Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-02-12
THE IMPORTATION OF VOTERS.


TEIckERY WITH THE NEGROES.
The Exodus committee occupied
one Of the Court of Claims rooms on
the ground floor of the Capitol yester-
day, and will in future hold It's sit
tings there. Owing to the Interrupt
tion caused by imperative committee
calls on Senators Vance and Pendleton,
the session was confined to the exami-
nation of Mr.. +. B. Borden, land
owner and bank president of Colds
boro, n. c., and T. c. Grooms, of
Greencastle, Ind, the testimony of the
latter being only just begun when an
adjournment occurred at noon. Mr..
Borden, who sub-rents portions of his
farm to negro tenants, and employs
others as labOrers, was examined as to
the condition, labor, profits and future
prospects of both of these classes, and
in explaining the Landlord and tenant
act" of the State. The sub-farmers, he
said, are not restricted in their land
productions, but are permitted to raise
garden truck and anything else they
choose, and to keep hogs, etc, for sub
sistence. Their main efforts are di-
rected TO raising corn and cotton, and
where the owner furnishes equipments
he gets usually one-third of the crop !;
when the renter owns his stock and
implements the landlords gets one
fourth of the crop as rent. The crop,
which means only the cotton and
corn, is mortgaged to the landlord, un-
der the landlord and tenant act, for
security. The act applies to whites
and blacks alike, and was passed TO
protect the land from dishonest or ir-
responsible renters. In many instan-
ces the landlord would not get his
money otherwise. The colored labor
ing element, which is about seventy
five per centum of the whole, is, as a
general thing, composed of thriftless
negroes who do not appear to care to
accumulate money, and only desire to
live and eat. The laborers can aver
age from IS to $40 month and found
from January TO September, and then
TO the latter part of December, if skill
full and industrious, can earn 81 TO
81 so per day picking cotton. Any
disposed to save money could do so.
The most kindly feeling exists be-
tween the races, and there are never
any race difficulties. Election days
are generally the most quiet of the
year, and the negroes generally vote
first.
Gov. Vance-And are good voters ?
Mr.. Borden-Yes, sir; they are
good voters and all vote one way.
Mr.. Blair took charge of Mr. Bor.
den and cross-questioned him closely
on the landlord aud tenant act. The
crops are divided and the tenant
markets his own share. When the
tenant desires credit which he cannot
get he obtains orders from the land
lord on the merchant against his crop.
This, Mr.. Blair tried to make appear,
was a combination between the land
lord and merchant 10 cheat the negro
tenant, but reckoned without his host,
Mr.. Borden replying that the prices
charged were no higher than under
any other circumstances, and the land
lord was doing the negro favor, for
it always occurred when the latter
could not obtain store credit. Mr..
Blair also tried to make the witness
express the sentiment that the negroes
complained of the act, but Mr.. Borden
replied that he had had never heard of
any general complaint, although poll
ticians tried to make capital of it.
The act enabled the tenant to secure
land without money, and was rather in
his interest. Mr.. Blair endeavored TO
secure an acknowledgment that the
act was to be regarded as implying
that the negroes were universally con-
sidered TO be dishonest. This enabled
Gov. Vance to get in 0 good back
stroke at his Republican colleague by
stating that there was law in New
Hampshire against stealing, but that
did not imply that all Of Mr.. Blair's