The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-04-08
WASHINGTON TO, DAY.
A COLORED STATESMAN OF LOU
ISIANA,
the Exodus Committee With Some
Astonishing FIgures-S Negroes Tell Why
They We're Glad to Return From Kansas
to LOulslaUa-The Manning-SDrlnger
Difficulty Likely to be Inves.
tIgated,

Washington, April 3--BefOre the Exodus Com
miltee to- day william Munel, colored, testified
1t had become a by.wOrd among the negroes of
Louisiana that they could not trust white met IS
promises and no promises would now stop the
exodus. Between 1866 and 1875 there were ia
black men killed and 2,1l5 wounded in Louisi.
ana for political reasons The whites regarded
themselves as cheated out of the ownership OF the
negroes. Witness had been told by Ross Short,
of Texas that Representative j Floyd Kiug rode
into that Parish and led the bulldoLers as acting
General of the military of the Fifth District.
Witness had been three times elected to the Leg
islature without mOlestation, but was bulldo2ed
out of his election last fall.
Colonel James NJ. Foster, who EMPLOYS 5000 or
1000 hands near Shreveport, testified that ne.
groes have no trouble in getting work and can
save money II they are reasonably provident.
About thirty families left him and went to Kan.
sas; four have returned, three have asked MIN TO
pay their expenses back and three others have
announced their intention 10 return. Those who
remain in Kansas generally are able to buy land,
having taken with them about $1,000 in cash and
So, 900 worth ofpersOnal property which they had
accumulated Negroes owned a good deal OF
land and there was no feeling against them buy.
| ing 1t. He had often sat on juries with Colored
men. The Caledonia riot, he understood, was
caused by certain negroes resenting arrest When
such affairs started they got into the hands of the
men not having the best interests of the country
at heart, and the best classes could not control
them, 1t was generally understood that negroes
preferred to be tried by white juries.
Henderson Alexandera colored man who went
to Kansas and returned TO Louisiana, testified
that he had mules wagons, some cattle and $3.50
when he went to Kansas. He went because he
had heard that Kansas was fine country, but ii
did not suit him at all. His mother in law die d
from the effects Of the severe climate, and con
Vsrsation with the people convinced him thai
wages and the general means Of life were not SO
| good as In Louisiana. He had made $3.50 in q
year on Mr., Fosters plantation and in Kansas he
| could not make living. When he applied fol
| work there the whites said, "0ld man, it's all we
can do to make living for ourselves" The men
on Fosters place voted as they pleased Witness
always voted the Republican ticket There was
q private school, parents paying the teacher 81 a
month per scholar. There was but one public
school for colored children in the vicinity; some
| years ago there were four. He had quit voting
| but he couldn't tell why. He hadn't voted "since
Seymour and Blair used to run" He didnI
know whether he voted for them or not or wha
ticket they were on, He voted the Republican
ticket, that was all he knew
Wash Walker, another OF the emigrants who
returned to Fosters plantation, said that he liked
Kansas pretty well, but the system Of farming die
not suit him. He had not voted for several year
because 1t seemed TO him useless to vote for the
Republican party. Probably If Grant ran again
he would vote for him.
James Meyers, cOored of Caddo Parish tesu
fed that he owned 500 acres and large amount
OF cattle and implements, He cultivates cotton
hiring no men but utilizing his children's help
He was a slave until the emancipation and haC
accumulated this property since then. Seyera
| of his colored neighbOTs were almost as well of
as he, and he thought any industrious and pru
dent man could do as well. He valued his prop
erty at $4,000 or $4,000. He always voted anC
had vOte& on both sides. There were public
school facilities in bis neighborhood, but he anC
his fellows preferred TO employ private teachers
On cross examination he said he had voted will
the Republicans seven or eight years ago for th,
new constitution but since then he had voted
the Democratic ticket because his neighbors did
| and he wished peace with them. If the rest o
the negroes should do so there would he no trOu
BILE. He became dissatisfied with the actions o
the Republican party, He had heard Of bull
dOzing, but knew personally of none. He di(
not know exactly how he became free He wa
free and that was enough for him.