The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-09-13

REILLY OF THE BULLETIS: We shall
reply TO Mr.. Harreli point after point;
First Point.-Mr. Harrell truly asserts
that, as class, the $500 negroes of Cairo
are non-taxpaying and non-producing
citizens. That is tc say, large majority
of the $500 negroes of the city-meJl,
,oomen and ehiidren-do not pay, taxes and
do not do any work which produces wealth.
Mr.. Harrel's object in stating this fact is
to hold it up before the negroes as re-
proach. But it is no reproach TO them;
because of the 6,o00 white people in Cairo
the large majority are also non-producers
and non-tax-payers. Can this be denied
How many Of the 5000 white people, men,
women and children, pay taxes on "com-
Portable homes ?' We believe the num-
Der will fall short Of one in every FIVE or
six. How many are engaged in produc.
tive labor, the results Of which, according
to many writer's, must be palpable in some
material object capable of being trans
| ferred from one person TO another? We
believe the number will fall short of fifty
in each thousand. SO, while it is true that
the negroes, as a class, are non-producers
and non-taxpayers-the large majority
being so; it is also true that the white peo-
pie of Cairo, as class, are likewise non
producers ard non-taxpayers-thc large
majority being so. Therefore, the stone of
reproach, flung by Mr.. Harrell at the col
ored citizens of Cairo, is missile which
may be hurled back al the people Of his
and our race and color.
?, Mr. Harrell says that the presence Of
$500 negroes imposes upon the white tax
payers of the city the education Of 500
black children. This fact he offers as evil
dcncc that the negroes are not a desirable
element of our population--as reason
why we should get rid Of them If we can
OBJ not encouraging them" The fact
is as stated, but tho use Of it is improper
because, if the fact that the Taxpayers of
the city must pay for the education Of 500
colored whose parents pay no taxes is a
good reason why all the blacks should be
induced to seek the broad acres all
around u.s. the other fact, that the tax
payers of Cairo must pay to educate white
children whose parents are too poor to pay
taxes, is Il good reason why those poor
white parents should be induced TO also
"seek the broad acres all around U.S." In
deed Mr.. Harrell's argument is an argu-
ment against the public school system
which is based on the idea that the poorest
is entitled to IN education and the wealth
Of the country must pay for it. 1t 10, at
least, an argumentative boomerang. When
thrown it is as likely to wound the whites
who ding it as the blacks at whom it is
thrown.
3. We do not deny that the presence of
$500 negroes in Cairo largely increases
tho expenses of our criminals, but we
doubt If the increase is $4,000 year, as
Mr.. Harrell asserts From January LIST,
1871, TO July 4th, lS7l--a few days over
six months the city paid the police force
81, 796.o5, and for the support of prisoners,
white and black, Sl,473,75. In a year, at
this rate, the total cost of the police force
and Of feeding prisoners, would DO So
O45.s2. Now, we do not believe that Mr..
Harroll would claim that, if we had no ne
groes in Cairo, the cost Of the police force
and Jail would be as low as $4,000. We
could not get along with smaller force
than was Oh from January LIST to July
4th, But, the fact remains, that many Of