American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-09-02
MIDSUMMER GLEANINGS.
PoIitics-Hard Times-En9IiSf I'M
migrants-The immutable Vir-
gilman, etc.
From our regular correspondent

migrants-The Immutable Vir-
gilman, etc.
From our regular correspondent
WYTIIEvILLE, Va Aug 26.
This State gave a small Republi
can majority at the last Presidential
election, but, the accident will not
happen again, or, at least, not very
soon. Since then the Republican
candidate for Governor has been
defeated by 10000 majority, and
in this campaign the enthusiasm
for Tilden and Hendricks surpasses
anything that has been known in
the Old Dominion since Governor
Wise's triumph over Know.notEing'
ism. The sensation caused by the
exposure Of fraud, THEFT and cor
ruption in high places, has shocked,
most profoundly these people, who
have always cherished high ideals
of political purity. The result will
doubtless he full strength vote
for the man v ho has become nation
ally CONSPICUOUS for the solid reforms
tina. he has made, and not, like his
opponent, merely for the specious
promises that he has promised.
There is every reason to believe
that Virginia will give as largo a
majority for Tllden and Hendricks
as she gave for Kemper in tho late
Gubernatorial election.
The condition of the freedmen is,
perhaps, as favorable here as in any
other section of the South. The
census will show decrease in the
colorcd population. This results
partly from emf grafton, mostly from
death. They seem to he inclined to
live in or near the towns. Not un-
frequently two OF three families are
found crowded into small room,
often a damp basement, where,
,hinly clad, poorly fed, and. when
sick, snamefully neglected, they die.
Passionately fond of society, page
antIy, picnics. and meetings, reli-
gious orpo!itical, much of the night
is spent in noisy mirth or religious
ecstacy, and, "gentle natures sweet
restorer" too often visits them at
MONDAY, hence they ale not as
good laborcrs as they were in the
days of night police. There are, of
course, exceptions. Some are FAM
ing rented land successfully, others
own a team and wagon. Many
have purchased small lot. and
built small house Casually very
poor one) thereon, and this tendency
has given to many towns in the
State Observation-Disclosures of which
the wealthier citizens are not vain.
Certain it is that the freedmen are
not as enthusiastic politicians as
they were a few years ago, and very
many have decided that their best
advisers and friends are not the
political agents that the Admins
tration has sent b. t., in its internal
Revenue Collectors, Postmas,ers,
sc. Many will vote for Tilden and
Hendricks, and it is notable that
those who will thus vote are the
more thrifty and Intelligent.
Judging from the scarcity of
money in this region, and the uni
rersal complaint of hard times, it is
.vident that the financial shock and
Industrial paralysis is felt severely
lere. Prices of all perishable prop
,rty are much reduced. Horses,
attle, agricultural and mechanical
are reduced nearly 33
,er cent. Real estate not quite SO
l,uch, though there have not been
O many forced sales, owing to the
avs of the State which greatly
avor the debtor, requiring sale to
70 in installments thus insuring
he largest price. Much of Virginia,
4 anti bellum times, was owned in
arge bodies of land-oEe man fire.
uently owning from l 900 to 20, 900
ores. But the tendency now is to a
wide up and settle in smaller farms /
hus increasing the pIOduc. iOI s by
in more labor, and at the ,
anne time dividing the taxes. f
Since the war, southwestern Vir- !
mia has been filed to limited I
xteut by English emigrants, but =
,cir experience has not been of a
iaracter to encourage increased .
nmigratIou. Unacquailted with