The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-18
NEGROES FOE CAL1FoRN1 A.

A Project for Wholesale Colonization
of Southern Colored People.
A dispatch from San Francisco to the
New York Times says: Senator Leland
Stanford is giving aid and encouragement
to thousands Of southern negroes, who are
establishing large colonies in California. 1t
is expected that 80, 900 negroes will become
residents of the state within the next twelve
months. In view of these facts the politi-
clans are alarmed, as the colonists are quite
likely to bewllder the shrewdest political
manager on the coast. The Rev. r. G. O.
Benjamin, q prominent and wealthy colored
man of this city, is at the head of the move
ment. In an interview to-day he said:
"Our object in bringing negroes TO Cali
fornia is to supplant the Chinese. The
celestials are not citizens or voters, and the
colored people are both. We have already
signed contracts in our possession, which
will guarantee employment TO all the peo
pie we bring here. We have secured 80 900
acres Of excellent land situated in Fresno
and Shasta counties, and all of it may be
irrigated. This will provide homes for an
immense number of colonists. Our people
are now arriving from the Southern states
at the rate of five families O week. Within
the next twelve months l expect that l will
have situated in California 5000 families.
See how rapidly it will increase the popula-
ton. Forty thousand more industrious
people
1T has been arranged" continued the en-
terprising young colonist that the people
will be given employment when they get
here, and they will be provided with small
tracts of land which they will be given from
five to eight years time to pay for, and a
portion of the payments eau be made by
working for the owners. They will raise
vines and fruit trees principally. The man
ayers Of the southern Pacific railroad have
agreed to give US the very lowest rates on
which to travel, avoiding, Of course, the
violation of any of the interstate commerce
laws. Senator Leland Stanford is favora-
bly, impressed with our scheme, and has lent
US much encouragement. The colonists will
come principally from Alabama, Texas and
North and South Carolina
Mr.. Benjamin leaves for the south in a
Few days TO arrange to send out large
number of colored people. Large numbers
are sacrificing their homes to secure money
to pay their way.
In the meanwhile, leading democratic
newspapers are ma ing loud protests against
this influx of colored colonists. The Oak
land Times, in an editorial to-day said:
California has now In the Chinese as
close an approach to the servile class as is
either safe or desirable. The negroes already
mere came without assistance and are a self
sustaining, self-respecting part of the COM
munlty. The bringing of vast numbers of
ignorant blacks from the Gulf states is an
entirely different matter, and California
snsuld not invite the race incubus that now
rests a dead weight upon the south. We
want neither cheap labor nor cheap labor
ers; II Benjamin does intend, as he says. to
visit the south for the purpose of making up
colonies, we venture the prediction that
tnere will follow in his train one long, wall
ing cry OF distress, and that If Benjamin
makes more than one trip he will not go
over the same ground twice. AS to his colo
nlsss, they will become, for time at least,
charges upon communities that may be af-
hlcted with their presence. Mr.. Benjamin's
scheme should be nipped in the bud"