Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-07-12


One of the ways to bring to our county
prosperity and thrift, is to encourage
immigration. This fact is generally ac-
knowledged. but there are some men
who think tho idea u tallacy-first. be-
cause, they say, prosperity is not meas
ured by the uumper of inhabitants in any
given section ; and. second, because they
do not believe immigrants can be in
duced to settle on our high priced lands
when they a purchase lands further
west at merely nominal prices.
These objections, though frequently
made, are not good, and the sooner our
people learn that they are not, the better
it will be for the community. 1t may be
perfectly true that people may be happy
and contented In a sparsely settled coun-
try, but that is not the question here.
| The times are progressive, and we live
not only IN an age of quick thought and
rapid action. but in the midst OF the en-
| gines of civilization. which have wrought
such a change in the affairs of the world
during the past century. Living thus it
| will not do to talk and act as ii we were
existing either in the pioneer ways or
days OF Missouri. We have a beautiful, a
| fertile and a salubrIous country "a country
I where all the elements have been mixed
by a kind providence as if with an es-
pecial view to the happiness and COM
fort of manklnd--b our farms are too
large to be well cultivated and our farm
houses are too tar apart to afford us those
facilities of eduration and social IN
~tercourse which are so desirable. Acres
which are now producing ten bushels
can be made. by better tillage. to pro-
duce twenty and acres now held at thirty
dollars can easily thereby be doubled In
value. A greater population will insure
better roads and bridges better schools
and churches. and Tighten taxation by a
distribution of the burdsn.
As to the objection that immigration
will not come to our lands at fifteen to
forty dollars per acre while lands may
be bought in Kansas and Texas ut from
one to ten dollars, we believe that it a
be demonstrated beyond q doubt that im-
proved farms in Missouri, owing to the
general depression Of business, can be
bought for the value OF the improve
ments alone, reckoned at present prices,
so as to make the land absolutely a free
gift. And no matter where the immi-
grant goes he must have these improve
ments. The character OF the immigra-
ton which is going to Kansas, though
admirably adapted to the country II is
seeking, and well calculated frSm its
training to build up Its waste places. is
not what we need here, We can only be
benefited by an inflx of people who are
able. not only-s0 buy. but to till and i'm
prove QHaf lands. To do this requires
some capital, but there IS no doubt that
such people may be persuaded to com
among us-persons now living upon
much higher priced but very inferior
lands, can easily be induced to make the
change; but what have we done. or what
are we doing, to attract their attention?
Nothing. And there is the secret of the
lack of immigration to Missouri of late.
Not that We can or ought to expect such
all immigration in numbers as is flowing
into Texas and Kansas, but we should
have and can have such an immigration
as is better adapted to our necessities.
and in numbers sufficient to reinstate the
value OF our lands, and make real estate
convertible at its true worth. without
trouble, which has not been the case dur
ing the last few years.
While we have been inert, scarce
thinking of the subject, Texas and Kan
sas have been flooding the east and
north with advertisements. Their rail-
roads and their counties have had agents
at every cross roads giving information,
furnishing free transportation to inqui-
rers, and assisting in the formation OF
| colonies. 1t is time, now, that Missouri
was up and doing in the Use The leg
islature. at its recent session, pass
ed a law creating q state board of
immigration. The law was printed
in these columns last week. Under
this law auxiliary immigration societies
should be formed in every county, and
Lafayette canno act too Don We hope
that some of our citizens will take I'M
mediate steps in the matter, and at the
suggestion of some of their number.
we shall take pleasure in printing. gra-
tuitously, a call for a meeting looking to
| that end.