I remember, also, that on more than one occasion my
landlady held an umbrella over me while I ate breakfast.
At the time I went to Alabama the coloured people were taking
considerable interest in politics, and they were very anxious
that I should become one of them politically, in every respect.
They seemed to have a little distrust of strangers in this
regard. I recall that one man, who seemed to have been designated
by the others to look after my political destiny, came to me on
several occasions and said, with a good deal of earnestness: "We
wants you to be sure to vote jes' like we votes. We can't read de
newspapers very much, but we knows how to vote, an' we wants you
to vote jes' like we votes." He added: "We watches de white man,
and we keeps watching de white man till we finds out which way de
white man's gwine to vote; an' when we finds out which way de
white man's gwine to vote, den we votes 'xactly de other way. Den
we knows we's right."
I am glad to add, however, that at the present time the
disposition to vote against the white man merely because he is
white is largely disappearing, and the race is learning to vote
from principle, for what the voter considers to be for the best
interests of both races.
I reached Tuskegee, as I have said, early in June, 1881.
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