The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-04-10
MONEY IND IMMIGRATIoN
PR1GTToAL FARMER TEE
now TO SECURE BOTH.

To the Editor Of the Morristown Gazette:
In last weeks GAZETTE showed that
in my county, composed of 1850, 600
acres of land, there isactual surplus idle
capital amounting to over four millions
of dollars, ---.- 5000,
Was that picture over tirawu's e y
I insist that It was not; for the follow
IND reasons. sE19} 70 a5se5t8 =
/. There are not twenty-five men in
my county who have the financial abili-
ty, coupled with the agricultural skill,
to manage, probably and successful
farms of over 80 acres.
q A majority of the farmers of the.
county iflimited to even 20 or 30 acres,
would live more comfortably and make
more money than they do now
3. Very much of the land in the coun-
ty is worth three times So per acre-$5
being the price at which estimated it
in my article of last week. aa7 En-
Aft the process of selling off into lit
tie farms were once fairly started, the
price of all land in the county would
soon be doubled, nay quadrupled. So
.E
that if the process were once fully start
ed, and carried through, the surplus
lands of the county would sell for much
more than an average Of s. per acre. 81
The holding of these surplus lands by
our people for the present, is. perhaps
unavoidable, because nobody will buy.
People from the old world and from the
crowded States of the East, are not turn
ing their steps hitherward. Why is it
that Texas, with all her disadvantages.
is receiving accretions of population by
the hundreds of thousands, and of wealth
by the tens of millions every year, while
none come to Tennessee? The same
query may be propounded as to Kansas,
Missouri, New York, Ohio, Illineis and
other States. All growing in, popula-
| ton and wealth, while Tennessee, stu
ated midway between them, with every
conceivable variety of soil, with climate
more delightful and more healthy than
any of them and with mines of undeyel-
oped wealth equal to the best, lags be-
hind. And lagging behind as to immi-
grafton she remains poor.
e The why of this thing is the very
graYest question to which a Tennessee
politician can address himself. And
when he, searches for the why, he can
not find it in the people of Tennessee,
socially or religiously considered. He
may find some of it in the people, edu-
cationally considered But this will
not fully account for it. He cannot find
| the why in our soil, climate water,
health, latent resources, want of market
facilities-not in any one or in all of
these is the 'ac7ty' to be found.
But, there is a reason that prevents
foreigners from settling among US in
large numbers The reason in my opin-
ion is this: For years class of poll
ticians in Tennessee have been proclaim
ing from every stump that Tennessee is
| burdened with debt beyond her ability
to pay They have been talking about
high taxes till the world might reason
ably conclude that Tennessee is The
most tax-ridden, debt-burdened State in
the Union. People do not want to go
to such State to live.
If this were the true condition of our
State, then these cross-road politicians
are only to blame in this: that it is not
always wise policy to talk about our
| misfortunes. ......- .t, Il
If Tennessee had done like Missouri
for instance-nerved herself up-borne
her burdens bravely-long before this,
such an influx of population would have
been here as to have doubled our wealth,
thus dividing our debt and eur taxes by
two.
But the low tax men have ripened in
to a lot of repudiationists. Only let that
class gain the ascendency and the dor
mant wealth in tine shape of surplus
acres will be dormant still when this
generation shall have passed away.
On the other hand, let the compr0-
mise of the State debt be effected as it
is offered. Let the thing get out of the
hands of -demagogues,- let Tennessee
meet her obligations as thus compro-
missed promptly, 5raVely, honestly. Let
it be proclaimed that she is able to stand
alone; that she is on her road to pros
perity. That she is able and willing to
educate the rising generation, and at
once her attractive climate and produc-
tive soil will draw hither population
from other more crowded countries;
our lands viii find purchasers; money
will become more plentiful, because eur
people will have found purchasers for
their greatest marketable commodity.
repeat, immigration brings in mo-
ney-takes nothing out. Sufficient inn
migration will necessarily, therefore,
make money plenty. Nothing else will.
Therefore our highest interest is, to do
whatever win encourage immigration,
and nothing to discourage it. ##
Comptroller Gaines has issued a circu
lar apportioning the School Money in