The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-03-21

What "a Prominent New York
Editor Says.

Editor Says.
mes-Democrat
The following address was deliver
ed before the Southern lmmigratiou
Soclcty's convention on 18th inst. by
Mr.. John Fredercks, Of New York
City, editor Of Der Neue .Suedcn (lhe
New South), paper devoted TO the
general development Of the Southern
/ States, immigration and colonization
in our section Of the county. lie said =;
1t should be considered as 4 good
! omen if Northern editors come down
/ to the extreme end Of the South to
attend a convention which dcIiberatcs
about the ways and mgans to develop
and utilize the great natural resources
of the Southern States.
We in the North and East know
what you need. Yen have enough
brains, but you need muscle and mo-
Iney from the outside world to reap
the benefit Of what nature has So
bounlifuIly bestowed upon You.
The Southern States Of the United
State, are as rich in nearly all the
material elements which are necessary
to make country wealthy aud pros.
perOns as any country under the sun.
With mild, beautiful climate, which
permits work all the year round, mil
lions If acres Of rich alluyiaI land
which is practically ineXhaustible and
which can be bought in fec simple in
many cases for less than third of the
value of It's annual product vast fields
of coal and iron easily mined and
marketed; the precious metals in pay
ing quantities in every State, it only
needs the presence Of an industrious,
thrifty population to make the South
what nature intended it to be, the
garden spot of the United States, and
the richest section of the New World.
How to get the population is the
question which it behooves those who
have the true interests of the South
at heart to solve. Every year hun
drcds Of thousands Of just the class
of people that the South need for its
full development come to this coun-
try. The hardy mouutaineers from
Switzerland, the hard working peas
antry Of Germany, and the thrifty
scandinavian farmers come to this
country in countless thousands, seek !
ing to make for themselves new homes.
They, with hardly an exception, make |
the very best citizens Coming here |
to stay, they readily adapt themselves
to the habits and customs Of the coun-
try, and take an intelligent interest in
the affairs Of the government.
1t is conceded that immigrants from |
Germany, Switzerland and Austria
have been the pioneers in the bound |
less West, and principally to them,
their economy, thrift and industry are
we indebted for its wonderful deyel- |
opment They are neither exacting
in their demands upon communities,
nor do they expect fayors Inconsistent
with our American institutions. 1t is
the German immigrant that will work
out q needfuI change in the agricul-
tural system of the South by bringing
forth greater diversity of products
But il is not only behind the plow
that German immigrants have proven
themselves desirable they are equally |
valuable and reliable in mines, mills,
and other branches of indus
try. Their main desire is to create q
home and become good citizens. |
The Southern States have been as
yet unable to get anything like fair
share of this immigration. The fail
lre to do so has been due to many
causes. Among the most potent has
been the lack Of enterprise in dissem-
mating information 10 regard to the
many advantages possessed by the
South as a field of industry, and the
correction of the erroneous idea many
Of these people have as to the char
acter of the Southern country and the
Southern people The idea prevails
10 some quarters that the South is one
vast fever-plagued swamp and its in.
labitants a sort of half-horse, half
animal, who makes of him
self walking arsenal, and who takes
. great delight 10 carving up inno-
cent emigrants. This idea has, un-
been fosteTed TO great
iegree by the partisan political press
IF the country, which, IN its anxiety to
;urther the interests of some candi-
late for Office, does not hesitate to
SANDER an entire people. These i'm
,ressions must be corrected before
here will be any great influx Of In
migration.
The South before the war was a
surely agricultural country. The curse
# slavery divided the people into two
Instinct classes--the very rich and the !