The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1880-03-20
Emigration.
White Labor for the South.

Emigration.
White Labor for the South.
Editor Of the N. O. Times:
In your edition of September,
1879, I wrote a communication Oh
the subject of the exodus then 60
ing on among the negroes by
their moving to Kansas and the
necessity of bringing white labo
rers to take their place on our
sugar and cotton plantations.
Since that date the tide of ennis
grafton has turned to Indiana,
which State is now being rapidly
filed up by the colored people,
leaving mauy plantations in want
of laborers, Which want in my
opinion, can on]g be supplied by
white men. I hare read comments
on this subject p several Of our
Southern papers as to this move
ment of white laborers; most
prominently, the Shreveport
Tiyes, Sugar Bowl, Capitolian,
Country Vlsitoh Thibodaux Sen
tiuel, Sabine Iu1ex, Farmersville
Gazette, Jackson Clarion, and
many others inItheir conclusions
coincide with minc.
Now, sir, there never was a
time when white emigrants could
be more easily secured than at
this moment. In Ireland. accord
ing to statistics by the New York
Herald, there are some $4,000
souls in want Of food and cloth
ing, depending OH charity for a
living. Many die daily from star
walton and sickness. Now that
We are called on to contribute for
their relief, and subscriptions are
flowing for this cause, cannot we
in this State, form an immigra
ton aid society, and bring some
of these peopM TO work on our
plantations. l will guarantee
they will refund the party employ
ing them their passage money by
installments, give more satisfac
ton and work more faithfully for
the same wages as paid our pres
ent labor. These men would work
all the week, from Monday morn
ing till Saturday night. They
would know no holidays, but
work all the time.
The passageper steamship to
New Orleans would be about thir
ty dollars each. This is cheaper
than labor can be brought from
Virginia or any Of the Eastern
States. Then by not
bring men WHIP will become good
citizens uuda our government
and the United States-whe
will i" time acquire property Of
their own, thus helping to build
mp our State 7 The great draw
back to white labor is the misera
bic cabins that nearly all of our
plantations have for their accom-
mediation. White men are not
nor have been accustomed to
these description of dwellings,.
They require : clean. comfortable
cabin OF two apartments, with suf
ficient garden lot to grow vegeta
bles on, etc. They have this where
they come from, and were they
comfortably provided for in this
country, they will become perlaa
neat residents, and do honor to
our State /; but white men will not
locate on our plantations where
the cabins provided for them in
many instances are little better
than hog pens
Planters improve your cabins.
offer inducements to white labor.
and i'll a short time you will have
an abundance of it, which will
largely tend to increase your yield
both Of sugar and cotton, as
white men GU the Teche and Las
f0urche have demonstrated this
fully by the results of their labor.
The Irish want to be land own
ers where in the world does
such an opportunity offer as in
the South. The United States
owns millions OF acres which can
be homesteaded at a cost of about
thirty dollars for every 100 acres.
The State also has large quaint
ties OF land which can be bought
cheap, as also private parties. Va
cant lands can be purchased from
fifty cents per acre up. Would
not this tempt emigration to our
midst. We have bad emancipa-
ton for over sixteen years. How
many of this class have acquired
any property during that time
or how many are rs well off as
they were at tue close of tue war ?
| think vey few. But with white
'men III their place, at least, one
half OF them would, in that time
nave Decome land owners and tax
payers, thus contributing to the
wealth and revenues. of our State.
Every able bodied man coming
amongst us is estimated to cons
tribute about one thousand dol