The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1870-04-09
From the Rural Carolinian.1
How to Get Immigrants.

nat immigrants are desirable IS almost
universally conceded. We need labor
ers-intelligent, efficient laborers-but,
above all, We need good, substantial citi.
Dzens, who shall have an interest in the
welfare of the country, own property pay
taxes, and help by their votes and by
the incr' ascd property they would bring,
to make taxes light. 1t is men--white
mon-who come here with their fami-
lies, and come to stay, that we want. It
matters comparatively little where they
come from, provided they are intelligent,
industrious, law.abiding people, and be-
come permanent settlers. European,
and Nor,herners should bc equally wei
come. Once established here, their in
,tcrests anil ours will be one, and all can
work together to promote the prosperity
of the State.
Well, the practical question is, how shall
we get such immigrants 1t strikes us
that we are not at present, at least in
South Carolina, taking the right course.
We are calling loudly for immigrants
but are not placing before them the pro-
per inducements to come here-that is
as general rule. We appeal to them
as "Jorers. We ask them to come here
and uorh .fw ns for ,eages-very low
wages too. They can work for other
people at home, or if they come to Amer
ica, they can get far better wages ut the
West But the better class of :n.s,:-
grants-thc class we want-do not come
here to work for wages. Many of them
may hire out for n time, aud there will
always be those among them who will
be available as hired laborers, but the
primary idea with them all is to become
land owners, and make themselves COM
Portable, permanent homes; and We shall
never get them to come here in large
numbers till we recognize this motive
and appeal to it in some effectual way
We have surplus lands in abundance.
Our undeveloped resources are immense.
Our climate is unsurpassed and greutly
superior to that of the West. No coun-
try i'll the world offers to-day SO many
to the settler rs the South
and, whatever prejudiced or politically
interested par les may say to the cou.ra-
ry, there is no region where the ilnmi.
grant, if well disposed. will meet with
warmer welcome or kinder treatment, or
find more sympathizing and helpful
ncighbors.
Do not these facts susges the means
of inducing immigrants? We think so.
The immigrants want land. They
generally have Il. little money, but not
much. Many Of tn EN- are not able to
buy land, but could put up u Lighthouse
and stock little farm. We have mil.
lions of acres good unimprovcd land that
is utterly useless to those who own it.
Might We not advantageously offer
portion of this surplus to immigrants on
the sole condition that they settle on and
improve it. Who does not see that If
one fourth of all our land were disposed
of in this way the remaining three-fourths
would soon be worth far more than the
whole now is. One may give fifty acres,
anothera hundred, third five hundred,
divided into small tracts,) and SO on.
The aggregate would amount to millions.
Then let the fact be published to the
world in several languages-made
known throughout America and Europe,
together with the advantages of soil,
climate and social privileges connected
with it, and extra facilities afforded for
getting to these lands and commencing
operations on them. Here would be
substantial inducements to these people,
and they would not be slow to see them.
All parties would be benefited by
such an arrangement. The immigrant
would get home, the country would
get good citizens, we should get the la
Dor we need, (but shall not get by our
direct nppeals.) for these people would
bring with them or draw after them
surplus Of bone and muscle adapted to
our purposes.
We arc aware that this is no new idea.
A few have offered to give land to immi-
grants on certain conditions, and at
tempts have been made 70 induce gen
cral movement in this direction. The
tino had no' come We believe the
country is now ripe for it. What we