The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1888-05-25
GHEANENCas
From the Address OF j. I'D. Will
kEnsOn, -JF., of the s'Htenl,"
before lhe LA. Press
Association.

The great need Of Louisiana Is a diversified
industry, but to open our minesi TO build up
our factories, and to diversity our interests,
we must have immigration. IL may be said
that for these enterprises money is the prin-
cipal thing wanted, but let me remind you
that capital is the follower, not the forerun-
ner, Of immigration.
/ would not advocate an indlscriminate In
yitation to immigrants. Indeed, lweuld lock
the doors against pauper immigration from
Europe nr elsewhere, vigorously ex-
clude Socialists, Nlhilists and Anarchists. ana
would favor legislation to expcl them from
the country shoald they effect g landing on
our shores.
We need class Of Immigrants who will be
producers and these may be had II we make
persistent and intelligent effort. Such eff
forts will create demand for labor, instead
Of oyercrowding the field. Take, for instance,
the man who puts In cultivation q small tract
of your idle land. The ten bales of cotton
he makes pays toll to the gin, and from the
time this cotton leaves the gin until 1t ia out
Of sight at sea, II Is giving employment TO
this aud that set Of laborers- cotton handlers,
pressmen, 'longshoremen, screwmen and
others the transportation lines get their
Whack at it, and the merchants are not sup
posed to be too modest In reaching for their
share, The only trouble with the farmer,
according to his primitive ideas, is that he Is
enough left for himself
It is the same way with all products of the
farm, The farmer only enjoys portion Of
the results Of his own labor. He is distrib-
utor of the bounties of nature, and the pro
ducts of his toll go to support and enrich the
community. Even a country newspaper has
been known to exist on contributions from
field-not of spring poetry, but Of pumpkins,
The Territory of Dakota has about three
fln ATttfI tat Tatt hoa
The annual school expenditures ii Louisiana
is about half million dollars, while In Dakp-
Ia II Is nearly two million. Thus has a terri
tory organized since the war, with a bleak
climate and no waterways, outstripped Loui-
siana with her uDTiyaled natural advantages.
The wonderful progress of Dakota Is the re-
suit of immigration
consider schools very important induce
ment for the kind of immigrants we want,
and we can have the schools If we force oar
Representatives to make the necessary legis-
latiye provision. All that Is needed Is that
the press should be united, for united press
is invincible and can compel results
While II Is not my purpose 70 speak except
In general way Of the benefits to accrue
from immigration, there Is one view of the
subject which desire especially 10 present
for your earnest consideration Immigration
offers the only satisfactory solution Of the
race problem. The present methods Of deal
ing with this issue are, to say the least, the
result Of dire necessity, and at no distant day,
should the present unfortunate state of affairs
continue to exist, there must Inevitably be
reaction disastrous TO. our local governmental,
In the increase Of the white population by
immigration the Caucasian element would
soon preponderate numerically aud with
white supremacy and civilization no longer in
jeopardy, We may restore and maintain IN lbs
Integrity and purity the heritage from our
liberties.
Newspaper men are pre-emineut as public
spirited and philanthropic citizens, and so
far as they arc concerned, no one would ever
dream that elfshness was among the evils
that escaped from PandOra's box, Without
ever saying good word of themselves or
bad word Of brother editor, they will speak
of all the men 06 the town as able, talented,
genial and handsome, and Of all the ladies,
from youth to holy age, as enchanting fairies
and beautiful bellies. We praise your crops,
your cattle and your pigsy and don't charge
yon cent for 1t, But the newspaper has
yoraclous NAV, within which ink, paper and
the products Of the edltor's muscle and brains
disappear IS Il by magic,
The editor Is not like the lily and the spar
row that without q Thought for the morrow,
are fed and clothed BY Providence, The
journalist, though You might not think IL,
has, as much as other people, a need for food
and raiment. II is, therefore, Just that he
should derive an immediate aud reciprocal
benefit ID bis arduous labors for the public
good, While he Is booming tile town and
country, let the citizens boom his paper.
Ifyou want immigration, don't waste mon
ey on pamphlets, eiTeulars and postage
stamps, but make your paper do the talking
for you. Enable the editor 70 get out good
paper, and then send out thousands Of copies
to the points you desire to reach. The news
paper VIII be more likely TO be read, will
reach more people, and VIII command more
influence than any catalogue or dodger, how
ever well designed
In the relation of the press TO immigration,
one Of the first duties OF the newspaper Ia 10
educate the preople TO a knowledge Of the
value Of immigration. II Is common to hear,
and have seen the idea expressed in some
of the weekly journals OF the State, that we
want no Immigration until all the idlerS
among us have found employment that IN
the daily struggle for existence we want no
more competitors,