The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1881-07-23

0Ur &-xsxm 10 secure imam - r-z1zxs.
From the n. o. Times.
We were gratified some DAYS ago 70
see the statement in Northern paper
that the immigration agents of some Oh
| the Southern States were at Castle
Garden, New York, irving to indHce
immigrants to settle in the South.
These agents have made a move in the
right direction, and we have no doubt
that they viii meet with reasonable
amount of success The immigration
agents who tilt themselves back in
their chairs and rest their feet on their
desks, day in and day ont, from one
years end to another, and content
themselves with drawing their salaries,
need no. expect TO benefit their States
to any great extent. Immigrants from
Europe do not settle in the South for
two reasons The first is that, with
the exception of Texas, they know
nothing about the Sonth, and, the
second is, that their inclination is to
go where their friends are, viz, to the
West Immigrants from Europe will
eontinne to go West unless our immi-
grafton authorities display more ener-
gy and ability. The fact is, there are
fewer foreigners in the South than
there were ten wears ago. A com
parison between the census returns of
1870 and 1880 shows that in 1870
Georgia had l,l29 foreigners and in
1880 only 1885. In 1870 Louisiana
had 6l,S2T foreigners and in 1880 the
number had decreased to 54,l39.
South Carolina in 1870 had 6704 and
in 1880, 7641. In Mississippi in the
ten years mentioned the number de-
creased from 1,l9. to DIGS; in Ala |
bama from 1862 to 96T3, and in Ten |
nessee from 1886 to 1852. This |
decrease in the foreign population
does not speak well for the Southern
States. Before the war there was a
good reason why foreigners did not
settle in the South. There is no rea-
son now. That there is no reason,
either fancied or real, is proven by the
TACT that Texas gets ms many English
md German immigrants as any State
N the Union. Why do immigrants
ayoid other Southern States! For no
1ther reasons than the ones We have
They know nothing about
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and
other Southern States, and the irnmi-
grafton authorities of these States
or other fail to make them
acquainted with the advantages which
these States possess. If, for instance,
we could get dozen families to locate
in some one of our best parishes, they
would do more towards getting other
German families to locate in the State
han all the immigration literature
which our commissioner of immigra-
ion sends ont. We had better spend
! Thousand dollars in indncing few
Icrman families to locate in some of I
'nr hill parishes than to spend FIVE
lines that amount in publishing lot
Vt stuff that seldom, or never, reaches
he source where it is possible for it TO
10 good. What we want in this State
5 not iaborers TO work our plantations,
'ut immigrants who will carve out of
'ur nncultiyafed or half cultivated
an,ls farms for themselves. We want
who are ambitious and
thrifty, and who, in time, will become
aina,le and progressive citizens. We
rant men who will seek to own land
# their own, and who will not be salts
ed TO labor all their lives for some
ody else. 1t is easy, of course, to say
HAT we want, but how are we TO get
be kind of immigrants we desire! h
he WAY 10 get them is to first get
ne, two or half dozen families to
rttle in an attractive part of the State.
o get these families VIC can afford to i
pend our whole immigration fund for
year. If they are satisfnd and pros
erOus they will write encouraging let
RS TO their friends at home in the old /,
ountry. 1t viii not be long before :
ley will be joined by Others, and in ,
lis way stream of immigration will
e started in this direction which will ,
eadily grow in proportions, until our 4
Dpes in the matter Of immigration !
III be realized. We commend this /
an to onr commissioner of immigra- !
on. We think he can spend money q
ith more benefit to the State in car
ing 1t ont than he can in assisting to j
ing Spanish and Portuguese peasants i
ere 10 become laborers on our planta- i
Dns. Z