The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-02-22
Immigration.


The Immigration bill which has passed
the Senate is pending in the House. Is
IS unnecessary to repeat the truism that
no country can be prosperous without
the development of her resources, and
this cannot be accomplished without a
thrifty, industrious population. It is
idle to say that the population Of Missis-
sippi is adequate to the development Of
her resources. Her broad expanse Of
waste lands attest the contrary. 1t is
idle to deprecate the incoming of a
thrifty population from Europe, or the
North, as some of our correspondents
have done, ON the assumption that they
will bring with them habitudes Of
thought, religion and government diff
ferent from those of our resident popu-
lation. 1t has been the boast Of our
government from its infancy that it is
an asylum for the oppressed. 1t IS too
late to theorize against foreign immi-
grafton. 1t has been powerful factor
in building up and enriching too many
territories, which have grown to be
great Commonwealth, to admit Of
argument against it.
The negro population, which fur
nishes a considerable part of the agri-
cultural labor of our STATE, is leaving
the hill country and crowding into the
swamps, where the fertile soil, when
tickled with the hoe, laughs with an
abundance of cotton. This movement
Of the colored population will be ex-
eeler ted when the projected railroads
are finished in that region. But the
negro win not supply the demand for
agricultural labor there. 1t must be
found elsewhere, and also a population
to fill the vacancies in the hill counties
as they are called.
In connection with the incr ease in the
numbers coming to the United States
abroad, must be remembered the fact
that there remain only $4,000, 900
acres of arabic land still for occupancy
in the United States, and the beginning
of the end of the period when desirable
agricultural homes may be bad for the
occupancy, is here Some Of our East
ern contemporaries, given to speculation
on this subject, aver that the year 1888
will see all the lands of the United
States set down as arabic, occupied
or taken, and then will begin tie
competition Of British America which it
is claimed, has 200, 900, 900 Of arabic
land unoccupied, and which can be had
almost for the asking. To compete sue
cessfaiIy IN Obtaining population, as we
have said before, vii! require the exPen-
diture of some money. 1t will be need
ed to secure competent agents, and for
the dissemination Of pamphlets, maps,
etc., containing such information as set
tiers will naturally want to have. And
the newcomers must be assured Of sey:
eral things also, besides, cheap and fer
tile lands They must be assured OF
kind treatment, federation in their re-
ligion and politics; and if they are from
the Northern States, especially, they
must be assured of the right of a +" free
ballot and a fair count, the right
preservative of ali rights" Their recep-
tions should not be chilly, but cordial,
for they will come to stay and to share
our fortunes. Besides, they ought to
have an assurance by positive legisla-
tive enactment that the capital which
actual immigrants invest in agriculture
shall be exempt from taxation for a
reasonable length of time. In this
movement landowners are interested.
Merchants are interested. Manuf.c-
.turers are interested. Railroads afe in
terested. So are professional men. Pop
ulation such as We need, and hope to
get. makes wealth for the State, and
makes business for everybody.