The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-27
"THEY LIVE BY CHEATING"
THAT IS WHAT THE wEALrHIESr NEGRO IN
NORTHERN LOUISIANA SAID. ANON" oriEi
THINGS, OF THE RADICALS.

]
| THINGS, OF THE RADICALS.
| TShreveport Ia.) Letter of the 18th. To the Gin
cinnati Commercial
| There is a colored man hero who hna done
what not one in a quarter OF II million "t his
race have succeeded in doing since "manei-
| patton. Born and reared slave, he has SINCE
the war accumulated about twelve thousand
dollars worth of property. The name of this
man is Abner Hall. He has the confidence
and respect of all classes and colors,
| In company with friend went around to
see Hall He works at the foundry of L.. W.
Jones as a pattern maker, earning good wages
and pntting in every day. | asked him about
the political situation of his race i'll this re
gion and first as to his own oltical views
He said he had always voted with the white
people, and used all his influence with his
race to get them to do so. 1.-The white peo-
pie own this country, he said, "and We must
live here if we live anywhere. cold conn
try, snch as up North, dosen't suit US This
is our home, and we must be at peace with
the white people They will do the far thing
if the colored people do. My idea is that the
Conservative party is the party tor Us colored
people to 90 into.
"They always nominate the best men for
office, and always 90 for peaceable govern
ment and low taxes. These high taxes which
the Radicals put on the country finally come
out of the poor negro if he had sense enough
to see it. A white party and black
party, such as we have had so much
of here, will ruin any country Look
what it has done for Louisiana. The Radical
party is cheating party. Look how they
got US all to deposit our money in what they
called the Freedmeu's Bank and then stole it.
Little do they for the Niger except to get his
vote and steal what little money he makes
through the banks
Odd you lose anything by the Freedmens
Bank, asked.
no, sir: but had whole years earnings
there, and Just did get it out in time. | smelt
rat. | took it out and put it in a bank run
by men who live here, and who l know will
do right. The next day | tried to get out
tifty-nine dollars that friend had in the old
trap, but it had done shut down, and the
money went up the spout. All, sir, you don't
know bow much worry and suffering the poor
colored men have had about that b nix. Some
had in three hundred dollars, and from that
all the way down to fifty cents.
THAT. sir, is Just one of the main reasons
why the Conservatives carried the election IN
this parish. The colored men voted with
them right straight along. | think | inhu-
enced as many as two hundred myself. |
re akon more. | worked as hard as / could.
| put in my time, for | knew | was doing
good work for my race.
The Conservatives carried the election, did
they
"les, sir, carried it in this parish by over
six hundred majority, as true as you and |
stand here. The counting out of the men we
elected to the Legislature was the biggest
cheat that ever was. What's the use of hav-
ing an election itthcy can do that? The Rad |
cal party live by cheating. 1t is all that they
have got TO 60 on. Nobody pretends that
that they carried the election in this parish.
You can't find a Radical who will say it. They |
know we can beat them, and that the Return !
ng Board cheated us out Of what we had |
fairly won. The Conservative party, sir, as
much as has been said about it, wouldn't do |
hat mean
"Did the colored men vote Ire Conserve.
i've ticket freely and voluOtarily?'
''Yes, sir; the election was the flirest and |
most quiet we have ever had here. Every
BODY says that. But the Returning Board |
in the very men that wert beaten.
What's the use Of having an election When
hey can do that way
| mentioned that it was necessary to count |
mt q few Conservatives SO as to give the Re
)ubicans the Legislature. But Mr. HILL pro-
ested that it was no fair way to do, and that
f the will Of the majority can be set aside
hat way, we had as well abolish elections and
live the country over entirely to the Return
nc Boards.