The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-07-23
Wednesday, July 23, 1879.
watch the schemers


refugees will fee from his district to Kan
sas or elsewhere, and that the same rate
Of emigration will take 100000 from that
State. The exodus will take place, it is
expected, during the coming fall The
colored people are enthusiastic in the
and Mr.. HARRISON says that no
earthly power can prevent their going,
even if they have to walk and beg their
bread. Mr.. HARRISON has had long
talk with General Raum, of Illinois,
the present Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, who thinks that 400 or 500 fami-
lies could find work in Southern Illinois
among the farmers, and several thousand |
families could settle advantageously there |
and in other portions Of Illinois. Chicago |
Journal.
The above appears as an editorial in the
Journal and at first glance looks like bit
Of news-nothiDg more, butt is entitled
to more than mere notice. This man
HARRISON, was a congressman from Ala
bama, during carpet-bagger times and is
engineering this exodus in the interest OF
the republican party. But it is the con-
GLIDING lines that need "Genl.
eral Raum the Rpresent commissioner of
Internal Revenue thinks 400 or 500 fami-
lies could find work in Southern Illinois,
and several thousand families could settle
advantageously there, and in other portions
of Illinois,
There is no mistaking the real meaning of
this paragraph, it is simply foreshadowiDg
the populating scheme Of the republicans
to make sure Of Illinois in 1880, for the
republican ticket The state is now con-
sidered doubtful by the stalwarts, indeed
by many it is conceded that with good
leadership Illinois is safe for the democra-
cy in the next contest, and knowing full
we'll that without it, republican success is
impossible, a horde of lazy, worthless
negroes, are to be foisted on the people in
time to gain residence and vote right"
in 1880. All the piteous wailiug of pro-
fessed sympathy is mere hypocrisy. There
is not single one of these radical leaders
who would notice negro, nor would any OF
them condescend to assist one of them fnan-
cially, unless they saw the hope Of political
reward, 1t is q downright crime to bring
these negroes who are acclimated to the
South, to colder climates 1t is the fact,
however, that the south can be injured, her
industries paralized and her cotton fields
laid waste, and the South thereby further
crushed, that these political demons who
run the stalwart machine are urging this
movement. These blacks are taught by
republican emisaries to believe that @
haven Of plenty awaits them North; thai
they will be supplied with farms, mules
implements and free living, if only they
will assist in crushing Southern industry
and settle in Northern states. There Ii
still another reason for getting these
blacks away from the South. In late years
they have been realizing that their bes
interests lie in voting with their OLE
masters, and they have voluntarily voted tn
democratic ticket. 1t is for the purpos
OF wiping out democratic majorities Norti
aud South that they are to be forced iron
their homes, and not because they can d
better. The men who are engineering thi
scheme Of colonization are employing mos
unprincipled scoundrels to do the work
and are strangers to humanity and mora
law. The condition of the working elRsse
of the North and especially Of Illinois
already far from prosperous; labor is i
excess Of the demand; wages are down t
the limit; work hard to get, even b
skilled mechanics, or by worthy men j
all departments, and to foist horde Q
negroes on the people at this time is crue
wicked aud uniustifable.
There is bat one course to pursue in th
matter and that is to absolutely refuse I
aid or comfort these wandering idler
lfthey come to Illinos-if the republca
managers continue their coloDiZatio
scheme, then let the stalwarts exempGi
their preachings, test their charity an
support the wanderers.
From the close OF the war these negroC
have been taught by republicans that the
did not have to work; that the govern
ment would support them in sidleness
that eventually farm would be presente
each head of family and that none
would be furnished when desired. Use
to being fed all their lives by their mas
tiers, never having had the responsible
OF selfsupport, these stories were at frs
believed, but when the negroes began t
apply for the forty acres and mule, an
were refused; when, after investing thei
dimes aud dollars in the Freedmen
Bank, only to lose the deposits; wher
after all these republican promises ha
been broken, then the negroes from shee
necessity turned to their old masters--an
they were helped, In place of voting th
republican ticket in droves, they divide
and began to vote as they believed fo
their best interests. All this howl abou
'bulldozing" is for political effect and ha
no foundation in fact. There are no bette
friends of the negro than their old masters
They are acclimated to the south, ca
earn fair wages there, aud but for til
seed of dissension sown by lot of disre
putable political dead beats, would to-da
be perfectly satisfied to stay, and certainl
would improve their condition by remain
ing, where they belong-in the cotto
fields and on the sugar plantations of th
sunny south.