Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-10-02
The Negroes New Bondage.

/ 'H'b haNt bttu w w a>flnV-
Ton In behalf Of the North Carolina negroe.
asking aid TO eBsble them to emgrste froo,
mat State to some place where they can
secure equal rights. The Washington cor
respondent OF the New York Times saws.
According to the statements of the two
agents, their Rreaisst har,iships are in eon.e-
lu"ho' "i the two s~s know n =. the '.Gommen
h"ai law ai1i The Lombard aud Tenant
AT The iormer require. every man ia the
c"on'ie,. between the ages Is and q to work
"h zoe road not less than ten days each year
SUI - MANY mote dsys n. the county .uperyi-
sor- may require. There arr few exceptions o
This law, and ~ the colored people are usually
ute ones called upon 10 perform Thu. road labor
without compen sstion. il frequently works
great hardship TO families that exist oply by the
lshor Of day To day. The Landlord aud Tenant
act requires that farm rent shall b. paid before
sny part of thu crops consumed. In other
words, The colored man who rents . small farm
y. no, permitted TO gather any part OF hi. crop.
'rither for sale or for home consumption. until
he has gathered and delivered one-ihird Of 1t 10
bis landlord. II therefore sometimes h.ppens
that the colOred farmers family want even the
common Dece-ssrle. Of life while he T. gather
ing the one-'hird Of his crop tor his landlord.
and he must gather u himself alone q. he j.
not permitted 10 sell Any part OF il 10 procure
money to hire help
| The hardships II the colored farm laborer.
| employed by white farmers are no les. rigor-
ous srm lseorrrs are paid g. month aud
/ found" ~hich means ihAi they arr given shell
i ter and Just enough TO eat to keep them from
starving. The average food allowance for each
{ islorer per week 10 four POUND. OF pork OF ba-
[ oVn and one peck Of corn meal
| Even this small sum OF - a ulouth. however.
J - not paid in cs-h. The white 'bo-.' Airno-,
invariably pays his hsnd. ia scrip. and the
country mel chants or cross road -hOp-kecper.
take thi. scrip IN payment foo goods ST dis
count OF about - FER cent The '.bo.s" suh.s-
quenty redesss the scrip at reduction Of
about 10 rcr cent on it, face value. ihsi both
hos. and merchant profit by the business.
The cheated negroes have no option In these
transactions, and even " they had the cash To
buy with, they would Dc oompelle.l 10 pay a,
hast y Per cent moro for The neocsssrics OF
life than Northern isboFcr. pay IN Northern
communities.
Under these circumstances. the negroes are
utterly helpless. lfAny one OF them murmurs
or complains, or = suspected in any way 81
bring disposed 10 creAle dissAtisfaction smons
bis oo-laborers, be is q, once discharged. IL
This WAY the pegroes ARE cowed. The "boss' i.
always on the wstch, and his constant threat.
10 dlschArgr somebody keep. the negroes under
the most perfect discipline. The fear Of dis
charge alone. however. "a not the secret Of the
meek submission Of the negroes. The white
bgislaiors have. by complex system Of the
democratic legislation. succeeded In suocr.s-
tully cooperating with the tyrAnnicAi bosses.
l noer NhAi .. snown A. the agrAncy at. any
Icrsou without occupation NAV be ARRESTED and
put 10 work In the Na~rani gang Of isborer..
negro who !, discharged by one 'bos.- ssl-
dom geis hind by another. and be /. doomed
io The warrant gang. for he cAnno; obtain en-
ploymchi, however willing be might D. 10
WORK.
All these ihing. keep the nesrocs IN Ahjcci
scrViity 10 their obi masters. Indeed. the Two
Asonis above referred 10 declare positively that
The oldest nesro ia North Carolina fall. 10 re-
mctnbST time when their slavery wAs more
complete or their hArlships greater. They .ay
ihA' very few, II il fat any, Of The negroes own
iarms.
In reference TO pubic schools. the oolored
people have nothing TO boast Of. No nsN
schools OF any size have been built since the ~
pubiicAns had control o. the state government.
anu As II u now the public school. tor the col.
ored children are only kept OJ'cn three OF four
months In The year. toloreJ school teacher.
formerly received SO month. bot now ihcv
ct only slo and SIS. Everything possible j.
done 10 discourage aud limit education and The
coiored people undcr.tsbd Tia. iAcl only too
well. The two Agents aid these thing, were
not all. but tia, thcs could tAlk flr hours. tell
iug 81 their disAisa ntAgr. "a the South Their
people expected 10 ,uler Tor awhic IN The
West. o. al whatever point they should move
90. but there they could hore tor hc,ier iino.
~ Il i, they sufer in the south. aud have no
hoI'c Of change. on the CONTRARY. things grow
"orse each year. and lhcrc {, bot hAmci or 4
isrn-bousc Of coiored people Ia the south IN
winch dissA;isfscuon, not 80 lay despair. dos,
not reisn Al al seasons Of The year.