Wichita eagle., 1890-03-11
THE NEGRO IN DEMAND.

Within the past few months large
numbers of colored people have left the
South Atlantic seaboard, particularly
the Carolinas, the migrants going west,
but not leaving the south. Different
theories have been advanced in expIa-
nation of this movement, some sort of
reason seeming TO be demanded in view
of the NEGRO problem growing directly
out of the deportation scheme suggested
and provided for in Senator Buffers bill
before the senate-which, by the way,
fell still-born and passed out Of view. 1t
now transpires that the transfer of the
negroes from the seab ard to the inter
iOr, above referred to, was the work of
capitalists who have been inducing them
TO emigrate to the unsettled lands in
Mississippi and Louisiana. These par
ties have made a statement Of their
reasons for doing SO that alters the judg-
mant passed upon their schemes. The
first belief was that they were simply
seeking to make business for their rail-
roads at the expense of the colored man.
They claim now, however, that they are
trying to develop a large territory as yet
unsettled, and which can only be done
by the work of the negro.
If these statements are correct, these
capitalists may do a good deal to settle
the race problem. They say that they
need 100, 900 colored men, and will pro-
vide that number with homes and work.
Those who have already gone on their
property, they assert, are doing better
than they did in their old homes. and
are thoroughly satisfied. They are given
their houses rent free, an acre of ground,
and are employed practically the year
around. AS their employers admit that
they cannot rely on white labor in that
climate, their statements are probably
true, because it would not be policy for
them to quarrel with or deceive men
who are indispensable to them
The explanation of these capitalists is
interesting, because it is a practical adj
mission of the commercial value of the
colOred race, and that there are certain
portions of the south where he is abso-
lutely indispensable. That means that
i'll those localities at least the negro will
be cultivated, not repressed. If he is a
necessity IN the field, and there are half
a dozen capitalists bidding for his
services. he will not be oppressed at the
polls or anywhere else.
1t will be remembered by the readers
of the EAGLE that reference was made
III these columns short time ago to a
scheme that had been suggested of re-
claiming ali the land Of the Mississippi
delta that has not been brought under
cultivation, extending from the mouth
of the Ohio to the gulf, tract five hun
dred miles long and from twenty to forty
miles wide, for the purpose of providing
the race Of American negroes with a
permanent abiding place. The under
taking would be one of such magnitude
that it almost staggers conception,
and may be regarded as without the
range of probability to say the least. vet
the scheme of the capitalists above re-
ferred to,is in line with this proposition,
and their plan working satisfactorily to
all concerned may develop into the
larger undertaking. There is no
question but that very large
scope of the country mentioned
will have to be made habitable by the
negro race if ii ever is. for the simple
reason that the white man cannot live
there during the reclamation period and
processes. If, therefore, the colored
people shall be called to and shall accom-
piish this great work they would un-
questionabiy be entitled TO the first op-
tion on the land if they should choose to
withdraw from their present hapita-
tionS and form there 4 community Of
their own. In this last observation.
however, rests the key TO the negro
problem as far as they themselves can
solve it or prevent its solution: for after
all that has been said and may be said
on the subject it is doubtful if any very
number of them will ever
to dissociate themselves from
their white neighbors and become dis
tinct community based upon the race
idea.