Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-22
THAT ooLoNIzArIoN COMPANY.
Rev. Robert johnson Thinks There IL More
Mismanagrment Than Dishonesty.


Mismanag-ment Than Dishonesty.
Interest IS not beginning to flag in the least
in this city in the matter of the Colored Emil
grafton Society that Ill some way or other has
mannged:to food the luckIess city Of Atlanta
with several thousand cslored people deluded
into the idea that they were to be transported
to Africa for the trifing sum of
81. The company, which has been
in existence for several years past.
is called a national organization and has its
headquarters in this city. Rev. Robert john
son, pastor OF the Fourth Baptist Church,
eolored, is one of the board of directors
of the company. Mr.. johnson said to a
STAR reporter yesterday, 'Ifeel pretty sure that
that there has been no dishonesty in the
Asfe though Sa. been am some free sro sS
Encouragement. to say the least.
Mr.. Paulson aud couple of other white men
come over 10 Washington several years ago and
in the immigration scheme. The meeting
in my church and they interested
me in the scheme and 1 subscribed
70 some stock / thought il was first-rate
investment. but when vas made director
soon saw IL was not all az nice it might be.
There was contention in the board. and there
did not seem to be real business man in The
COMPANY No one knew just what they were
after or how TO accomplish it.
But the scheme promised large dividends
gress, which was told would soon become a
law. appropriating 500 for each adult and so
for each minor colored person who would go
back to Africa The company was to
buy ships and carry these people to
Liberia or some other port of Africa and be
paid out of the United States Treasury.
These ships were to be purchased part, in
cash ana part in stock in the company las soon as
enough stock had been disposed of to place it
OF a secure footing The agents in the
south were simply to arouse interest in
the matter of immigration. They had no
earthly right to tell the people that they
would be taken to Liberia or any
other place for dollar or that the vessels
would be ready at any particular time. II they
said thar they were either over-zealous most
awfully ignorant, and all the trouble has come
from that and from Encouragement That, at
icast is NV opinion of the matter"
THE SECRETARY TELLS WHAT HE KNOWS.
r. ]. Clayton, who figures as secretary of the
United States and Congo National Emigration
Steamship Company. has given The STAR
statement of his connection with and the affairs
OF the company, so far as he has knowledge of
them. He saws:
first became a member of the above-narned
company in October. 1880, by becoming the
owner of a share. which was worth 500 par
value. 1t cost 80. Henry Adams assistant
general manager, with whom l was acquainted.
he having lived and boarded with me, talked
with me about the company and its aims and
prospects rs 10 ODIslHllD subsidy through
L. 5. Tharin and members of Con-
gress that were friendly to the negroes.
All agents had been sent out in the field to ask
aid by selling stock. representing that the pro-
ject was to be subsidized through friends in
Congress and the influence Of Judge r. s.
Tharin. When the money began coming in
learned for the first time that Tharin was to
receive a commission of 10 PEI cent, to be
paid to him by Green, the general manager |
i opposed this and got the major part to op-
NM be fraHf hat h., haI 81
be held subject to subsidy. Notwithstanding
the many protests Green arbitrarily paid
Iharin percentage money without any author |
ity from the company or their knowledge as
far as / am advised was elected secretary to
succeed Frank Johnson, who left and went to
Texas. / had made effort to obtain
the secretaryship and knew nothing of
my selection until / was notified by
to come up to the Metropolitan
Baptist Church and qualify. Ny compensation
was to be paid me in company stock have
not during the short time that have been sec
Rotary received any money for stock from any
source or otherwise. The circulars sent out in
1889. long before / a shareholder in the
company. distinctly said all moneys were to be
forwarded to General Manager Green. NV
limited knowledge of the company prevented
my knowing what came in response to these
circulars, as the most of the mail. as per en-
cular instructions, came directly to Green
and was never seen by me. When became a
member Of the company thought all arrange
ments were perfected to the subsidy, saving
the recording Of the number of the emigrants
and their names, together with q statement Of
the amount given in cash, all to be fur
nlshed to the corporation counsel to be
given TO some member of Congress or
some other party with whom he was
making arrangements for the emigrants
He appeared at a meeting not long since of the |
company and there said in my presence that
some gentlemen representing some rich and
great syndicate was ready to take the emigrants
over and he wanted all the names, together
with the amount given opposed it on the
ground that he wanted to count up the percent
age claimed due INN for work for the company
he left the meeting, promising to put the COM
paHy IN communication at an early day with
this rich syndicate of subsidiZers, but to the
present neither the representative of the syndi-
cate nor 1harin has visited any members of
the company so far i have been advised
The cOmpany's business. financially especially,
has been almost exclusively under the general
manager and corporation counsel as far as l
could see."