St. Landry democrat., 1881-07-30
Immigration.

by the committee that was appointed
by the meeting which was held some
time since at the Courthouse, for the
purpose Of taking steps to organize an
immigration society in this parish, have
fixed day for mass meeting to con-
slider their proposed plan Of organiza-
ton. 1t is safe to predict that the mass
meeting will be comparatively very
small mass, because when you take the
professional men, merchants, news
paper men, land spectators, etc, out
OF our population of over forty thou
sand souls, the rest are nearly all in
different to or positively opposed to
immigration. Lawyers are in favor OF
immigration, because the number OF
their clients are thereby increased !;
physicians are, because there is an in
creased demand for their services; the
clergy are, because their congregations
are increased merchants are, because
their customers become more numerous !;
mechanics are for the same reason and
publishers of papers are, because an
increase of population tends to increase
their business. But we do not think
many of these classes in this parish, are
able or willing if able to appropriate
any great amount of money or land to
draw immigrants here. helandowners
are the main, and we may say the sole
reliance for carrying out this part of
the necessary prOgramme-mOney or
land, or both are necessary to draw any
considerable number of immigrants.
From these must be eliminated all
landowners who are not land specula-
tors, or have not large tracts Of land for
sale. Practically therefore the means
for bringing immigrants here must
come from that small class who have
more land than it is financially healthy
for them to keep. There are a great
many people in this parish who own no
land at all, but dwell on governme mt
land; it is safe to say that everyone of
these are positively opposed to immi-
grafton. They have lived for genera
tons on land which, though they have
no legal title to, is practically their
own, for what they do not occupy in
person, is occupied 10y their herds of
horses and cattle; they were con tented
and happy in the past, and they are so
now, and they will naturally look with
disfavor Oh any scheme that will inter-
fere with the prescriptive rights by
occupancy Of themselves and herds.
Our large stockowners also are not in
favor of immigration, in those sections,
at any rate, where their cattle range.
That large class Of small farmers, who
do their own work, and who own only
their farm or homestead and do not
wish to sell that, is opposed to immi-
grafton, for several reasons: the I'M
occupied land in their neigi.l cc:.hoods
they prefer to remain so, for their
cattle to range on at present, and for
the benefit of their children hereafter,
and not for the benefit of alien immi-
grants; and because, the influx Of i'm
migrants would cause an increase in
the nominal value Of lands, and while
their farms would yield no more cotton
or corn per acre, and be of no more
practical value to them, they would
have to pay more taxes. immigration
therefore means to them: increased
taxation without any real increase in
the value Of their property; deprivine
them Of the use Of the unQccupied lands
for purposes of pasturage; and pre-.
| venting the same from becoming 6
heritage for their descendants. This il
not new country, it is an old one
| Our present large population is almost
entirely the growth from few wht
| settled here several generations ago
The people have always been accus
| toned to "elbow room," and they d.
not like to be crowded. They do no
emigrate, because southwestern Louis
lana is about as near a natural earthl,
paradise as can be found under thu
sun and as they do not emigrate them
selves, they do not wish to be crowdet
out by immigrants. There is anothe
class: the large farmers or plan ters
who are always in search Of laborers
| They would like to have immigrants a
plantation laborers, if their labor i
better than negro labor. But so ia,
experience has shown that they can no
| get along with any except the niger
and negro labor will no doubt be til
principal labor on the large plantation
in the cotton States for long time t
come. This class therefore will no
take much stock in immigration for
the white immigrants will not till thei
plantations, they have no use for then
The sinews of war;" therefore, to brin
: immigrants hither, must be furnishe
!, by those who have land for sale-by til
land spectators. Is this class so abl
and so numerous as to have the necessar
, means In the first place, to get immi
, grants certain Instructions have to |
removed, and certain inducements O.
fered. We know there is a prejudic
against both our people and our clinats
; this has to be overcome, and the natur
t advantages Of the country made man
> fest to the world Of immigrants. The
what extra inducements will be offere
, over and above those offered in Oth'
sections where immigrants are accu
: toned to going and where they wi
naturally continue to go unless SON
, adenuata influence is brought to be-