Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1895-06-29
SATURDAY. IUNE 90, 1895
STILL IN BONDAGE.
The Evils Of Plantation Life olored Peo-
pie Who Are Still Slaves.

OENfRAil, LA j uIlc 10, 1890.
DEAR PLANET:
I promised you in my last let
ter that l would on future occasion,
give you an idea Of how the cOlored
people are bought and sold i'm the
State OF Louisiana by custom under
the form OF law. / also told you in
previous letter that the large planta-
tiOns are generally owned by public
officials or other men who usually live
i'm cities and that these plantations
are i'm charge OF the lowest class OF
white men.
Now. in order that you may better
understand what / wish to convey to
the public mind, il is necessary that
you know how we are furnished with
supplies, etc.
THE STORE ORDER SYSTEM.
Each plantation has a commissary
store. The very cheapest grade OF
goods in the market is sent to these
stores by the landlords with a high
price already fixed, but the overseer
may add whatever he chooses to the
original price and all will be we'll with
the landlord.
Occasionally we find exceptions to
this rule, but this is the general prac-
tice. These OverSeers issue the ra-
tions in the smallest possible amounts
2is his OF meat and peek of meal per
week, and If we get molasses the = h
OF meat is taken oil and is supple
mented with one pint OF molasses.
BxoRBITANT PRICES.
This only applies to each worker in
the family-we get nothing for nom
workers. We pay IS to 2Oc per pound
for meat; 75e per gallon for molasses-
II we get any sugar, (Which is only in
case of sickness), we pay 10 to l212c
for it. We pay 90 to 75e for the
lowest grade of tobacco,-full of
grit sticks and dirt and is evil
IDENTIFY swept up Off the floor in the
factory. We pay 81 70 for brogan
shoes; 75c for striped cotton shirts !;
81 80 for cotton jeans pants. This is
the way our debts are made and the
custom is that, as long rs we are in
debt Co the plantation. we can't move
of no matter how much we could bet
ter our condition by moving and they
say it is LAW. The only way in which
we can move of is to get some man
TO pay the debt and IL one is a good
hand they wont accept the pay ut all
and we have TO stay.
A CASE IN POINT.
/ know an instance where a widow
woman owed a balance OF $l0O-she
found home at a better place and her
new employer went 60 take up the ac-
count-laid the money on the desk and
the manager-overseer said, no, he
had rather have her and her family
than the money. She went to a JUS
tice OF the peace about il and he said
he had nothing 10 do with IL; so she
had To stay.
THE NEW MASTER.
Our new masters are generally hard
er on us as they have advanced some
thing for us and we are compellad Il
do their bidding. We have no voice as
TO the grades OF goods we get. nor e
the quantity we get at time although
we have them 20 pay for. Whenever
one among us happens TO save M
enough 10y close economy TO live on
without going TO the plantation store
he is prescribed and is not needed OF
any plantation still he can't leave un-
less he leaves everything he has for he
can't sell IS. No doctor is allowed e
practice on plantation without al
order from the manager, and wher
the bill is settled, he gets half for is
suing the order and collecting.
THE CREDITOR AND THE DEBTOR.
We are never allowed to contradict
an account, no matter how clear the
evidence that il is wrong. And still
there is no redress for us. On some
future occasion / will give you an idea
OF the manner of voting the colored
people in this state.
Roao