Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1880 — The Boy Knew. [ARTICLE]

The Boy Knew.

Observing little brother’s remark before a room full of company: “ I know what made that red mark on Mary’s nose; it was tho rim of John Parker’s hat.” And there are girls who believe that little brothers never go to heaven.

SENATE EXODUS INVESTIGATION.

Synopsis of tho Testimony Elicited by the Vooi.’hees Committee. B. K. Morris, a real-estate agent of Indianapolis, testified that, to his belief, there is abundant room and ample opportunity for industrial employment in that State for a large number of colored immigrants, and that he had no knowledge of the present immigration being a political movement. Thomas Mills ( Republican), of Indianapolis, testified that he remarked to “the boys,” when t'ue North Carolina colored people first began to arrive at Indianapolis: “We want 20,000 back- 1 , and not women and children.” Mr. Voorhees—Yon wan tel them to vote? Witness—Yes, we wanted them to vote. Mr. Voorfiees WeU, tfiat’s a square answer. Yon thought if yon bad them yon -could “politically” slay us? Witness—Yes, we thought if we had them we could get away with you everlastingly. Mr.* Yoorhees—But they brought a good many women and children with them! Witness—Yes, they overdone the thing on women and dhildren; but we thought it won Id be a good thing to scatter them around on cheap lands. Mr. Voorhees—ln close counties? Witness—Well, yes; in close counties. Mr. Yoorhees—State whether these views, which you have given so frankly, ate shared by your parly in Indiana. Witness replied that he thought they were, to a great extent, concurred ip by individual members of the party, but he did not know of any party organization or party effort to draw negroes to Indiana. Ho believed the colored people had not a fair chance to vote, or at least wexe likely to bs “counted om” in North Carolina, and it was only right to give them a chance in Indiana.

E. D. Borden, Goldsboro, N. 0., testified that, while the peopla of the irtato of North Carolina do not feel alarmed about the exodus, the wave of the movement, such as it was, is already subsiding, and that the great mass of the colored people in North Carolina were as well contented as they are in any other section of the country. T. O. Groomes, a lawyer, of Greencastle, Ind., was placed on the witness Btacd, and, at the request of Senator Yoorhees, produced arid road extracts from editorials published in the Greencastle Banner in November and December, 1878, in which it was stated that the colored men of the South are px-actically disfranchised while they live in that section; urging it as the duty of the colored men South to come North of the Ohio river, and help make a solid North, and arguing that if they remain in tho South to be enumerated in 1880 'they would increase the numbers of their enemies there, but if they oame North they would increase the numbers of their friends’in tho North.

James Buchanan, of Indianapolis, a prominent Greenbacker, testified that the demand for labor in Indiana is far short of the supply; that never, since 1873, had a winter passed that Supervisors of the Poor in the vicinity of Indianapolis were not called on to supply food to able-bodied men, who would be glad to earn a living if they could only get work. He was opposed to the exodus because ho believed the negroes were not improving their condition by coming io a State already oversupplied with labor. Ha was not moved to hold this view because of any proj udice against the black race, as he had been aa Abolitionist until slavery was abolished, and a Republican until 1872. With reference to Indiana Republicans favoring this exodus movement, he believed nine out of ten Republican voters were opposed to it, but that half a dozen leaders whom he knew in Indiana, while they did not openly favor it, failed to condemn bringing these negroes to Indiana, when they knew perfectly well that there was no work for them there.

Leonard G. A Hackney, Prosecuting Attorney for the district in which Shelby villo, Ind., where he lives, is located, testified that twentysix colored emigrants aiTived at Shelby viile Dec. 12 las';. The Mayor called a meeting of tho Council, and provision was made for the destitute. A meeting of citiz ins was held, at which it was resolved that, the law of 1852, inflicting a penalty of SSOO unon any one who should bring a pauper into the State, should be enforced by the proper officers. Witness learned from a negro named Flowers and a Mr. Harper there were to bs 12,000 or 15,000 negroes tent into Indiana before the Ist of February. There was no doubt that all the Democrats dislike to see emigrants come, and probably the respectable Republicans do also. The laboring clans generally discountenance tlie movement The demand for labor in Shelby county is fully supplied. There is even complaint of the scarcity of work. Samuel A. Perry (colored), a citizen of North Carolina, was tho next witness. He said the discontent among the colored people of North Carolina was due to the bad crops and the stringency of the Landlord and Tenant, Road, and other laws, and the insolent and domineeiing attitude of the whites, all of. whom said this •was a white man’s Government, and the blacks had nothing to do with it, and another said a negro was no more a human being than a horse was a mule. He started for the West to look up a location for a colony of colored people who wanted to leave North Carolina, but on his way he met some colored people in Greencastle, iDd., who said the colonists oould do welt there. For his own part, however, he would rather live in Hades than in Indiana. According to him, the blacks are looked on as servants by the Southern whites, and are practically denied all representation.