The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1875-04-17
\. 90 the 18th or l6th. .....
y. What effect did that haze ?

'"'''"'"SA viz "Hnc country. 1 VI
down at the meeting that nigh, al
was told that i has, better ~ llom.
OK ! might get killed.
! q. did yen see any colo,ed' me
ont at that meeting?
4. Yes. there were q few, very Few
z. What is the occupation CT til
population in that parish pl, -lte:s?
A. Yes, in the country; in tn
town, merchants.
.. BY Mv. Wheeler.-Wka: is ~
population af the tc:yu?
=. Twcnty-six or twenty-seye,
hundred inhabitants merchants, doc
tors and lawyers.
Q. Are they cotton plantations i.
the country?
A. Yes.
Q. Are there auy railroads thcro
A. No, sir.
Q. ls.it on Fed River?
A. 1t is Oh an oil branch Of thu
river, on Cane river.
Q. BY Mr.. ield.-What portion Of
the crop is raised by co.ored men i?
A. They raise hear; all Of it.
z. How do the white people &c,
their iivingl
A. They own the plantations and
employ their laborers.
9. Are there any numbers of col
Ore,t men who are lard owners 2 :,
Yes, quite 4 number.
q. BY the chai,man.-How is it IN
the matter Of public school!
A. Well, sir, our school system is
very bad.
Q. What proportion Of the children
between eight and sixteen arc at
school?
. A.. l;'ion't;krow for l don't know
how many schools they have. III
Natchitoclcs | know they have cone
two colored and one white school.
9. Where do the white children
get their education j.? 49,
A. III the parish there are some
white schools.
@. How are those schools support
ed?
A. BY special tax a school tax.
Q. Who control them
A. We have q school board and..a
SCHOOL treasurer. The taxes are col.
lected by the tax collector.
Q. Can you give any Judgment
whether or not the number Of chill
dren attending school is increasing
or decreasing !!
A. l think it is increasing. In 1865
there We're no colorel school IN the
parish and don't know that there
were many white schools.
Q. Are there eng considerable nnrn-
Der Of whites that cannot read or
write :
A. Yes, but this is confined mostly
to the high positions. Most Of the
children in town go to private schools.
Q. BY MIR. Marshall How long
has this disorganized condition Of
which you speak existed in the par
ishi
A. ! think since last. July or June
up to the present time.
@. How long has this bid feeling
If which you spoke existed among
the people?
A. Only since last July.
; Q. Before that, the parish was
peaceable and orderlyi
A. Very peaceable.
Q. Was there any disposition before
that time to commit violence or in
timidation on the part of tho white
people
A. No, sir, never.
@. HASN'T this feeling grown ont of
the dispute in regard to the Kellogg
yovcrnment1
A. No, l don't think entirely ont
IF that. l think it is from a DISPOSE
lion to get office. They all want to
get office.
@. Has not that disposition to get
office existed there before July last.
A. No, 1t was a hard matter to get
! man to run for the Legislature or
for Sheriff I; but at the election there
we're eight or nine candidates for
every office.
@. 1t is simply a contest for Office
then, that creates this feeling! Is
that the only causef
A. l cannot say that that is the
only cause.
@. What is tho cause then I
A. Well, sir, one cause is that the
people Of that parish have been bur.
lencd with a large debt, | think
el52, 900, some where in that neigh
borhood.
@. How was that debt contracted I
A. That was contracted partly by
Democrat and partly by Republicans.
9. For what purpose was it cre-
Rted i!
A Our court house expenses every
year are ai,ont sixteen thousand dot.
lars, including witnesses fees and
jurors certificates aud then we have
had paper issue,l for various ca"ses.
Q. Within what time has that debt
been created
A. Thirty thousand dollars Of it
was created before the war. A gem
tleman, who was very rich, loaned
tho parish the money and took the
parish bonds; and upon these bonds
q judgement was obtained.
9. How was the resi'.ue contracted !
A. The residue of tho debt is held
by Democrats who are Judgment Gre
ditors and by some Republicans.
Q. 1askel you when and for what
purpose it xas contracted
A. cannot say that for parish
expenses, bridges aud some little
rings up there.
@. What is the rate of taxation !?
A. About eight per cent.
G. Is that upon AL assessment Of
A. 10 ..,.h vnInnfin.