Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-02-11

lent purposes, it suggests way in which
these funds may be used. WE.
TOPEKA, Kan, Jan. 20, 1880.
DEAR BROTHER Ell write to give
YOU an account Of the colored refugees
that are amongst us. have been among
them and can vouch for the statements
made bv the press as to the crueltieS and
wrongs they have suffered. 1t is the SAL c
story whether it comes from Texas, or
Mississippi, or Louisiana. or Tennessee, or
the Careinas. I'VE can't live there,
1--WE have no freedom there,"" We can't
lie down at night and feel safe there. " 1t
is worse than slavery was" etc are their
statements.
| hope, dear brother, when you read
this account it may be impressed upon
YOUR heart rs it has been upon mine to do
something for this people. My first cxpc-
rience with them and personal knowledge
of their sulferings WAS about Christmas
time at Chetopa, Kansas, and as | had
heard great deal about this " Exodus "
l stopped my work-seling books and
doing work for the tract society-and ]
thought | would take time and learn for
myself, and | did see things that burned
into my very soul. had seen sad things
before, but never such suffering in civil
lized community. Truly, Mans inhu-
mani,y to man makes countless millions
suffer-" not only in uncivilized and hea-
then lands, but in this boasted land of
freedom and equal rights. Not much
seemed to have been done for this people,
and commenced work at once by calling
them together the Monday night before
New Years About forty came together
that night, and they enjoyed the meeting
very much the most of them being Chris
tians. There were three brethren with
ME at the meeting, and after talking and
counseling with them, we asked them to
tell us why they had left their homes in
Texas and how ihey were getting along?
One old MANA Methodist minister and
naturally smart man-said, Mighty
bad, sir, so bad we can't stay there. We
were running behind every year, getting
in debt deeper all the while. Rents were
high, and massa charged so high for mar
keting our cotton and for supplies advanced
during the year that we were always be-
hind. We tried hard for years, and it was
getting worse all the time; we concluded
the hest thing we could do was to strike
for Kansas and freedom" " Well, was
that ALP" No, sir, some of us had mana
ged to get some land, and when we would
be at work man would ride up and say,
Hello, sir, paid your taxes yetp" Yes
sir.'' 1.-The county books don't show it,
And it makes no manner of difference how
strongly we may put our case we must
go straight TO the county seat at once
We dare not refuse" We'll, what did
you find when you got there?' Why
we find it is not this years taxes nor last
years, but perhaps six years back" and
uuicSS lit Piol tOlbltb lDbu 10 lbl lNublt
enough to have all his tax receipts since he
owned the firm there is no alternative
but to pay. One old man said he paid hi
taxes five times over, and didn't doub
him in the least. Several said they hat
been compelled to pay two or three times
We asked them about the " Peaonag
Laws" they had there, and how they use,
the convicts ut the so-caled county farms
" Mighty bad, sir" says one, "wors
than old slavery times" I" How is that9
They told us if Il white man got IL grud.
against a colored man they would trum
up some charge against him of stealing
or of some other. crime, and quite likel
in their distressed condition they are some
times guilty, but there is no chance to g
Jus ice for a colored man there. He
arrested, he never gets clear, and his fin
is never less than $40, and often it is more
Of course they have no money to pa
owners of these convict farms, which gen
orally are their old masters, who wan
help to carry on their large plantation
and want to get it AS cheaply rs possible
They get s. pei month, the convict boart
ing and clothing himself out of that Th
provision and clothing is furnished by til
master NJ his arm price. One old MAJ
Curtis by me, said he lived near one {
these convict farms for three years. The
have their ,jai!s-and those of US who wei
south during the war know what thes
southern jails are-and every night tn
convict has Il ball and chain put upon hir
and is driven to the cells, often withol
food, or fire. or covering. Every mornin
they let loose II colored man and set the
bloodhounds upon him to train them f
future use. If II convict attempts to e.
cape, they trace him with hounds, and
they get him they don't hesitate to let Il
dogs tear him, or shoot him. He is on
"nigger." not property, US in times
old, worth so many dollars, but an outcas
despised, downtrodden and persecute
often to the very death. talked wi
numbers of them and they all tell Il
same story.
We asked them about voting could tn,
go the polls and vote as they pleased? o
man Curtis said (and he Strengthened hir
self up, as if conscious of the dignity Of