Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-08-01

August lEctt what is really the first dis-
eliminating impartial and intelligent ac-
count of tla ,;;isrs. conditions and probable
ultimate results Of What has been not inaptly
l clristrncd the negro exodus. The move
= mcnt began, ii will hc remembered, early in
| the SprpJ of this year, with Il stampede
I from scvcral of the river parishes in Louis
= lana. ad the counties opposite in Mississippi,
and Gan. Ruuninn estimates that from five
. to ter Thousand negroes left their cabins
| hclor the rush was stayed Early in May,
l most OF the nr.srorS who had planned Ia emi-
gIaIc, and had been unable To get away.
wre persuaded 10 return 10 the plantations,
AMI since that time only struggling families
t and groups have availcd themselves of op-
porunitcs to come north. There is no
doubt, however, Gen. Runnion writes, that
there is still Il consuming desire among the
negroes of the cotton districts in these two
States t" seek new homes, and there are the
best reasons for believing that the exodus
will take a new start next Spring, after the
gathering and conversion Of the growing
crop. Hundreds of negroes who returned
from the rivcrhanks for lack Of transporta-
tion. and thousands of others infected with
the ruln. discomfort, are working harder in
the fields this summer and practising more
economy and sclf-denal than ever before, in
order to have the means next Winter and
Spring To pay theiI way 10 the promised
| land "
The material conditions which account for
the discomfort among the negroes, according
to Gen. Runnion, are mainly the land tenure
and credit systems The cotton lands Of the
| south are still owned rs formerly, in large
tracts, and are rented To the negroes for cul-
tivation. The rent OF lHnd. on money
basis. varies from six 10 ten dollars an acre
per year. while the same land can he bought
in large quantities all the way from ten to
fifteen dollars per acre. When paid in
| product, the tenant engages To pay an aver
aye OF one-lhird of his crop for the
use of the land, without stock or tools.
The credit system is even more
oppressive. The country merchant who
advances the negro supplies charges INN at
least double the cash value of the articles
an cxtortion which is justified by those who
practise it ON the ground of bad debts, al
though Their advances are secured hy mort
gage on the crops. When the negroes get
Their advance supplies directly from 'hr
planters they Fare little better. lhe planter Is
himself victim t" usnry, AMI the heavy III
terest which he has To pay suggests cNorhh-
AM charges In either cas- the negroes eA-
lravagant habits exhaust their credit. "lhc
Western farmer, says ''en. Runnion, con
sldcrS ii hard enough Ia struggle under one
mortgage AT II reasonable interest the nesr"
tentnt begins hiS &a"n with three mort
Cages covering all l' owns ms lah"rS i"r
the coming year. an all h' expects to ac-
qurc during that p,tr.I. PAYS onc-third
bis nroIuc, t,r ,L,. us.. of tI,. land he nays
uounic ih' NaIu' "i I'LL ne '"ilNuiiics' h' pays
an eNorbitant fee for recording the contract
bv which Ia, i,l.Ises his nound of flesh he
,,,,.i. 40, L.,
''''' ''' '""' W '''',' ''''''
ought l" pay i'r Elhhlh" MS '"'l"h anu
finally, hr turns over his crop to hr eaten up
il, ,,n,r,is.;,,, If ,,,.tbin.r still H.. lrft IN
i'i'i' 1t u '"'s '' ''i'' ''""'' wy TN
gro rarely gets ahead IN the world.
Add To these material conditions. which.
=, H.. ,,.,.,;,..r ,,...rl.ir,r ;,,,t,,,I ,ro,,
" ''''' i''' Wv ''
nm stale "i bondage scircrIy less hopeless
than the old form of slavery. the indignitics,
,h, .,,,l ,l,,. l,,,.l ..,.t, ,r ,,;,lerc,.
:.
'h'i'''''u III Inc t'h'r" term "''i'-"'@iiis'
and W have all the conditions ripe for
IA ;J snroaJ and J..,,r.,t,. ,frnrt In ,s,.,ne ~
,s,.,,,.,,.,
'0"i' us opportunity ''ii''' VI tut 'N''''' vi
the "uirigcs We hav" Southern testimony
TIN. \ick.burr H,ygT says.
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