The Plymouth Republican., 1879-05-29
TIE NEGRO HEGIRA.
What Democrat links or the Exodus

had gone to investigate the negro
exodus question FOR his paper He
spent several days among the negroes.
talking with individuals. to gain, if
possible, he says, the real cause Cf
the migration. A Journal reporter
called on him last night to learn his
conclusions. The reporter opened on
the Jayhawker with the general
question:
What did you learn OF the condi
tion and causes which started the ox-
odus?"
Il suppose / learned all that any
one could gather from the statements
Of the negroes themselves. They all
told similar stories. or, rather, all
gave the same general reason for
leaving, which was that they were be
ing robbed by the planters and store.
keepers, and kept so in debt that
their condition was .imilar to il not
worse than slavery"
How could that bc?"
well. as slaves. their masters took
all the products OF their labor. but
housed. fed. clothed and doctored
them fact, had a financial inter
est In them. Now that interest Is
gone, and, IL the negroes state the
truth, the whites take all the results
of their labor. and have very little
care as to what becomes OF them or
their Children"
"Il what way ia this done?"
AS told me by all OF them, the plan
is very simple. The planters organ
lied what they call grange societies.
These oranges all over the cotton
States within the past two years in
creased the rate OF land rent from
Ave to ten dollars per acre. Tie
average production OF cotton in good
ground in good season Is about so
pounds. The tenant gives the planter
a mortgage on his stock and inple
ments TO secure the rent. When the
crop is planted a storekeeper turns
up. to whom the planter assigns the
mortgage, and the stOrekceper then
takes an additional mortgage-or,
rather, bill OF sale-on the growing
crop. He then sells side meat to the
negro at $50 per barrel. meal at 81
per barrel, AMI molasses at 81 per
gallon. Brogans and red jeans pants
such az are retai!ed here at 81 pei
pair, are soll to the darky for So 80
The average price Of sile meat In ST.
Louis for the past year has not ex-
ceeded $40 per barrel. The prices are
uniform al all the plantation stores
A hand cannot raise over eight acres
OF cotton, and cannot pick more than
three in the season. You can see thai
the average tenant cannot have over
fifteen hundred pounds. This be sell,
at an average OF Ct cents, the prices
last fall haying run from At to cents
Result-negro owes $50 rent and sl5C
store bill, AMI has about 500 wortl
OF cotton. Then planter comes In
gets the stock buck by the negro
agreeing to work 1t out next year
negro feeds the m Ile or mules which
don't belong TO him, and next yea
gets deeper in debt than ever, anc
his wife and children can't aid hin
enough to get out"
do you think this move has an,
political significance or oIigin?"
Il do not -tLink il has. At least
could not discover any. The negroes
say that all along the Mississippi
Valley land I talked with men ant
women who came from Arkansas
Mississippi and Louisiana) they trie,
to get reduction OF rents and prices
and failing in this, aud seeing no wa,
out. gathering what little money the,
could and started North. Deck pas
sage on boats from New Orleans I,
st. Louis is only "a, and they starte,
early to get the benefit OF sprin,
work. After few thousand had lef
and the planters became alarmed
they held meetings in different par
ishes and counties and agreed not t,
pay for cotton or labor to farm hand
in money. but In scrip. This woul'
be good at the stores at their prices
but barrel OF it would not buy
passage to st. Louis. This and th
adoption in some places OF rule re
quiIing farm hands to have passes Il
going from one planta' ion to anothe
frightened the negroes, and as it ha
become quite general. the exodus will
be likely to continue until the Soutl
is stripped OF its laboring element
This will certainly be the case unles
the people Of the North meet an,
drive them back. II they should hol
few meetings North, raise none
and aid them. they will nearly all b
here in year"
What effect would it have on tn
South?"
| i don't know, but ] am OF th