The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1880-01-26
THE EXODUS INVESTIGATION.

The wholesale emigration of colored
people from the Southern to the North
ern States during the past year induced
Congress to appoint a committee to In
vestigats the cause. That committee is
now in session at Washington exam
~ining witnesses relative to the exodus
from North Carolina to Indiana. Sat
urday 0. s. B. Wall, colored President
OF the Emigrant Aid Society, was before
the committee. He testified that he
believed North Carolina to be Good
+. forsasen-country, the soil of which
would not sprout bIack-eye,l peas, " but
admitted on cross examination that
personally he knew nothing whatever
of the country or it's condition. He
believed the exodus from the South
was spontaneous, and taat it would
continue until the colored people re-
eeived better treatment there; then
there would be a return drift South
wart, for colored people loved the
home of their psrents, and would net
,emigrats without some strong incen-
tive.
j. +. O'Hara, prominent coiored Re
publican of North Carolina was also be-
fore the committee, and testified that he
had for number of years been Chair
man of the Board of County Commits
sioners, and Chairman of the Board OF
Education of Halifax county. He had
: baen a member of the North Carolina
Legislature and of the Constitutional
Convention. He was one OF the I'resi-
Dental Electors on the Hayes ticket in
1915, aud is now contesting a seat in
tie House of Representatives. He
gave very favorable account of the
condition and treatment of colored
people in North Carolina, and testified
that although. at one time there was
. some bulldozing in counties bordering on
: South Carolina, there neverwas any polit-
. ical persecution in the counties affected
by the present exodus. and none now
in any part of North Carolina. Moth
ing was more common on election days
than to see white landlord and colored
tenant ride to the polls in the same
buggy, and vote different tickets. He
further testified that the exodus was
caused by acitators, who were going
about the country among what might
be termed the floating population, and
representing to them that they would
get 81. so a day in Indiana, and new
suit OF clothes aud Government aid as
they passed Through Washington. In
the course of his testimony he expressed
the opinion that an intelligent negroin
the South had more to fear from white
, Republicans than from Decocrats, be-
cause the Republicans want all the
Offices themselves, and if colored men
claim division, the white Republicans
combine against them. In this way he
had been counted out of his election to
Congress in the. Second District of
North Carolina by Harris, VINO ran as
an Independents Republican because he
.tO'Hara) had opposed white Republi
cans candidacy for Sheriff. This evi-
dence from colored Republican, who
has held Important positions in North
Carolina and now claims a seat in Con-
gress, is plain and to the point, and
shows conclusively that the exodus
from his State is not caused by bull
doing or intimidation. He ought to
know the condition Of his race where he
resides; yet stump speakers, who were
never south of Mason & Dixon's line,
will persist in asserting that colored
men are fleeing to the North to escape
persecution because Of their political
spinions.
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