Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-03-15
WHAT TENNESSEE NEEDS,

Inc great want of our State is increased
population. The evils that have resulted
from the war are many and bear heavily
upon us, but if we can add to our wealth
and numbers BY the immigration Of good
citizens, we can lift all these burdens from
| our shoulders and be ready to take more
hopeful part in the great race of States for
leadership. We do not care to what par
| ticular class of evils we look, there is
1 remedy for them in the new vigor and
hope 10 come from population.
Wehave an immense public debt hang
| ing over us that makes necessary high tax
es. The mass of our land holders own too
much land to use it to good advantage.
and, of course, high taxes fall burdensome
upon them. Suppose the man who holds
thousand acre farm and half works it,
should sell half of it to good farmer from
New York, and then bestow upon his re-
naming five hundred acres the work he
put upon the whole farm, would he not
have greater yield and less taxes?
Would not his neighbor, who farms his
half well, increase the value of the origi-
nal owners half, add materially to the reve-
nues of the State, and lessen its taxes +?
Would not his family add to the trade of
the merchant and the demands upon the |
manufacturer? Would not his wife and |
children aid in the good work of the |
Church, add to the numbers and efficiency
of the neighborhood schools, and put just |
SO much additional blood and activity into |
the pulse of the State? Would not the |
new neighbors in great measure break up |
the old neighborhood quarrels, pull the
growing boys out of the old ruts worn
deep and ragged by generations before
them, and bring about the changes that
every people need once in while? Would
not small farms, well cultivated, build up
thrifty villages and prosperous cities?
Would not these crowd our railroads
with passengers and freights and give us
three or four trains to meet the convenience
Of our people, where we now have but
one? Would not this growth and activity
lrlve out of our population the preiudices
and bitterness that now hamper us as q
people, retard our growth and repel from
1s many good and desirable immigrants +?
These questions, we dare say, will all be
in the affirmative. We believ
'ur people generally recognize the merits
If our propositions s'al
This being so the question arises what can !
'e done to bring this about. There are q
'arious ways that have been tried and :
ound practicable One great thing to be Q
one is to scatter broadcast information a
bout our country. People know we have e
good climate, but on so important matter
s changing their homes, they want
minute, full information. They want to I
now about our lands, their value, our ]
roducts, our system of farming, our I
markets, our towns, our rents, our schools. =
ur churches, our mines, our prospects,
&c. &c. No man who has not paid some ,
ttention to the subject has any idea of the
arge number of people looking to East
for homes. They are waiting to
ONE. They want to know they are L
yelcome. They will come if we use or g g
mary efforts to have them do so. Now, if
ne advantages to result from their COM
lg are as greats as We have pictured, it is :.
lrely worth while for us to make an ef- "
'rt to get them here. Will we not do
lis? Europe as well as the North is full of
eople who would make us good citizens.
we but put into their hands simple. =
lain statement of the advantages we offer, y,
hey could be induced to come. We can q.
this if we will spend few hundre II
ollars and organize simple machinery for =
information and spreading it.
We know from our experience of the past =
w months just how pressing is the need h
n this effort on our part, and how much
pod will result from it. We have some
lggestions as to the means to be used
hich we will present in another article :,
nd which we hope may lead to some ac- l,
on. u