The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1866-12-21

many days For in. the liberality
of our laws, as much as in the supe-
Erior value of our resources, will be
founded our only hope Of subyerting
the stream of emigration from the fa-
vored West to our own shores.
The committee then refer to the
proposed European Immigration Bill,
! and say that this is certainly a most
liberal law, but no more than gener-
Gus South Carolina can afford. And
besides, if we examine it closely, the
State will. not lose anything by its
operations even in a pecuniary view.
How much trouble and expense will
be saved our citizens by the operation
Of the proposed bureau in providing
them an office, where their communi-
cation with immigrants, servants, la
borers, mechanics, &c., of every class,
and with purchasers Of lands, &C., is
attended to free of charge, and where
the facility of making known and ad-
vertising their wants or their lands,
which they will sell, is afforded them
without cost 2 Besides, We have the
benefit of an institution, which will
be appreciated and understood as
purely benevolent, which will betrust-
cd and believed in, and will therefore
be more efficient in its operations than
any agency for profit. Those Of our
people that sent for laborers last sea-
son through the agencies have had to
pay 25 of 80 dollars head, and have
not been wcllserved either. And then
again, every immigrant will besubject
to our capitation tax, if we lay any,
to our school tax, road tax, &c., being
exempted only from the land tax to
a limited extent. And in regard, to
the contribution demanded for their
schools, where they form q cornmuni-
ty, the improved value Of property
where such communities shall locate
will be such that the taxes therefrom
will cover the expense, and besides,
the State-without fail-will have
to make such liberal school appropri-
ations for all her people, if she will
give all her children fair chance in
the race for prosperity.
The committee have already ex-
pressed the conviction that private
emigrant agencies are, rather to be
deprecated than favofsd, and in this
oninion they lave been strengthened
by the views Of the benevolent and we'll
meaning. We States should control
and Immediately supervise all such
institutions, thereby creating thu
mutual confidence and perfect fair
dealing Which is essential to success,
and which will exert a supreme bcnc-
fetal influence, and cannot be made
and subvcrsive of private speculation.
In connection with this, however, the
organization of proprietors for mutual
benefit, and, when they have lands
adjoining, for the reader sale Of large
tracts to accommodate immigrant So
cictics, may be very judicious and
commendable.
Registered land might be with
drawn, OF their registry might be
amended under certain just and rea-
sonable.rcstrictions; besides, it is not
intended that the appraised value
shall be taken; every land owner has
certainly the right to demand his own
price, the appraiscmcnt being regis
tered for information. tits possible
that private enterprise might carry
out this great public necessity, but
private enterprise strives for private
profits, and rarely directly for the
good of the general community. AS
has already been shown, private en-
tcrprisc will tax the citizen Of the
State for each employee twenty-five
or thirty dollars, and the immigrant,
perhaps, in proportion, and will, more
over, never care whether the citizen
is truly served or the immigrant just
ly dealt by. Private enterprise can
never get the confidence of the bet
ter and really most desirable class
of immigrants, nor can it make public
acts to punish its own wrong, or to
indemnify those who have suffered.
Your committee arc deeply sensi-
Bile of the Importance and value to us
of the right kind Of European immi-
grafton, and, above all, the small far
mcr. For his recommendations will
bring after him artisans, mechanics,
laborcrs and domestic servants. Let
us, therefore, no longer ignore our
real good; let us make the proper
laws; let our lands be of reasonable