Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/91

 "PAP" SINGLETON 77

The matters that came up in the public meetings of the negroes showed that social and political agitators were attempt- ing to use the race to further their own ends. Some rather noisy ones complained that the whites of Kansas kept them apart, treated them as a separate people, refused to accommodate them in hotels, etc. About the earliest and loudest complaint was that of J. M. Langston, who was refused admission to an ice-cream parlor in i88i.^^ This was disappointing conduct from the white people of Kansas, the state of John Brown. The Mississippi and Louisiana ex-politicians, of whom there were many, began to talk about a proper division of offices. The Kansas whites were willing that the blacks should vote, but nominated none of them for office. The blacks were divided on the question as to whether an organization should be maintained for the purpose of bar- gaining with the Democratic and Republican parties for the dis- posal of the negro vote. Singleton cared little about these questions except as indicating the attitude of the whites toward' his race. However, though a Republican always, he favored bargaining with both political parties, not so much for office, but to secure consideration for the race.

Under such circumstances, more and more did Kansas prove disappointing to "the father of the exodus." Too many of those who came insisted on staying about the towns and living as they had lived in the South ; lands and homes were as far oflf as ever ; competition with the whites was keener than in the South; the whites were distinctly business-like in their treatment of the blacks, and some were unfriendly; little sentiment was allowed to interfere in relations between races, and most threatening of all, thousands of European immigrants were coming every year to the prairie lands of Kansas and thus decreasing the opportunities of the blacks.

So Singleton looked about for another "Promised Land." Remembering Canada as a haven for runaway slaves, he sug- gested an exodus to that place. The British government, he believed, would assist the blacks. It was objected that Canada was too cold. He then suggested Liberia, began to preach a new

" Topeka Commonwealth, August 2, 1881.