The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-23
TO LAND OWNERS.

ne DebIOlJ FFGc ITPS9 EHyH. Jnefe are
too many people In the North; there is tot
much uncultivated land In the South Hand
cuff this othat.' This Is putting In the shape
Of an epigram the whole question Of the
labor troubles ut tho North aud the unsatis
fled needs OF the South. "Handcuff'' the two
troubles and we cure them ut once. It Is moi
neccss airy to recite the facts in either case
much less to discuss the complicated
and disputed theories OF social and
political economy connected with them
| We only know that the tramp Is d
fact, naturalization Of some wrong
and abnormal principle that has controlled
the management Of affairs There undoubt-
edly existed In the North demand for labor
| which resulted In bringing these human
| beings to supply II. This demand has ceased
or else the unemployed millions there would
be ut work. We remember we were laughed
at once when we suggested that tho demands
of u continent--of South America, Central
America and the West Indies-for the fabrics
the industries Of the North could supply
would relieve this depression. This, we still
maintain, Is n source Of relief which should
dictate the commercial policy Of the govern
ment.
Yet there exists between the two sections Of
our country a correlation Of circumstances
which permits us to consider this source of
relief as q mere casual circumstances de-
mand and source Of supply within ourselves
which enables us to abide the discussions Of
Congress and the tardy concessions of theo-
reticians to the practical demands of trade
What better illustration could be presented OF
A. t,v..~ H. 4
Northern industries, by which we mean man.
ufacturers, than a statement Of the relative
exports Of Great Britain and the United
States to the very countries we have
mentioned? The last statements upon
this subject fixed the exports of England,
In manufactured goods at 81, lis, 900, while
those Of the United States for the same pc
rod amounted to but $685., 900, and these In the
main of produce and raw material, such as
cotton, sugar, etc. Imagine ourselves de-
prved OF our agricultural resources and |
made dependent solely upon our mechanical |
arts, and we can appreciate the value of a |
commercial policy, to the lack of which we
are indebted for the American tramp, char.
acter that is passing into song and will soon
become, unless something is done to destroy
him, as true type of this age of American
as the wandering Homer was of
The poetic age Of Greece. How this wise and
humane elimination of q natural and epochal
character can be effected Is question
INVOLVING too many matters of social
md commercial economy to be discussed
n one article. The epgram Of the Free Press
proposes the only one we shall consider at
present. There are many difficulties in the
way Of bringing even this simple and self
evident proposition home to our people. The
'hief Of these troubles Is the reluctance of the
Southern States to inaugurate anything like
LIBERAL and systematized schemes Of immigra-
ion. There was a project Of this kind before
ur last Legislature, Of the merits or demer-
Is of which we are not prepared to speak,
While Of the necessity of some well -considered
departure on the part Of the State to attract
ettlers, both from Europe and the North, can
ot be questioned. We believe the State
hould take hold of the matter, and "hand-
uff' our demands for labor to the North's
urplus OF humanity; still we think that !
rivate enterprise might afford measure of
elief and solution, limited though it may J
e, OF trouble that is felt both North and
outh. There are throughout all the South \,
IN States, and especially in Louisiana. large
andowners who are paying yearly enormous
axes on lands that yield them no returns
Vhatever. These lands have been inherited
L else acquired on loans that have resulted
] forced transfers Of titles. The actual re-
rms on these lands, when cultivated, prove :
hem to be the richest in the world in relative
tactical value. Yet their marketable value
rendered purely speculative by the uncer-
ainty Of labor. Why should not these large I
lnded proprietors originate some scheme of
to relieve themselves by settlinga
roductive population on these Improbable
ossessions? In any project they might set ,
foot we can see a practical result, and one
hich ordinary intelligence and good judg-
ent might easily attain, and to the great
,netit OF the State as well as of the individu-
S Immediately interested. We would be
lad to see some such organization effected in =
lis State, and we feel assured that it would
ceive proper encouragement from the State =
the proper time.