The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-03-01
rAeR1oULTURE AND nfr1aRAr1oN.

Now that the State has reRained her political
lndspendenoe. II is very necessary that there
to develop the asrioul uraI resources Of the
State. Louisiana is naturally and wholly an
agricultural State. and is destined 90 to remain.
labor. and aIi Intelligent planters are agreed
that negro labor is daily b. coming more and
more untrustworthy and inefHoient. II such
reliable as laborer, II would still be- desirable
that the State should have an increasing homo.
seaeous white population. To secure this she
that end there is needed. not spasmodlc ef-
fort, but persistent. systematic effort, kept up
until the object is accomplished.
Let The Legislature pass q bill establishing an
immisration agency. and spproprfatinR eer-
sn 9a q + psd t. b nnas
agricultural bureau, and The Immigration
AGENT to esabsS e Gag 9 tae soeess
every parish. collect through these sQcietlea
Information l as to, to how I much lsnd. of what
and ON what conditions. to travel abroad and
make arrangements for getting immigrants to
this State. He should be man Of pushing
With t6e German snd Freneh isnsua9 ). '
Il some such systematic plan is adopted and
faithfully carried out. there can be no doubt Of
couss @ L viii require few years r. to I show % Results.
- Respectfully Il. D. HAIsLIP.
Although wedissent from our correspondent
ON one special point, to wit: that Louisiana is
and must always be nothing more than an
agricultural State, since we consider that her
sugar factories and the introduction Of the
Clement cotton spinning mills ought to en-
title her to larger and more important clas-
sifioation- although We differ upon this one
point. 1t is nevertheless true that the Leg
islature cannot bestow too much attention on
the question Of immigration. We do not be-
lieve that this solicltude can be expressed
quite In the form suggested by Prof. Haislip.
for the constitution makes no provision for
the establishment of q separate Bureau OF
immigration, and. In the present condition OF
the public finances, we think 1t would be I'M
practicable, as we'll as inadvisable, to
60 beyond the explicit definitions OF
the fundamental law. II is competent, how
ever, to Join to the functions OF the Agricul-
tural Bureau the duty Of supervising and
promoting the immigration OF class OF
farming people as necessary adjunct OF the
bureau. All this is provided for In the con-
stitution. and It is by this channel that the
end must be reached.
Two bills have already been presented, one
In the House and another In the Senate, each
contemplating practically the same object.
The Senate bill gives slightly more promi-
nence to immigration than does the House
bill, but they substantially embrace the same
object and are entitled to the most Thought
ful consideration OF the Legislature. The OBJ
jections which have been offered-that the
State cannot afford to incur the expense-are
to our mind untenabIe. The expense is
limited to $4,000 under any circumstances,
and 1t would seem that tho State is not sunk
quite 30 deep In poverty as to be unable to go
to that outlay. Furthermore, and this is the
chief argument OF ALL the results OF we'll
conducted immigration bureau are far
more urgently needed now than they
would be II the State were prosperous. These
TO- 600 600 acres OF Idle lands, this lack OF popu-
lation, this desrth of industry-here are the
of our poverty. and these are CAUSES
which can best be removed through the
medium OF immigration. 1t is because the
State is poor that we need bureau OF immi-
grafton. II the State were prosperous and
her resources In 9 fair way Of development
the need would not exist The fact is that
the arguments brought forward by the oppo-
nents Of the measure are the most eloquent
and convincing arguments In Its favor.
Mr.. Walton, Of the Senate, took practically
these grounds In his support of the bill day
or two ago. and to US his position seems un-
Rnswerable. The same thought must occur
to every patriotic and intelligent citizen who
the subject seriously for O single
moment.