Year: 1879

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During the past few weeks the Repub:
lican newspapers have been trying to put
a political complexion on the fact that
several thousand negroes have lately en-
lgrated from some Of the Southern States
to Kansas. This is heralded throughout
the Northern States as positive evidence
that the negroes are emigrating to escape
the persecution which they have to suffer
in the South for their devotion and loy>
atty to- the Republican party. A few
Southern newspapers, fearing that the
emigration of the negroes might become
much more general, have stated that
there was danger that the South might
suffer by loss Of a large portion of It's
laboring class. This mistaken notion,
advanced by few humorous Southern
papers, has been seized upon by the Re-
publican party organs to represent that
there is general negro hegira, and that
the South is greatly alarmed. Now, the
entire number of negroes who haye left
the South since the so-called exodus com>
menced, according to the highest esti-
mate we have seen, does not exceed one>
half Of one per cent of the negro popula>
ton, one laborer in two hundred. And
this loss is represented as seriously en-
barrassing the industrial interests of the
South. It would be quite encouraging,
if true, to be told that throughout the
South the demand for labor is so great,
and every industry SO fourishing, that
the least reduction of the number of la
borers creates a panic. But such is not
the case. The Republican papers have
grossly misrepres ented the cause, the ex>
tent, and the effects ofthe negro emigra~
tlon.. If it is caused by political perse>
cution, why did it begin at time par
ticularly remote from any election, at
time when it was not even alleged that
such persecution was active, and when
the most perfect peace reigned every
where. If the emigration had begun
near the time of an important election, 1t
would have sounded more plausible than
at present to assert that it was the result
Of persecution. The food of white emil
grants now pouring into all parts of the
West from the East is so great that the
movement of negroes from the South falls
into comparative insignidcance, yet no
effort is made to manufacture political
capital out Of it. The report was widely
circulated in some parts of the South that
laws had been enacted to give negro em>
1grants good improved farms in Kansas,
with stock, machinery, and years pro-
visions. This report, backed up with me-
gro credullty, naturally took effect; and
persons who interviewed the emigrating
negroes, generally found them entertaln>
ing more or less faith in it's truth. But
the assertion that the industrial interests
of the South can not stand this slight re-
duct1on Of the number Of laborers, is the
worst nonsense imaginable. In the
South, as in other parts of the Union,
and as in every civilized country on the
globe, there is class of people who de-
sire to see large surplus of unemployed
workingmen, simply because that makes
labor cheap. In California the monopo-
lists and men of wealth are strongly in
favor of Chinese labor, because It is cheap
and creates a surplus that IS available
whenever any circumstances arise that
would otherwise cause an increase of
wages. A large majority, however, OF
the people of California recognize the
evil and danger of having cheap labor
and large number OF unemployed work.
ingmen, and they are right. There is
nothing more pernicious to the welfare
of any country, and while certain class
in the South may dislike to see the de-
parture of any of the surplus negro labor
ers, such departure is great blessing to
! the people there. The Eastern States are
unquestionably better off, all things con.
| sidered, by unloading in the West their
surplus of workingmen, for the existence
of such a surplus in any country creates


revolutionary and exceedingly danger~


Gus elements. We learn from reliable


public and private sources that in all


parts of the South industry is in a de-


pressed condition, wages are exceedingly


low, there is but little demand for labor


ers, and the unemployed negroes can do


their communities no better service than


to emigrate, and cease living by frequent


raids upon their neighbors' hen roosts,


and the occasional capture of a stray


swine. The impoverished condition of


the negro emigrants shows conclusively


that they are coming from a country


where there is no adequate demand for


their services. They do not represent


that they were driven outof the South by
persecution, but that they emigrated


because times were "mighty hard" where
they came from. The most remarkable


thing that we can see about the so-called


negro exodus is the vast extent and


amazing hardness of the cheek of the
Republican politicians in tn cir treat>