Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-11

Foreign Immigrants.
Florida is growing rapidly in wealth
and population. A few years ago many
Of the investors in Florida real estate sold
their possessions in that State because
they thought that the Florida boom
wouldn't last much longer, and that there
/ would be a sudden and heavy fall in the
market value Of lots and lands. They
were mistaken, and they are very sorrow
now that they acted so hastily. In the
favored localities land commands better
price now than it ever did.
Florida's prosperity is due largely to
the wise and liberal policy which the State
government has pursued with respect TO
immigration. Immigrants have been en-
cOuraged TO make their homes in the State
by every fair and honorable means. The
result is that Florida, although her lands
are by no means as fertile as those of some
other Southern States, Is advancing with
marvellous rapidty in about everything
that makes a rich and powerful State.
The Florida people are not afraid OF
foreign immigrants and they are not
afraid that by encouraging foreign immi-
grafton the State will become so crowded
that their children will be elbowed into
the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulfof Mexico.
They have a warm welcome for immi-
grants VINO promise to become good citi-
zens, come from where they may.
A London cablegram TO the New York
Tunes says that J. s. TAFT, the organizer
otthe scheme for great Scotch colony in
Florida, sailed from that city last Thurs
day The first installment Of his colony,
consisting of fifty families, will sail from
Glasgow on Nov. %. Each family has
from $500 to 100000 Lands have already
been secured for them. Mr.. TAFT says
that within the next few years he expects
TO move one thousand Scotch families to
Florida. II does not take a
very vivid imagination TO pic
ture what this Scotch colony will
do for Florida. In ten years from the
date Of its location, il it prospers as there
is every reason to expect that it will, it
will have added many millions Of dollars
to the taxable wealth Of the State. Lands
that would otherwise have remained UNI
cultivated and unproductYe, perhaps for
half century or more, will have been
changed in that time into valuable farms
and gardens. at
A few days ago the MORNING NEWS
printed an article pointing out the ad-
yantages to be derived by
this 5 ate from foreign immigration.
The article was commended by some and
condemned by others. Those who con-
demned it are conservative, well mean
ing people, who, like Gov. Ireland, Of
Texas, object to foreign immigration be-
cause they want the land for their chill
dren. In another column will be found a
communication from one OF these con-
servatives. He seems to think that the
Introduction Of foreigners would upset the
existing order Of things entirely, and hat
an extra police force would be required to
keep the peace. Does any one
believe that the thousand Scotch
families who are going to Florida
under Mr.. Taits agency will require an
extra force OF police to keep them in
order? AS matter of fact they will help
TO create in any community, in which
they may locate, greater respect for
law. They will never do anything that
Will shock the people among whom they
may settle half as much as they them
selves will be shocked by some of the
crimes OF violence that are not unfre-
quently committed in some Of the out
lying Florida counties by natives.
Last year there landed at the port Of New
York from foreign ports 356, 9O6 passengers,
most Of whom were immigrants. These
immigrants, as arule, found homes in the
West. Very few Of them sought homes
in the South. They knew nothing about
the Southern States, excepting, perhaps,
The States OF Florida and Texas. Little
effort is made to draw the attention of
immigrants TO other Southern states than
the two mentioned, because so many of
me people are afraid that they will be-
come cramped for room, or that the intro
duction of foreign immigrants will
require the employment OF an ad-
ditional police force. II the West had
been governed by any such fears, would
the West be the populous and wealthy
section that it isi