The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-04-12

| This being So the last hope of coaxing popu-
| latior into the State by such means must Do
abandoned. Although this must be the iate
| Of most of such speculations few OF them may
| ultimately become important centres Oh
population and traffic. 80.
The failure to fill up the waste places of VIZ
| eina in the face of all the means heretofore
| employed. il due 10 causes not UNDERSTOOD 10y
| those who otherwise might be glad TO 1--we
| within her borders. Among the most PROM
| ineut of these IL the presence of the negro.
| A stranger coming into the State in search OF
| home is forclbly struck with the NUMBER OF
| idle negroes He sees them at every turn, and
naturally wonders how they manage TO 1--we.
| He compares this state Of things with that no
| has probably left behind him at home
aud concludes that there must be some
| thing radically wrong in community SO care
| less of its own interest or so poweriess 10
remedy such an evil. Unfortunately, II re-
| quires so much explanation to remove the i'm
| preston thus made upon his mind, that II u
| scarcely worth the while 10 attempt II. Mhen
| he remembers. too, that these cumberers OF
the ground are voters. and that the property
| they may purchase is in part subject TO the
| capricious temper of an irresponsible gang OK
politicians he is not long IN deciding WHAT
not TO do.
II is not necessary 70 repeat here the his
tory of emancipation. and the long Tram OF
woes that have followed since the day the re
nineteenth century by endowing horde OF
semi barbarians with the elective franchise.
IL il stand hideOus obstacle IN the way or
the native whites. what must 1t appear to those
unaccustomed 10 such an element az factor
in their own social and civil autonomesf FOR
the present nothing remains III tins direction
but submission 10 the inexOrable The odlum
consequent upon the failure OF a lost cause
the falsehoOds with which the ears OF the out
side world have been piled and the selfish OPP
position of those interested IN the great
Northern schemes OF immigration afford adj
ditional reasons why so much land IN Nr-
gina is left still unoccupied. Another serl-
GUS obstacle TO immigration is the fact that
a large mojority of the farmers IN Viz
GINA are encountered with mort
cages. Tins arOuses IN the mlhd
OF the proposed customer uncomfortable sus-
pcious; he perhaps cannot be made 10 under
stand the legal processes by which these dlt
fculties may be- removed, and feeling appre
hensve in regard TO the title of the property
finally declines TO purchase
Five railroads are engagedin bringing traffic
TO the Capital of the State Let the traveller
on any one of them observe the condition OF
the country soon after be finds himself "A
half hours ride from the city. With the ex-
ceptiOn of the station houses and few COM
Portable looking residences sparsely scattered
along the highway, over which he Is hurrynS,
a comparative wilderness lies before HIM. TX
panses Of badly cultivated fields and vast
bodies Of unOccupied wastes spread them
selves in every direction, here and there tunD-
ling over barren ridges into tho
deepest Of gullies, and then stealing away
into the soltudes Of almost endless forests.
Here and there the mOnOtOny Of this dismal |
picture is relieved by a dilapidated cabin, the
abode of the poor and thrlftless who con
tinue 20 live year after year IN the midst of .
the withered evidences of what had always |
been 10 them an agricultural failure. The /
train PUSHES on for hours through the same /
scenes until the travellers eye Is at last !
relieved by a different and more prosperous /
looking country. The color of the soil has |
changed. the character Of the dwellings has |
improved. and the general appearance OF |
energy and thrift which broods over the |
landscape makes him conclude that TINS NJ |
least must be the region OF prosperous and |
successful agriculture. The delusion would |
soon be dispeled should he undertake |
10 make practical application of his |
thoughts. That the picture here drawn /
is in the main correct one, cannot /
be gainsaid, and that II still continues ~ also |
true. Along some of the great rivers and |
other highways a few evidences Of local pros
perity due TO special causes, have lately APP
peared But even these cannot continue 70
flourish unless population comeshn tocultiyate |
the vacant lands adjacent T. them. In other |
words the creator thesarea Of waste in land in
any State. the poorer must be the Inhabitants !
The prosperity of our large towns and cities |
is due more TO manufactures than anything
else The annual statements made IN the
newspapers prove this, and although the peo-
pie OF the towns receive few supplies from
the neighborng country, they do not abso-
lutely depend, even upon these.
What then. it may be asked, IS to be done?
II cannot he successfully denied, that as
whole all tho plans for establishing an eff
cient immigration system heretofore devised,
have proved failures In the face Of this fact
any one of us is warranted in yenturng sug-
gestions upon a subject so vital 70 the IN
terests of people struggling 10 improve their
condition.
The plan now 10 be proposed rests entirely
upon the assertion that 20 ensure lts success |
the State should become the proprietor Of all |
the uncultyated or unapplied land in the
Commonwealth. At first blush this would
appear 10 be impracticable. But nothing
worth achieving has ever been done but IN the
face OF difficulties. No advance from good TO
better has been achieved except through
strenuous and persistent effort. If the Farm
ers' Alliance will take into serious considera-
ton the subject which, of all others |
should engage their attention, 1t Will
not be many years before the State
will experience the throbbings OF
new life. in the direction Of solid and !
permanent prosperity. If the entire farming
community. and all others who may think
with them, form a combination Tor TINS sole |
purpose, it cannot fail Of ultimate success
though IL may take time ana lhuch cohsldcta-
ton. require notifications as circumstances
shall demand and be facilitated by public and |
private sacrifices IL is not proposed 90 f0rmu-
late the plan in detail We leave that 10 wiser
and more experienced heads. We only pro-
pose 10 illustrate by example what Is con-
tanned in these suggestions. A farmer. for |
instance. is supposed 10 be the owner of /
fifteen hundred acres Of land: he cultiyates. /
perhaps, five hundred acres of this tract. the I
remaining thousand are a burden 10 him. We 4
propose that the State purchase this unoc- |
cupied and profitless area below its normal |
assessment, with III own bonds at 3 per cent |
and running say fifty years. To effect this !