St. Landry democrat., 1884-01-19

The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES asks why
is it that the stream of emigration from
Europe. etc., flows across Louisiana,
.unmindful of the fertility of her soil,
to seek the less productive soil of Tex
asg" Very recently lot of Italian inn
migrants were discovered in New Or
leans, in a starving and freezing eondi-
ton. What, therefore, do we want with
immigrants, unless they are rich ones?
The Capitolian- Advocate, in answering
its own question, says:
It is because the go-ahead people of
Texas and the Northwest are flooding the
sources of emigration with minute de-
seriptions of the undevelOped resources
of those sections, which descriptions
are distributed by active agents, who
direct the destination OF the emigrant
before he leaves his home.
We suspect that it was just snch pen
pictures that brought the Italian immi-
grants to New Orleans, to freeze and
starve, or be a burden on the charity of
their neighbors. Illuminated pictures
of plenty, comfort and nothing to do,
deluded thousands of negroes to leave
the South and go to Kansas. Poor peo-
pie who are doing well at home, had
better stay there; and we do not think
tIf1s country will be any the better for
being oyerrun with paupers, to become
tramps, socialists, to starve and freeze.
We think it is about time for the Unit
ed States to have its stomach full of
immigrants. But in regard to Texas,
it was mainly settled by poor people,
or those of limited means, from the
Southern States. They fought the In
dams and Mexicans, and organized a
government. Many poor people have
gone there, (delnded by those glowing
descriptions,1 have been disappointed,
and became too poor to get away. We
know this to be a fact, from reliable
witnesses who have traVersed Texas.
But the rich immigrants who have late
ly gone there, are now stirring up lit
tie He'll between themselves and the
old settlers. The latter have roamed
over the prairies OF Western Texas,
with their herds of cattle and horses for
many years, and they were happy.
Now all is changed. Capitalists, many
of whom probably did not make their
money ligitimately, have gone in and
bought up the land from the govern
ment and fenced it, and shut the old
settlers out. They have bought the
land in some cases not solidly, but il a
string of sections enclosing an immense
quantity of land not belonging to them
Ia fence on their own land enclosed all
this. In this way they often fence in
all the water in an immense region of
country. The old stock raisers, who
are comparatively poor think this is un-
just, and that they have right to use
this land and water and they have re-
sorted to cutting the fences. The
whole State of Texas is now in commo-
ton over this subject, and the legisla-
tyre will have to pass some law in re-
gard to it, as the administration of JUS
tice as it now stands can not cope with
it. It is best not to go too fast in regard
to immigration. The poor ones will
but make us poorer, and the rieh ones
will cause discomfort among our own
people. The recent large sales of tim
Der lands at nominal price by this
State to Northern buyers, has already
caused dissatisfaction. As population
Increases beyond certain point mis-
ery increases, and the sum Of happiness
decreases.
Justice is swift and sure in France,