The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-04-01
More Exodus Testimony,

Ex-State Senator Burch, of Louisiana,
before the Senate Exodus In
vestigation Committee on the 18th, and
proceeded to enlighten Dan Voorhees,
and his colleagues as to the condition
of affairs, from the colored standpoint
in Iouisiana- He said the efforts by
Democrats last winter to pass the
"Chain-gang law" and the uncertainty
Of the status of colored people under
Dem0oEAtic rule prevented many from
making the usual labor contracts In
Jaupezy and February this year. and
the result was already observable in the
large number of colored people who
had moved from the planting districts
into the cities and towns ON the banks
of the rivers, so as to take advantage of
opportunities for transportation to the
West. He grouped the causes of ex-
odus under i've heads, viz: Fear on the
part of colored people of class legisla-
ton. sgaiust them by Democratic legis
lators; fear of Interference with their
educational privileges. the uncertainty
Of obtaining homes and insecurity of
retaining them; Interference with their
religious and personal rights and fear
not improbable that protection of his
people in all their rights would produce
the effect upon them Il has pruliueed in
the case of Irish,s and German. and En-
glish immi9rants that had found homes
and educational advantages and civil
and political rights in this country. He
believed that in right and Justice the
experiment should b tried. Il would
at least stop the exodus of his race. To
the great change in the political COM
plexion Of voters in some pariahes with
in the last few years. as shown by the
election returns, he instanced Ouach.ta
Parish, where In 1876 from 1900
to 1900 Repuhlican and 400 or
500 Democratic votes were cast,
while at the last election the lead
ing Democratic candidate polled 1876
and the Republican candidate only II
votes. This and similar changes, he
said, were accomplished by Demo
cratic County Returning Boards. From
five to seven police jurors were form
crly elected to each parish as super
visors of election. Subsequently the
Democrats passed the law authorizing
Gov. Nichols to appoint i've. The adj
ditional police jurors appointed were
all Democrats, and this gave the DEM
ocrats majority Of the police jurors or
County Returning Boards, - the wit
ness called thems in every parish in the
State, with one exception, and in this
exceptional parish the Republican ma
joritys were driven away by armed
Democfatss He thought it was not
necessary for Democrats to use force
now to carry elections. as the legal
machinery they have devised enables
them to count out any one they choose "
The witness was then asked by Mr..
Voorhees, TO explain. how it was that
in so many parishes where colored Re-
publicans outnumber white Democrats
so largely they do not defend them
selves and prevent thetwrongs It is
alleged they suffer from. IN reply
Burch stated that when it is remem-
bered that these white Democrats are
the same people who. when engaged
in rebellion. Il required the expendi-
ture of millions of treasure, the loss OF
hundreds of Thousands of lives, and
over four years Of time to subdue;
that while it q borne In mind that ever
since the collapse of the rebellion, the
whites have kept up their military or.
ganixation, and an army of them. drilled
and trained Eghters, exists to-day, it Is
absurd to expect . negro " with hoe
in his hand to resist these men. The
witness admitted that affairs wers
quieter now than In 1874. when the
State was under Republican rule; thai
negroes were psrsecuted more then thaE
now. but quies prosecutions. he said
are being carried on, which result II
driving away from their parishes repro
sentative colored men to much greatel
extent than under Republican rule.
Wsskks6jon 1slegrcnr Herch16.