The late Honorable Francis L. Cardoza at one time Secretary of State for South Carolina, several years before his death stated to the undersigned the following in substance:
That a number of colored men met and appointed a committee which was sent to Washington to get the advice of Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens concerning the formation of the political organization for the newly enfranchised Negro citizen shortly after the adoption of the 14th Amendment.
Pains were taken to keep the plans from both the native whites and the so-called carpet baggers from the North. That both Mr. Sumner and Mr. Stevens advised the committee to tender the leadership to native whites of the former master class of conservative views: but this plan was frustrated because they were not able to secure the consent of desired representatives of the former master class to assume the proffered leadership.
(Signed) KELLY MILLER (Signed) WHITEFIELD MCKINLAY
Subscribed to and sworn before me, SAMUEL E. LACY a Notary Public in and for the District of Columbia, this Fourteenth (14th) Day of December 1917.
(Signed) SAMUEL E. LACY, _Notary Public, D. C._
SOME NEGRO MEMBERS OF RECONSTRUCTION LEGISLATURES
Edward Patton, San Jacinto County, now living in Washington is in Government service.
Nathan H. Haller, Brazoria County. House, 1892-94. Reelected and counted out. Contested his seat and won.
R. L. Smith, Colorado County, 1895-99, now living in Waco. Is president of the Farmers Bank and head of the Farmers Improvement Association. For sketch of, see _Negro Year Book_, p. 322. For his work in the Legislature, see attached letter.
Elias May, Brazos County, in the early days of Reconstruction.
R. J. Moore, Washington County, representative.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS WACO, TEXAS, March 26, 1918.
PROF. MONROE N. WORK, Tuskegee Inst. Ala.
I was elected in Nov. 1894 as representative for Colorado county and was re-elected in 1896.
My majority in 1894 was 168 and in 1896 at the next election it was 450 as I recollect it.
I was appointed on the committee on education and on privilege and election and on agriculture.
I introduced a bill restoring colored trustees which finally passed.