Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-18
A DARKY,S COMPLAINT.
The Home-Made Article versus the
Imported ArtstoerRt.
To the Editor Of the Ledger:

The Home-Made Article versus the
Imported ArtstocrRt.
To the Editor Of the Ledger:
DEAR SIR-Allow me to say q word or
two through your columns, on q very i'm
portant matter With us SOuthern-raised
darkies. viz: The Southern white people
have been cursed with the white carpet
Dagger, and the Southern negro is no
less cursed with the negro carpet.bagger.
The fact Of tbs business is, Mr.. Editor,
they have swermed down upon us here
from Ohio and other places North, and
have captured all of our churches and
sch~oothouses, and we hame Negroes arc
getting very tired Of this game and as
the whites OF this country have freed
themselves from this. swarm of leechers
they are the better prepared to help us
ont OF the mire. Aud we call upon such
as you, Mr.. Editor, to help us, and we
believe you viii do it. Perhaps very
little of this complaint has as yetreached
you, but | assure you there is a great
deal Of it among us both in lower and
upper ten society, These Ohio ne
groes here in Memphis are literally
walking over US. They are robbing our
wash-women, our house-servants, eur
draymen, and our poor laboring people
generally, Of the dimes and nickels
they carry to the church on Sunday. 1t
is s~quandered in big salaries, and God
only knows how many other ways. Our
Ohio schooI-marns and school.gents
strut around here in Memphis and draw
their sixty.Gve and s~eventy.Gve dollars
per month, aud they are too proud, too
lazy or too mean to teach in our Sunday
SC FOOLS on Sunday. They have no other
use for us but to get the money and put
it in their pockets. They do not even
think to get the people out Of their old
Ignorant habits; they seem to prefer to
keep them in ignorsnee, so that they can
the better dape them. What are they
d ling with this money that they are
drawing from the school board2 | will
tell you, Mr.. Editor. Just about now
they are going up home" TO splarge
aad spend their money; and il a va
cIncy occurs in the school they send up
home and get another teacher to Gil
that vacancy. Allow me to make one
humble suggestion: We have a nice
little number Of our own homemade
people. who are educated end being edu-
Gated, who are out of employment. Sup
pose the board of education put these
persons in our schools, aud then it would
be some encouragement to those poor
mothers who have labored over the wash.
tub to educate their children, and when
they get Their money they would spend
it at home instead of up home" There
are some exceptions which justice de-
mAnds that | shall make. Some of the
teachers in cur public schools have been
raised and eiucGted in this State and
even 10 Memphis, and there are a few
who have come to make their homes
among US and who are behaving them
selves nicely. All such we would not
like TO see disturbed, bus there are others
who are here for the loages aud fishes,
an who are continually pushing, swell
log and growing, and the sooner we get
rid Of them the better. The Lsmoyne
school in this city, under rrof. Steel. is
doing a good work, and Mr.. Steele aud
those lady teachers are turning out every
year q number Of our own boysa and girls
who are able to teach. We want TO see
them have a chance. Now, Mr.. Editor,
this letter is written BY a Southern raised
darby, and you must not give my name,
for these Ohio carpet bag negroes are
terribly lussy and ore great fighters, and
if they knew who / was they would make
eternal war on me, and | am not ready
to fight just now. A LOCKER on.