The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1888-06-30
,1bacville Meridiena!.
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tor a.s"c;aticr, aaLs Ihsi Al ti,;tei States
Lords - Louisiana Re Held Tor Entry bt
Actta' Sntt srs.
The Tine. Democrat says Col.
aToorcc NooTmau. president Of the
Loni5,saaa state Immigration asso-
citation, has written the following
letter to each ot the senator's and
representatives IRON Louisiana in
congress. asking for the passage %
a bill Withdrawing from sale al! the
pnh';c lands in the state. and hold
ing them Tor cutEy Ivy actual settlers:
NEW NELEAH5, june "a, 1883.
Dear sir-lresrecsfll'y refer you
TO a Recommendation made IN my
report to tie late State Immigration
Convention held in Baton Rouge.
May % (which I ~inciosc}. that the
government lands nr public domain
jn Louisiana should DC Withdrawn
at once Irem sale and sacrcdlv held
subject to entry only by actual set
tiers; this was there embodied into
y resolution, which YVES ofiored BY
the Hon. John Dy,nond. Of Plaque
nines, aud seconded IVY the Hon.
Henry 4. Gorrctt, OF T'enaas, aug
after earnest debate, carried.
1t was re-aSirmcd in the Stale
Democratic Convention held at the
same place on the 26th uI.ino. j,
had heen previously adontei Nv the
State Agricultural Convention held
at Shreveport, January 70, 1888.
and Ivy the great Immigration con.
vcntion held in the City of New Or
leans. March 5. 1883.
desire 10 call your attention 10
thc fact that there is still remaining
in Louisiana about 2,3OO.OO o acres
of government lands unsold ; this is
oo'ng taken up the more rapidly BY
spectators and monopolists, on &C.
count of the withdrawal Of these
public lands from sale by Arkansas,
Mississippi and Alabama.
beleise that the concentration Of
these lands into the hands of the
few will he inissicai to the hest in.
tterests of Louisiana, and that what
~IemaiDs uB$old should be held for
the benefit Of immigrants Of small
means who come 10 seek homes with
sus, and for the sons OF our own peo
pie, who, as they arrive at their mn,
.iority and marry, will bnter this
land for homes, and will in this man.
.ner assist to settle up this territory.
A good, thrifty, working popula'
lion. numbers, taxpayers. %prodncers,
is what wo want. The purchase OF
these lands by spectators insures All
income to the State OF ouly u per
~centage upon an assessed value say
Of 5 or S LES per acre, which. would
scarcely amount Ion 100 acree) 20
the actual settlers poll tag aloue,
while politica! economists have
placed the value Of each settler to
the State $1,000 per capita each.
Plenty of this land has been
bought for minors in distant States
rs an investment to be held until
they arrive at age, which thus
locks it up for from a decade to @
quarter of a century. and deprives
the State of all profit except q very
slight revenue from its assessed
value, and totally excludes her from
all the benefits to be derived from
ats development and Improvement.
The s%pecalatsr, unless he dcnMles
1t Of timber for lumber, leaves it ia
its vild condition, awaiting in the
future an advance in price, While
the smoke which rises from the
chimney Of the actual settlers cabin
shows that ohe more step has been
reached in our struggle for progress
and a orc glorious civilization.
In the limited space Of a letter. |
will not undertake to preset all tie
points bearing upon this subject,
which is OF such vital Importance
to theSiHture of Louisiana. You are
already acquainted with all the ar
guments pro eand con.
Ny action in this matter is in a
measure mandatory to acauaiDt You
with the terms Of the resolution pass,
ed by the body over which I have
tue honor to preside, aud the ON.
mittee appointed will also formally
notify you.
Immense Quantities of thnse landa