Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-13
BALD FACTS BOLDLY PUT.
COMPARISONS THAT THE SOUTH
OUGHT TO STUDY.
What Foreign Immigration Has Done
for the Northern States-GeorgiA in
1860 and ISSO-The Road to Wealth and
Prosperity Pointed Out-Read and
Profit by What You Read
MEMPHIS, TENN, Nov. 9, 1885,

MEMPHIS, TENN, Nov. 8, 1885.
MesSrs. II. N. Conner and John Screuen,
SdUdRndh, Ga:
GENTLEMEN-I cannot refrain from
congratulating Savannah on inaugural
ing a measure so fruitful of great good to
the entire South, as the convention she
proposes to hold on the 25th inst, in order
to induce congress to improve the harbors
of some of the South Atlantic cities. For
70 years the South has been the
step-child OF the nation; the
North Atlantic and the lake cities, the
favored daughters. But no one in the
South should complain of this; for, what
ever benefits any part OF this Union, helps
all other parts TO greater or less extent.
The rains which bring big crops TO A. and
b., will enable their neighbors q. and ID.
to buy corn cheaper, though they may
have had no rains.
Therefore, let no one envy the North
and Northwest their good luck; but let all
the United States appeal to the generosity
and liberality Of that entire North TO aid
the South In winning some Of the national
aid which has contributed to the wealth
and prosperity of that North Atlantic and
Lake region.
The prime, most imperative and most
important want of the South is
POPULATION.
Not population of ignorant, uneduoa-
ted, careless, unthrifty people, whose only
interest in the soil is to gather and con-
sumo its annual crops; who care not to
plant an orchard or make any improve
ments, because they are here to-day and
gone tomorrow. But the great want OF
the South, from Richmond to the Florida
kQVg awpnpiuU VyaatNvo rd n tho vUaafprr
confines Of Missouri, Arkansas and Texas,
is the healthtul, invigoratlng presence OF
population who are owners, not mere
renters of the soil, and whose ties OF inter-
est, education. and intelligence bind them
to the soil as they bind us. Let me invite
your attention TO few facts that prove
how potent for good and grand results
is community when moved by one COM
mon impulse to win these results.
WHEN OUR FIRST CENSUS WAS TAKEN
IN 1890
the free States, as then called, had pOpu-
lation Of about 1900, 900, the slave States
100000, a difference Of 300, 600 souls. The
line regarded as dividing the free from the
slave States was Mason aud Dixon's, the
same line which divided Maryland from
Pennsylvania. Everything west of Vir-
ginia and Pennsylvania was territory.
Ninety years later our last census was
taken. Mark the change made in three
generations. The population of the whole
Union was then 50,l50, 600; $4,000, 600, all
white, north of that same line; 100000,
one third negroes, south of that Mason
and Dix0n's line? Why that difference in
the increase Of population in the North
and the South! ItcannOthe charged to ma
tive population; but it is due to the steady
influx Of Europeans during the past fifty
years, nearly all settling north of that
line.
Prior to 1S40-'45 all vessels crossing the
Atlantic were moved by sails. Then came
steamships which soon brought to our
shores, in one year, as many foreigners as
sailing vessels would bring In five years.
Speed, comfort, and safety more than
quadruDled the number of immigrants;
and as these mostly came from the cold
countries of Europe, they naturally
sought like ATTITUDES here. Landing at
the North Atlantic seap0rts, the capital
lists of those cities who had spent millions
of dollars in building great trunk line
railroads leading out West, and many
more millions in buying up lands
In that West at low figures, natur-
ally desired TO direct those foreigners
to those lands over their roads, and the
leading merchants of those North Atlantic
cities helped this movement in order TO
reap the fruits of trade which seemed
so promising in the near future.
Thus gradually sprang up an empire
west OF the States OF New York and Penn
syIvania, and with this rapid increase of
population and wealth came
CONGRESSIONAL STRENGTH
that nearly doubled itself every decade.
Thus New England, the Lake and the
great Western States have been working
in harmony for fifty years, each section
promoting the interests OF the other and all
enjoying the favor Of the Federal Govern
ment to an almost limitless extent, in
congressional appropriations OF all kinds.
Bat let us OF the South not complain.
Let us say, "Help us now, for we need
that help"
POPULATION AGAIN.
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are
older than Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
They have softer climate, more and lar
ger rivers, as rich "A soil, and can raise in
vast abundance, II they lCut, all food,
fruits, etc, sustaining man or beast. Be-
sides this they raise cotton, rice ana
sugar, which are not raised at the
North. Yet, with all these advantages,
these three Southern States were FAR be-
hind the three Ohio valley States ia 1880
in population. wealth aud prosperity. In
1880 there were in this Union 6,700,000
f0' eign born people, and only 1900 OF
these In the South; 100000 in the
Nortbl Ohio has II 900 square miles OF
territory. Louisiana has 1900 miles.
Ohio had IS souls 20 the mile ia 1880;
Louisiana only POI Indiana and Illinois
have nearly the same area with Missis-
sippi and Alabama, but the former two
States had 30 people per square mile in
1880, while the latter two had but 24l
The whole thing is summed up in
this brief statement, found in
last census reports, 70 wit: that. at the
North there is a foreigner for every 3 ma
tives. In the South, there Is a foreigner
for every 40 ma ives aud in the cotton
States only foreigner for every l25 na-
tivesl
THE SOUTH NEEDS MORE FOREIGNERS.
In New York, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, One-third OF the population is
foreign born.
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois were but a
vast wilderness - years ago; but the mil
lions or people brought into their territory
by railroads during the past 30
years, and the descendants Of the
first immigrants, have developed
that region until the former wilderness
is made 10 blossom with all the comforts,
luxuries, etc, which man can crave.
Cannot a Ike result be won in the
SOUTH Cannot our population be greatly
increased by like hardy immigration
which has enriched the North from BOs-
ton TO COlOradOi Cannot the products Of
their farms aud factories be turned TO-
wards south Atlantic citlosf
The Mississippi valley States-hfteen--