Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1886-01-01
immigration to Maryland.

EiSolous anu plaCtlCdl measures ItSoTltil
to in other of the Southern States and in
the West to this end and the great adj
vancement of their material interests aud
internal wealth which has resulted there
from. But, although the proposition has
received some sanction at The hands of the
more public spirited press of the State, the
measure has not, in recent years, received
the serious consideration of the Legisla-
ture.
At the meeting of the Farmers Conven-
ton in Baltimore ely last year, a rts,lu-
ton was adopted requesting the Legisla,
ture to adopt some practical measure look
| ing to the encourage of immigration
to the State. 1t is hoped The prestige of
this recommendation, bearing rs it does
the endorsement of the agricultural inter
est of the whole State, if properly seconded
by the press, may result in arousinS the
coming Legislature to the importance OF
the question and effect the enactment of a
suitable law on the subject.
Some provision in this behalf did farm
erly exist on the stature books of the State.
Prior to the adoption of the present con-
sitution in 1867, there were officers APP
pointed by law know as the "Commis
sioner of immigration" and Immigration
Agent" whose duties were defined with
some precision and which, if properly dis
charged, would have resulted in much
practical advantage to the less populous
sections of the State. These officers were
superseded by the present constitution by
Labor and Agriculture, which was pro
vided for in article 10, and it was provided
that this officer should succeed to tn.
functions of those officers and perform
such of the duties now dsvolyed by law
upon the Commissioner of Immigration
and the Immigra ion Agent as will pro-
mote the object for which those officers
were appointed" Succeeding Legislatures
have however, allowed the office to cease
and the important pub ic work which was
intended TO be deyolved upon that depart
ment of the public service to be wholly
neglected.
Now, however, that the agricultural in,
terests Of the STATE have opened their eyes
to a realization of the fact that the entire
neglect of this important service is one OF
the chief causes which keeps our State so
far behind in the march of advancement
and internal development which has taken
place in the Sou hern States since the close
Of the civil war, and have voiced their
Judgment in the resolution referred to, il
is to be hoped that the representatives. OF
the people In the Legislature may also be
induced to give the important matter the
consideration it deserves.
1t is true that the great need of recruit
ing the agricultural population by means
of immigration is not felt with the same
force throughout the entire State, other
wise it may be we'll assumed that this
important matter would not have been so
long negl cted While the deficiency OF
agricultural population, capital and en-
terprise and consequent need of immigra
ton. is felt in greater or less degree in
near'y every county of the Sta'e, it is in
the sparsely settled counties in which
slavery chiefly existed, that the need Is
most sorely felt In these counties ths
abolition of slavery comp'e'ey revolu,
tionized the system Of agriculture. Th,
large and unwieldy plantations with their
exteaded fields are 100 cumbersome for
the present state of affairs and land own.
ers are made poor by the excess OF thciI
possessions. The negro labor is for tn,
most part completely demora!Ized and
cannot be employed with such constsncy
and regularity as to render it available OF
profitable in agricu ture. For this reason
the tenanting out of the excess of land
here is Improbable to both landlord and
tenant. The subdivisionS of the large
tracts into small farms and the incre Use of
industrious and intelligent labor and
available capital devoted to agriculture,
will be the first steps toward better times
In this section of the State. The immi
grafton of thrifty agricultural people with
small amount OF available capital dis
tributed among them and their settlement,
upon our supsrhous lands would accom-,
plish these desirable conditions
We should think that II sections of our
State would fee bound by solemn sense
of justice and duty to cooperate in any
public measures which promise relief to
these counties which have sustained such
ruinous injury at the hands of the State
government. By that revolutionary pro-
ceeding called the constitution of 1864
the large amount OF capital which the
people of these counties had invested in
certain class ofproperty under the solemn
sanction and guarantees of the constitu-
tions of the State and the General Govern
msnt, was by one fell swoop annihilated
and destroyed without any compensation
at all. And the people of the State and
their highest Court acquiesed in that out
rageous measure and gave i, the sanction
of a peaceab!e revolution. And alter
wards, when the people came together to
adopt the present constitution, while they
repudiated the aci ion of t he revolutionary
mob of 1864, they nevertheless denied all
compensation to the outraged peopls who
had been dsspoiled of their property and
RENTED them to the General Government
for compensation as the only remedy of
their wrong remedy which has neye
even been attempted to be administered
and which gives only the faintest, if any