News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-01-30
Dakota and Her Foreign Farmers.

HeI DleICuIN SUdIlulIlS DelOW zero, NlUn
us Minneapolitans and Mother Earth
adorned in white Winter, chilling,
freezing winter, has at last arrived,
bringing with it her billiards., icicles
and La Grippe, as well as rosy cheeks
and laughter to the fortunate sons
and daughters of prosperity, and
smiles to the cOal-dealer, plumber
and furrier Butwhat must she bring
to the heart of thepoor Dakota farm
er, whose children cried for bread and
shivered with cold in November mild
breeZeS.
As | gaze from the window OF my
warm, snug home over the mantle OF
snow that spreads her white sheet
from mountain to river, covering the
housetop of rich and poor alike, l am
not inspired with such thoughts OF
''the beautiful" as the poet (though
it is very pretty to gaze upon J, ouI
my thoughts turn in the direction OF
those people, whose cry for aid was
sounded in the columns of our news
papers, from east to west, from north
to south, with the first approach OF
the winter season. and, had 1t not
been answered promptly and gener-
ously, the cry, ere spring, would nave
been probably for collins instead OF
food and raiment. Yet, though much
was done for them then, especially by
the "Twin Cities''-the proud queens
of the Northwest, who always respond
bountifully when such cry reaches
them. my heart wonders with pity if
that aid was sufficient to meet the
needs of all those poor victims, or if
they are shivering around the fireless
hearth half starving tonight, while
the bowling wind plays the requiem
to their dying hopes; whose months,
yes, years of hard labor have brought
with them no fruits to inspire courage
and energy for another years toll.
With the thoughts of pity for them
other thoughts arise, and the ques-
ton intrudes itself: What brings
these people to this barrenlOoking
country, where the foot of the farmer
"never should have trOd?" Is it the
''fairy tales" of some booming adver-
Using sheet, that fOrgets, in telling
it's story to the stranger, to say that
even with the most favorable season,
no such thing as bOuntiful harvest
has ever been gathered in many parts
of Dakota, and that many man has
settled there, well-tO-do in this worlds
goods, has worked from year to year
with failure, until he sees his last far
thing perish in his Dakota farm, and
can only migrate with his family, a
poorer but wiser man? And who and
what are the majority of these peO-
pie? Not America bright sons and
who must be clothed and
fed by their brothers these long, cold
winter months, and then supplied |
with seed and sustenance until kind |
providence will bring them one sea-
son that will help them support them
selves. This is "a subject for a wide |
range of thought: Whether it were
better to have left these lands to the |
noble red man, who would have most
likely become extinct, in time, with
famine after famine, never once ask
NC help from his pale-faced brethren;
Or to have given them to the foreign
immigrant, making him a legalized
eitizen before he can speak, much less
'ead or write the American language;
md though he can live and exist
upon about the same dirt, or rather,
what we would starye upon, he can
lot face the sweep of the mighty
'kabibonok-ka," over Dakota's wild
nor bring forth mamma"
rom her soil; consequently he must
De fed-and by whom? One must
live where he comes in
laily contact with this class of people
n order to form an opinion on this
great subject of foreign immigration.
Even here in our own city one could
lose his eyes and imagine he had
reached some foreign port, by listen
ng to the conversation of his neigh
DOrs in the street-cars, or with the
yes open to notice the long list of
blossoms, "'AndersOns, and 'Peter-
ons'' in the city directory. 1t is
nough to arouse all ones enthu-
iasm-OHe's American pride of birth.
1t the present frightful rate of immi-
ration, how long wifi it be before
here will be no America, except in
lame? No Plymouth Rockl No
Bunker Hill! / never had desire to
'ote, having always stood firmly to
ny belief, that if woman fails by her
emile influence in the home circle to
Inspire her father, husband and sons
o do what is right and just, she will
meet with far greater failure by the
se of the ballot. Yet Though it
aay be prejudice methinks, were the
uestion of foreign immigration to
e decided by ballot ] should be
empted beyond all power of resist
nee to vote with the strength of a
rhole multitude, to keep them, espe-
tally the inferior at home-Norway,
weden, or wherever it might be, or t
t least keep them from becoming
aturalized citizens until they can
cad and write and prove that they
re worthy to become rs one among
Scan the column of our daily pa
ers headed "In the Courts and
ote the names of both men and
omen that are arraigned there
ut, my reader, l am not going to ,
i've you a long, tiresome disserta-
on on this subject, for it is my hobby,
nd | never know when | have said
lOugh. trust, however, that one
nd all may give the subject deep
lought, and it's just dues
Dakota is not alone, alone, how
yer, in her distress, for l have recent
read that in some parts of Nebras-
a people are reduced to burning the S
Olden ears of corn for fuel; we do
OF yet hear them call for help and
lccor, though we may ere spring,
it'll her warmth and smiling sun al
line, makes her appearance. Il
Wishing a happy, prosperous New in
ear to all, and especially to the W
EWs AND CITIZEN, which comes from Dc
lie hills of Vermont, over 2O00 miles ia
country, and reaches us, in fair
Gather, in time for our Sunday
orning breakfast table gossip, a b
ost welcome visitor. as it breathes ~
, us through it's columns much of j,
lie sayings and doings of dear old TTS
ew England. &c
Z. LOUISE LAWRENCE. f. r.
Mimi, Jan. 10, 1890. pC
81