National Republican., 1883-10-16
THE coLoRED VOTER IN VIRGINIA.
What Bourbonism Has Grudging1y Given
Him md What IL Withholds.
Special DBpdt

SDecid! Dspdtch.
RICHMOND, VA, Oct 14.-Meeting an in
telligent colored man o few days since took
occasion to interview him, with this result:
"Well, Uncle Tom, what is the good word
this morning2"
Indeed, sir, its mighty hard to know what
is good just now. Everything is SO mixed
up. / am confused myself"
"Why, what's the matter? Your people are
all the time improving, and you ought to feel
encouragedW ............
"Well, l suppose that is so, but still it is up
hill work, and everything seems very dark
sometimes. And yet, when We know how
much has been done we have reason to hope
for the future. Twenty-one years ago most
of our race were slaves liable to be
bought and sold like mules. We
are now freedmen and struggling
to become freemen Twenty years ago we
were not allowed TO learn to read and write,
and it was crime for anyone to teach us. You
see | am not an old man yet, but still have
little education, because when set free by
President Lincoln had to work hard to take
care of my helpless family, and had no time to
go TO school, even had l been young enough.
A few years ago we had no right to vote, ride
in the street cars, sit on juries, or hold Office.
But that is all changed now, and we are be-
ginning to be considered some sort of account
especially about election time"
"If you have made so much progress, why
are you not more hopefulW
THE same spirit which kept us down still
urges the bourbon class on to continued per-
secution. They profess to be friendly, and
they want our votes except, mark you, at
the primaries where they claim exclusive
| control. When we become educated they tell
us some of us can be allowed other rights, but
until then we must be content to wait"
"Why do you complain of that if they
| q Nl.., A. a
They don't put them in places of trust; it
would not be prudent to do so, as they would
all tho time be making mistakes"
"We would not find fault with this If they
really desired our advancement, but they do
no such thing. Look at the leading article
in tho State, printed Oct l at Richmond,
headed A Stitch in Time Saves Nine if you
want to see n perfect exhibition of the old
time domineering slave driving spirit
Elf these bourbons had their way l tell
! you we should have little chance for improve
ment"
Suppose this to be so-what has all that
| got to do with the election. Tho readjust-
ment of the state debt is tho great question
there, and surely your people cannot be in
torested in that for they are poor and hold
no bonds or coupons"
mot quite so fast. Our people hold nc
bonds or coupons, it is true, and they do not
pay great amount of taxes, but for all that
they have very great interest in that very
question-indeed, greater than any other
class, 1t is hard enough to pay the interest
upon the debt now admitted to be due, and in
the way provided for by the readjust'
ment measures, but yet it can be
done with the cooperation of ALL and
leave enough for school purposes, But
this does not suit the bourbons, although
they pretend to accept the settlement, which
has been adopted. Various expedients have
been resorted to- tho effect of which is to OBJ
struct the collection of taxes, and, of course
if they could only succeed in this there would
be little money for interest, and certainly
none for the education ana elevation OF oui
people. All would be expended in litigation
or locked up where it could do us no good"
"If that be so then the readjusters are your
real friends after all. Is that the way you
look at it?'
"Yes, and our people have sense enough
to understand this, although some of then
may for time be misled." MEMO.