the Stats Zeftung, of yesterday,
letter was published purporting to have
been sent by immigrants from Baldwin.
Mississippi, complaining of bad faith by
their employers, and ill-treatment gener-
ally. 1t has created a considerable stir,
and is operating greatly to the detriment
of the immigration movement, particular
ly among the Germans. The following
is translation of the letter:
BALDWIN, Miss, January %, 20.
To the Editor Of the Stats Zeitung: German
paper.)
The Young Mems Christian Association.
(of Chicago) are sending families and idle
men to the South, and we cannot imagine
how or where the Association finds employ
ment for them. On the 10th of January, L,
with p Germans and five Irish and English,
were sent from this association to Verona,
Miss, to work for Thomas Smith, at farm
work at the rate of $3.50 per year, or half the
crop. We were satisfied with this PROPOSE
ton and accepted it. When we arrived here
Friday, the 2lst, we were sent to hotel
that had no beds nOr could we obtain any
thing to eat. We were compelled to lie on
the floor without clothes under or over u.s.
The coffee was black and without sugar, aud
the corn-bread was heavy as stone. This
hotel belongs to band which Is a branch
office of the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton at Chicago. The next day farmers came
in wanting to employ farm hands Every
one wanting hand had to pay $50 in order
to obtain one, which was to remunerate the
association. Those accepting. had to agree
10 W0Tk IOT $IO per DOLlI duu dCCcpI q SOH-
tract for two years. Ifbefore the two years
expired, any one left his employment, he
lost all his wages and received nothing
Some of those who could not speak English,
were ''sold" THAT is deceived.) and others
deserted, to which last party we belong. 1t
was thus expected after the emancipation of
the slaves to use US as slaves.
Now, we ask you to publish this, so that
no more Germans will come to this negro
country.
Very respectfully.
LOUIS WINPHAL,
JOHN SCHMANN,
CHARLES KAUFMAN,
JOHN DvGAN,
HENRY HOOPER.
This letter, though self-contradictory,
and plainly bearing the evidence of fraud,
is doing much injury. Its authors evil
IDENTIFY designed it as a means of defeating
the efforts of the Young Mems Christian
Association of this city, to send unem-
ployed persons, who have not the means
of subsistence, to the South, where labor
can be obtained. But it also presents our
own people in very unfavorabIe light to
those who will read it specifically. Mr..
Thomas Smith is known to be incapable of
fraud or injustice. For employment by
him the immigrants are reported to have
been sent, and yet we are informed in the
same letter, that they were engaged to
other parties, who were compelled to pay
to the Association, a bonus of $50 per
hand. 1t is also stated that the contract
ing parties stipulated to pay wages at the
rate of $3.50 per annum, and that never
theless the immigrants being ignorant of
our language, bound themselves for SO
per month, for two years. Both branches
of the story are manifestly false. No one
in his senses could have agreed to pay $3.50
per annum for farm laborers, and no one
would have dreamed of imposing upon
them an agreement at $120. Still the
fabrication is doing its work of considera-
bic injury; and attention is called to it
to elicit public correction by the parties
implicated and to warn our people to
guard against the possibility of misrepre-
sentation. L. B.