The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-02

sPQ118 NltU tnO t0uSlO % VOtluk AOS UAs0oI
a1Blains or Harrison. Personally ! prefer
Maine. because ~ opposed the force bill.
III ~ clsar-sighted enough 70 see that It
5yvpsuid do % no good and bring about a
biiisr feeling between the races. He 10 an
tStl1d ~ ths gratitude Of every colored man
the stand he took. The best place for
s4Aesoolorsd man 10 tbs south; here Ne have
skilled carpenters and artisans, with we'll
sogE1niEAA labor unions. and are fast becom-
sssnG i pfOepefoua. aaving people.
tfue thar sometimes q colOred man
~ lynch0d, bnt he generally deserves it. al
sthou0hi 10 Nonld b. better TO allow the law
ID taka it, oouree. FOX there are many in
SAtAnsss where white msn. wishing to COM
mill crime, black their. faces, accomplish
thelr 6sndish purpose. then wash their faces
10 join the mob that pussues some lucklsss
negro who 10 90 unfortunate as to have .
bad name in the village. OF course, q
MOrnan hall dead with fright 10 pretty sure
~ tdsntify the first black face brought be-
fora her g her assailant.. and .thsn. limo
soen4 ~ guilty, the poor whetch must suffer.
y eof tho soloredpeople Of my section
belpAR 10 the c0lored farmers alliance.
ma thAy have adopted a sirgle-tax plat
form u the only means as political saliva
tion tor onr race, and ! hope yet to see it q
plank In the platform of the republican
paxty. I hops shortly to establish . single
H I0AN - eAN ~
.The success Of the single tax may iniure
me 70 = landlord, but it will be the consum-
nation Of freedom. Many white people
fsyor II, and If the colored people Join with
them and form a third party neither the
cQpnt 0nr votes ont.
"Epse 10 no longer used at the polls In
the south. but in some places, whore all the
Nhttea are democrats, our votes are quietly
counted ont. But once let us form = party
Sin vhieh.hcth whites and blacks are equally
Interested. then. and not till then, will my
vote ~ equal to q white MANS"
Mr.. g. Menafee 10 n of the wealthiest
colored men in the state and about 60 years
~ ne, Az the close Of the war he was PEN
nileea, but the first day he started to work
he saved 25 cents in silver, and ct the end
Of the year his savings amounted to $40 in
cold. During the next year ho saved 300,
4 IN this he married. His wife could
road and write. and when Menafee came
home from his cobbler's shop at night be
would study his letters until at last he
learned 70 read. Years rolled on. and by
acquired about fifty acres OF land within
the city limits Of Opelika and some 800
acres juat outside. He has built a house
on his property, and owns his little shoe
ehop on the main street Of the town.
u believe the south" Mr.. Msnafee said.
E51Q u0 Sl0 Dent pihC6 IOF tu0 ColOfeu man.
@Ey1n during the Ku-Klux days I was mover
intsrfsred with, although / belonged to the
black cavalry that almost extsrminated one
OF their bands.
.sThs white people used to count our votes
ont, but -four years ago We brought a fellow
by the name Of Turk to trial. / sat on the
jury that convicted him, and the trial con-
snmsd sixty days and the costs amounted
n $1,000. There will be no counting out
s8his election.
Most Of the colorsd men in this section
Afe educated. have two boys, both at
tending the Tuskeges school. I can remem-
ber when his school started with one col
there are $50 pupils and the school owns
$4,000 worth Of property besides an annual
endowment from the government of SO. 600.
In politics the oolored people Of Ala
bama are republican, but I hear the single
tax ID likely to cause q split in our ranks.
part Of the state. but most Of us are in
favor q It. ! don't suppose it could help
me. ~ ] am already q landowner, but il
will lift my people, and wherever you find
q Negro who owns land you will find q man
who can save. Gus Patrick, a neighbor of
mine, WINS $500 acres of land and raises
nifty bales of cotton q year.
Another colored neighbor of mine,
George Fulwell, owns 1000 acres, has a
handsome home, plenty of money and ia
doing we'll. Many others own land and
those who do are all good citizens and a
credit to their race.
Race troubles have disappeared, and
when a man is lynched the color OF his sk,n
never enters into the question. TIT snorm-
ity OF bis crime is what he ID Judged by."
IN Atlanta. Ga. one of the w~ealthiest
colOrsd citizens 10 Mr.. S. II. Robinson, eli.
der In the Methodist church and Capitalist.
II was . boy brought up in slavery on q
Missiasippi plantation - hs began, when
! va quite q little chap ! saw the oyersoer
read the masters orders from a book.
Every one on the plantation looked up to
him because he could read, SO ! made no nv
mind ] would learn to read, too. II wss
aaAtnst the law in those days 10 teach a COL
ored person to read. but the overseer's aon
"a . great friend of mine. used to 90
ont with him to collect the game he shot,
q one day ! persuaded him to tear several
Leaves out OF his spelling book and give
g1hem 10 me. After that we used to 90 out
iAto Abs woods every dav and study until
The oyerseef caught as. He whipped his
son and Gent mo back TO the quarters, but /
kept b piece of spelling book and hid it
Qnder my shirt, and whenever ] could hide
s1ne quiet corner would take it ont. Al
taetI eould read and spoil, but ! could not
wkllA.
S. 81 wanted something to copy from. go l
nqaIed Me master for q pass--each negro
369nf0 Qet tWo . year. After waiting several
pmeks Tor my suln ! got my pass, permit