Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-27
The Immigrant is Wanted.


Our esteemed contemporary the Atlanta
Constitution, in an article on the 'PRcid
South" SAYS:
The negro has settled the question Of
| foreign immigration, and has settled II
satisfactorily. The kind OF immigration
/ that Georgia and the South need and de-
sire is the immigration Of capital land
capitalists. We have no land here Tor
! squatters; we have no land TO give away.
Yes, the negro has, apparently, settled
the question of foreign immigration, but
has be settled it satisfactorily: He IS
barrier which the foreign immigrant does
not attempt to pass, and will not perhaps,
but if 1t did not exist, or If it were much
less formidable, it is probable that the
foreign immigrant would not be so great
/ a stranger in the Southern States as he is.
We do not think that the negro has set
tied the question of foreign immigration
satisfactorily. He may be a good enough
aborer, but he develops into thrifty
taxpayer very slowly He has very little
ambition to get a home for himself. II
entire dependence is had upon the negro
it will be many years before this or any
other Southern State presents the pros
porous and thrifty appearance which
characterizes the Western States.
The foreign immigrant is not always a
common labOrer-that is, he does not in
tend to pass his life IN working by the
day or month for somebody else. His
ambition, in nearly every instance, is to
become a property-holder, and success
generally crowns his efforts. The great
ness Of the West is largely due to the
foreign immigrant. The German, the
Norwegian and the Swede have dotted the
prairies all over with supurb farms.
Their homes, farms. orchards and vine
yards comprise great part OF the wealth
of the States of the West and Northwest.
Why shouldn't Georgia want these foreign
immigrants? What does it matter if they
do not come to us with a pocket full Of
money! They have health, strength and
ambition. They are thrifty and ecOnomi-
cal. A few years Is sufficient for them to
earn comfortable home. and many of
them succeed in accommodating handsome
properties. They make good citizens,
and are careful to educate ana train their
children properly.
There are millions Of acres of unoccu-
pied lands in this State that can be had
for from 50c. to 81 an acre. The proba-
bilities are that these lands Will lie idle
for many years unless something is done
to induce the foreign immigrant to come
into the State. With his assistance the
wealth Of Georgia can be quickly doubled.
1t is all well enough to talk about capital
and capitalists, but capitalists will not
put their money into railroads until they
feel certain that somebody is going to cul-
tlyate the lands which are tributary to
them, and upon the products of which the
roads must depend for business. OF
course we want capital and capitalists, but
they want the foreign immigrant. When
the illinOig Central railroad was being
built extraordinary exertions were made
to secure the settlement OF the lands
along the entire line of road. Great IN
ducements were held out to foreign immi-
grants. Was not the policy a wise one?
The local traffic of that railroad is enor-
nous, and is its chief source of income.
Immigrants are wanted here in Georgia,
and, in fact, in all the Southern States, to
turn the unOccuppied lands into small
and productive farms. Capital will
quickly find it's way into a prosperous
and productive country. 1t is mistake
to suppose that the foreign immigrant is
not wanted in the South. The immigrant
is wanted whether he comes from Europe,
or from the North or West.