American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-06-21
For the American Cit!z"n
immigration How to Get it

M. Editor:
/ The subject of immigration being
tefore the peorie, perhaps it would
he well to take Il careful, serious
look at Q matter which is assuredly
of great import.
/ The first question that rises, is
what sort of immigration do we
want. The answer is, without hes
itation, laborers. nothing bit labor
ers. We have already more en-
/ plOyees than the country can AFFORD.
They are in excess CT the demand,
decidedly. But labor is in great
demand, and the supply IS limited,
so much SO that the laDerer is :nde-
pendent of his contract, inderen-
dent Of honor, even independent of
law. Such Il state of affairs is de-
strustlve O. prosperity, and greatly
Geplored by all berlLinking men.
Yet it exists
! It's true. It's pity; and pity it's lis true.
/ Now, ii occurs to ne, the steps
+ taken by the Canton Immigration
/ Association are calculated to bring
immigrants of the first class. if they
bring any at all, increasing the de-
mand (superadding competitors
for labor. without adding whit to
the supply, and augm anting an evil
under which we are ready TO grOar
Isaying nothing of the prcclivity OF
the Northern man fer kindling and
encouraging, in the heart OF the
African, a spirit of anita gonism to
ward the native white).
With this view of the matter, |
say, it is earnestly to be hoped that
The Canton migration scheme
will fail.
Then comes the question. how
shall we get the laboring class thai
is so much needed ! Not only how
get it, but how keep it say how
keep it, because private enterprise
has, at divers times, brought a good
many laborers into Madison, but
where are they now? The last
8. improved monkey" of thefa IS
gone. Why ? let us see.
a laborer to be of value to him
self, or to others, must be an expert;
that is, he must have the capacity
to execute mechanically, and with
rapidity and exactness, the business
he undertakes; and just in proper
tion is he valuable. This PROPOSE
ton needs 20 defense. The negro
is an expert in the cotton field,
whether with pillow, kGo or basket
! With his inherent instinct and man
; ual practice, no White man can com
pete with him. AS long as we
claim cotton to De tt:e staple pro-
drct of the South, we must stick to
Cufee, as cur only hope. AS Drig
Phil. Sanders, whose speech should
have been reported), said, "better
reopen TIE African slave trade if
we intend to keep on at cotton,
alone" The white man cannot stand
that incessant work every month
in the year." which is necessary in
growing and handling cotton.
This brings me to say that the
white laborer, if valuable and de-
sirable. is an expert; and if we
would get him and keep him here,
we must make ready to put him in
that business, at which, by inherit
ance and manual education, he is
an adept. What is that business :?
Growing cotton ? Far from it.
Put Northern or European men in
the cotton field, and they cannot be
brought here us fast as they Will go
away. This will be testified to by
every man in Madison county who
has tiled white labor, and there are
numbers of them. Let us begin to
have ieids of grain and grass, good
Improved stock and shelter for
them good fences, or, what is
infinitely cheaper, law compelling
every man, under a ,igidly enforced
penalty of fine and Imprisonment TO
take care of his own stock. Let us
begin to put cdGcaticn, common
sense, and machinery in the field in
cultivating and handling our crops !;
so that labor can be made tnnfold
more effective than now. Then we
can afford to pay such prices for la
Dor as will bring us laEorsrs, and
wheu we get them we can keep
them, In these matters the North
ern and European labores are ex-
pcrts. q do not say let us have a
factory. for do not think a Dutch
man is more an expert in that bus
mess than at sCraping cotton:
am aware that this discouragaS
the idea of immigration, because
this generation is joiued to its idol,