Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-01-26
COLORED COMPLAINTS.
Greysnces OF the Negroes In South Carolina In the
Words OF one OF their Number.

Words OF one OF their Number.
A day or two ago we received from a
colored man who lives in neighboring
county letter in which some of the
grievances of the colored people, as they
understand them, are described with so
much homely force that we think we
shall be doing the public service by
publishing the more striking passages.
The letter was not intended for publica-
ton, and we, therefore, withhold the
name of the writer and his address.
What follows is in the exact words of
the colored man referred to:
You do not know much about our
troubles in this land, but there is plenty
of white people who do. 1t is very
strange to me that none of your CORES
pondents seem to know anything about
it, A great many white men have adj
mitted to me that we are treated very
unjust in this State. just yesterday |
had long talk with several white men
about this exodus. They all agreed
that the colored people had just cause
for leaving. One who was more out
spoken than the others, and landowner
too, said that he did not want to see the
colored people leave the State, yet he
did not blame them for going, for they
had no showing here. ii you knew one
half of what we nave to suffer, and
would think over our condition little,
you would say likewise. Our sufferings
are not known. We are not intelligent
enough to make them known, and we
were
EDUCATED TO SUFFER
and not complain, but to run if we could.
That is the only redress known to u.s.
Let me show you two or three little
incidents, which happened under my
own observation, how peculiar we suffer
sometimes. Not long since | sent my
son to the Post Office for my mail, ex-
pecting to get the News and Courier,
which | always look for anxiously. On
arrival at the office the child asked for
the mail. The clerk i'll attendance told
him, without looking, that there was not
any. Tie boy started To explain that
] took the Daily News and Courier, and
that copy might be there for me- This
being a new clerk in the office, he did
not know that took the paper, and, it
having boon some timo aftor the mail
was opened, the boy thought he might
have forgotten what was in it. But his
explanation was taken by the clerk to
mean that the boy did not believe him,
and the boy got
GOOD CURSING
while he was leaving, and leaving
scared, too. That's what we get by try
ing to be intelligent and trying to get
the News and Courier through the
United States mail in South Carolina.
The paper was there and got it, but to
keep from having any hard words got
a white man to get it for me.
"A colored man in this county called
upon the County Treasurer for the
amount of his taxes, and was told that
it was three dollars aud some cents. He
paid it and got a receipt. Time passed
on. The Summer came. Money all
gone. While blowing in his field the
colored man sees some one riding toward
him. 1t is the Deputy Sheriff. His
horse is levied upon. What for? For
Taxes. When tue Treasurer made out
his account for taxes he left out his poll
tax, 81. Now it is S5,4 or no horse to
pillow that corn. The colored man did
not know that he was required to see
that all his taxes were paid. He thought
he had to pay whatever the Collector
called for and no more. That's
WHAT WE GET
for being ignorant. Another cOlored
man paid his taxes, poll and all, but an
execution was made against him for it
again, and it doubled time or two
He could not find his receipt, and was
forced to pay it. He subsequently found
his receipt, and was promised the re-
turn of part of his money, but has not
got it yet. This was two or three years
ago, and it is not likely that he will ever
get it.
These are specimens of the little him
ORANGES which we meet with every dav,
and though they are very aggravating,
they are nothing when compared to the
OUTRAGEOUS ADVANTAGES
which are taken of us sometimes by
those who administer the laws of the
land. These things, and the fact that
the States Legislature is forever tinker
ing with our freedom, is enough to drive
us to Arkansas or to somewhere, it don t
matter much where. If we could get in
some State where the laws are just, and
those who administer them are humane,
it would not matter much with us
whether we could vote or hold office.
We can work We are worse off now
than when we were slaves. Then it
was somebody's interest to care for u.s.
Now we are denied the chance to look
after our own interest, and those whose
business it is don't care enough for us
to do it, This is matter that our
statesmen ought to look into. The half
hearted, one-sided, all for one race way
of looking after the welfare of the people,
practiced by those who are running the
Ship of State. will not, in my humble
opinion, work well very long. If one
trouble don't overtake us another will
But | must beg your pardon and stop.
| should not have written a word of this
but tor the disposition shown in your
editorial for dispaSsionate considera-
ton of the matter - CbarieStolcn Ne,cs
aud Courier