The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-03-04
;sReport on Immigration.

to whom was referred the resolu-
|tions introduced by Mr.. Maurice,
reported, in substance, as follows:
1. That the committee have care
fully considered the resolutions
and papers touching white immi-
grafton into this State.
2. That sub committee was ap-
pointed to confer with the State
Grange, Patrons of Iusbandry, but
the Grange respectfully declined
as the Patrons were constitutional
ly dcbarred from acting with any
other body.
8. That Mr.. Frank Melchers, OF
Charleston, has introduced 900
, immigrants in the State, and that
he has orders for large additional
number; that he has in his posses.
. sion $4,000 to be expended in the
f introduction of additional immi.
grants; he has twenty agents in
, various towns and cities in Germa'
. n.y..
4. That the committee has exam
ined Rev. Tilman r. Gaines, who
says he has recently introduced
, 400 immigrants into the State.
That he had an office in Canal
street, New York, and that he has
, upon his books orders for over 300
more, and, further, that he could
send l 900 per week if required.
S. That the main obstacles that
have been met by those engaged in
this praiseworthy work, has been to
overcome the prejudices that have
been studiously infused into the
minds of the Immigrants in the
Old World and in this country by
the agents of the Northwest
against the entire South, misrepre-
senting the spirit Of our people to-
wards the immigrants, the cheap
ness of our lands, the fertility OF
our soil, the health and m;ldness of
our climate, the lines of steamships
to New York, in conjunction with
the influence of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, and the inducements
held out to them for the purchase
of lands.
6. That they can compete with
them successfully by having q line
between Charleston and Liverpool
or Bremen. The railroads in the
State should transport the immi-
grants at the lowest possible cost,
for they will be paid in tie future
by the transportation Of the pro-
ducts Of their labor.
7. That our country, not being
covered for nearly half the year by
snow, and where the laborer is not
compelled to spend in winter what
he has made in summer, and when
he can work in the open air from
year to year, presents unusual ad-
vantagcs to the immigrant, where
their pre,judices are dispelled, and
our real advantages are made
known.
8. The average value of the land
in the North is $40 per acre, while
lin the South it is but 1886; we
grow all the cereals and make the
short and long staple cotton, and
rice, and they are the best market
crops in the world. ,-.-
9. The immigrants should be
settled in the most healthy portion
of the State; that they should be
treated with the greatest kindness
and guarded from the practices Of
the sharpers; be provided with
good houses; churches erected for
them, and school houses establish
ed for the education of their chill
dren. They have been accustomed
to a different kind of a diet which
we have been accustomed to a DIFF
ferent kind of a dict which we
have been accustomed to allow the
negro laborer; that peck of meal
and three pounds of bacon is not a
suitable diet for them, and that
would tend to disgust and dissatis-
fy them.
10. That the advantages to accrue
to us from the introduction of white
immigrants can hardly be estimat-
ed should we give them every al
ternate section, which will more
than quadruple the remainder in
value. -....--3
II. That the aggregate white
vote of the State does not exceed
$4,000 pro rata; the honest colored
vote would not exceed thirty per
cent. more, which would require
US 10 overcome a majority of about
$4,000 at the ballot-box.
IL. If we Introduce $4,000 i'm
migrants, who will have All inter-
est in the development of the
State, it would save the State from
the ruinous expenditures which
are represented as its current ex-
penscs. For instance, the cxpen-
ses of the State in 1865-66
were s266.244 II, and in 1878, ST.
717,318.60. Yet with this enor-
NOUS expenditure there still exists
DEFICIENCIES to the amount of $780,.
1928. IF the State was in the hands
Of honest officials, these enormities
would be corrected, and in a few
years the present expenditures of
the State Wonld he rednced to the