The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-04-30
EMIGRATION TO THE SOUTH,
| ED1roR DEMOCRAT

! i notice in the Home ana Farm,
very respectable agricultural pape
published at Louisville, KY. undei
the title of Letters to the Editor,
a gentleman writing from De Sott
County, Miss, and he takes the pc
sition that emigration to tue Soutl
would be great calamity. I quot'
| from his letter.
Bring to the South dense population,
and you bring to it scenes of poverty, DIES
titution aud other phases of human
misery, the degree and extent of which
can be inaged only by such as are familiar
with the flashing causes that lead to those
dreadful strikes that so often and so alal
mingly disturb those districts where labo
fails to feed the laborer.
He says in another portion of hi!
letter.
] certainly fail to see what benefit host
of agricultural emigrants would do to thu
| South, when her present population SWELL
| WV hOoo Z" LUZ ACA SbutlSSt plICC
| that poorly remunerate her producers
farmers raising ten million bales of cotto,
at DC "a SC per ib.-
and lie goes on to state that ate,
awhile, when the population would
become very dense, cotton would on
" be worth one cent per pound
This is simply nonsense. I cannot
conceive how q man who writes az
well rs this one does, could form
such an idea. 1t is utterly at vari
ance with the plainest principles OIL
political economy, and also of com
mon sense. It takes population to
make. a wealth will in
crease with the number Of the pro
ducers. The power and vigor Of q
country are found in its population,
According to this doctrine, Noah,
when he left the Ark, was in the
highest state Of agricultural prosper.
ity, aud Napoleon, at St. Helena, had
a very magnificent government. He
seems to think that every eu.igrant
to the South would be compelled to
raise cotton. Here we have every
diversity Of soil and climate. Some
could raise cotton, some sugar, some
tobacco, some rice, and 50 on, and
thereby make a variety Of produc.
tions-one of the great wants of the
South now. No country upon earth
exceeds the South in manufacturing
facilities, and this interest alone
would give profitable employment to
millions of people.
What 'he South most needs at this
time, is honest, well directed and in,
telligent labor, and the more the bet
ter. Let the hand Of industry buili
up our waste places, and make then
bloom like the rose. liza population
is frugal, sober, patient and indus
trious, their prosperity and happi
ness will follow as sure as effect
follows cause. and this truth appear,
upon the recording tablet of all pas
experience and time. Number makes
no difference. Here We have all tn,
elements to sustain a large popula
tion, and q large additional popula
ton will greatly increase the valu'
Of the property OF those who are al
really here. Land that is now WORT
$3.50 and $500 per acre will b
worth from $500 to $4,000. Th
State Of Mississippi contains nearl
$4,000 square miles, with popula
tion Of something over 100000
Massachusetts contains not quit
5000 square miles, with populatio
or nearly million and a half, an
} there is Eve times as much wealth i
Massachusetts as there is in Missis
sippi. It seems to me these fact
ought to convince the gentleman {
: the fallacy of his position. Til
! strikes" that the gentleman speak
Of are caused, in the Northern State
in part BY pernicious and corruE
legislation, and government al
ministered in the interest of q fe
politicians, and public men have 8,
the people deplorable example ,
extravagance and folly, aud rendere
them impatient, FESTIVE and turb'
!, lent by an utter disregard of the
rights and disgraceful violation
every principle Of morality, decent
' and common honesty. Crime, frat
and corruption have usurped Il
. places Of craftsmanship, PATRIOTS
: and fidelity. A grasping and u
scrupulous disposition on the part
the owners of capital has caused
Y conflict where there should be ha
mony. These are among the caus
J. Of Strikes" and the Republican pa
d ty is alone responsible. Let us g
/ back to the old landna rks. and hriJ