The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-12-02

a Republican Picture OF the South.

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The Cincinnati Gazette. though radical
and rabid enough in regard 20 the negro
exodus and its causes, is fair enough to let
its southern correspondent tell the other
side of the story. From one Of these let
ters, dated Down the River, Nov. 1921.
We condense some interesting informa-
ton.
The exodus is over for the present. in
the Lower Mississippi region. and the
return tide has set In. Those who have
returned are not disposed to say much
about their northern experience, but are
evidently well pleased to get back to the
old home. Just now is the most peaceful
and prosperous time the blacks of the
Mississippi country have enjoyed since the
war. more especially on the Louisiana side
of the river; and most of all In the upper
parishes-Madison, Carroll and More
house. Almost every colored man who
did not get the Kansas fever has raised
cotton enough to pay all his debts, and has
q handsome balance left In Madison
parish a bale and quarter per acre was
produced-which is equal to forty bushels
of wheat per acre in Indiana. In many
localities pickers are now getting from IS
cents to 81 per hundred, and good pickers
average $50 pounds a day. while extra
hands occasionally run up to 400. Very
frequently a man and his wife earn IS or
Sc per day. The crop is so large that the
busy season is expected to continue until
Christmas, and planters are bidding
against each other in lively style for labor
ers. Even the 'roustabouts" on the
steamboats, are getting $40 per month and
board, and the levee hands from Is to 40
cents per hour, according to pressure OF
work. The correspondent says "a man
would be lunatic to leave such country
while this sort of things last. The neg
roes with whom he conversed were more
than satisfied with their present and future
prospects,. and even the colored politicians
agree that the exodus viii not begin again
without very serious provocation. The COR
respondent says:
Il attended little gathering of Repub-
education aud political exp erienee. All
agreed on two facts: That there Is a
vast improvement in Mississippi and that
there is vast room for more improve
ment. Bulldozing is done whit cost
too much; but fraud and "stufhng
have taken it's place. The colored men
loudly complained that more than hall
their voters had been cheated by those
who scratched tickets for them, and
think it quite likely. 1t is SO natural to
cheat in politics; and when one is deeply
Interested in certain candidates, and q
voter who can't read comes and politely
requests one to scratch his ticket for him
one is a case that calls for the prayers OF
the church. just think of it,, soc
votes ia one county who don't know b
from bulls footP'
He might have inquired. tor the benefit
of his readers, whether it is likely there
would be any less of this fraudulent
scratching" in any Northern county which
contains -, 500 voters who don't know E
from bulls foot"
The whole letter indicates most unmis
takably peaceful and prosperous condi
ton of affairs ia the cotton growing states
The blacks are sharing with the whites
the results of the great revival of business
and the two races are working harmoni-
ously together for common welfare. By
comparing this picture Of Mississippi undeI
Democratic rule-drawn, be it remem Der.
ed by Republican haEd-with the Re-
publican pictures of the same state under
Republican rule. we may form q very clear
and correct opinion of the relative merits
of the two kinds of government, and
appreciatesthe impudent falsehood embo
died in the bloody shirt ISSUE Of course
there is vast room for improvement,
and it would be passing strange were il
otherwise. Mississippi was ten years
under the Republican yoke, and has beer
released from it only four years. She ha,
not had time to recover from the effects
of that dirty despotism, but the progress
already made, in spite of the Creates
disadvantages, is sufficient guaranty o
the progress which will be made hereafter
What the state would have been to-day
had the Republican yoke not been throw
off. we leave to the Imagination of an
impartial public.