The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-28

Governor Fishback, OF Arkansas, at the
recent meeting of Southern governors in
Richmond. Va, made an address. ia which
he was stupid enough to say that tho
reason why the stream o. foreign immi-
our diplomatic representatives arroad had
systematically slanderei and ipisrepre-
scented the South. This Is ga absurd
view. We need nos go. far to
find an explanation for the fac. that i'm
migration has always avoided tas South.
Immigration avoided the south during the
first seventy years Of our government be-
cause Of slavery. There vas Of course no
room for free labor under negTe slavery.
The slaves were not only agricultural labor
ers. but they we're mechanics. Es dsovernor
Lowry. of Mississippi, says thas. prior to
the war there were large number Of
negro mechanics in the Southern states;
many Of them were expert b!scksmiths,
wheelwrights. wagon Makers brick
masons, carpenters. plastsrers. painters and
shoemakers."
With slaves doing both agricultural and
mechanical work, of course the south be-
fore the War was not likely to attract free
labor in shape Of immigration The tide
of immigration since the war continues for
obviously sound economic reasons to keep
north Of the Ohio. This South has plenty
Of cheap, fertile land: it's climate Is bland;
the cost Of living is small, but neverthe-
less immigration shuns the South. Whyf
Because there is plenty Of cheap negro
labor, and consequently wages ara low.
Immigrants go where .heir labor 10 best
paid. and, of course. they do NJ. go South,
and never will 60 South IN any large num-
bers. The ignorance Of the nero and his
incapacity to MAINTAIN a strike against q
shotgun campaign Against strikers will
always keep his wages law. Hs is improv-
ident. ignorant. without efficient labor Or
ganization, is obliged 20 take store pay,
and he is by mechanical pressure kept in
the condition of cheap labor. So long as
this is the fact immigration y i'll no more
go South than it would 30 to China. The
South is, therefore. Likely to resn Ain where
it is today land whese wages are low,
industry does not thrive ncs invention
prosper.
The reason why capital daes not seek
the South, In spite Of its vast resources of
undeveloped mines Of coal, marble and
iron, is confessed by the Dallas Neus, a
leading Southern newspaper. hen it says
The conservative caution OF capital puts its
veto on the spirit of enterprise when 1t sees
along the Southern borders yellc.s iiags, adver.
Using an epidemic Of q vest con piicated posti-
lence OF political. legislative and Industrial dis.
temper With the refGscs OF the people, OF the
legislatures, of the courts 20 protest Investments
In southern lands, there came Q want Of conf
dence, . scarcity Of moues. high interest, hard
times. We must pay for cur own fo:ly.
A Northern tourist. t. New England law
yer. college bred, who has bern member
of both houses of his state LEGISLATURE, re-
Gently wrote as follows to q Seattle friend
concerning the industrial situation as he
saw it this winter in South Caeolina:
About one-hslf the popp lation ss black. They
don't vote much. II any. and WHEN they do the
vote isn't counted. TIE law ia such ths, the
unlettercd sau't discover sn wh.;-t box his bal
lot shouts be dropped. Eut there ere two good
coiored schools supported ~ Nor:aern churches,
aud the young nsgroes are lsasEing to read
much more generally thaSi the so1rer class of
whites By and by they 4sili vets or there will
be row. don't know tfiai bl2 NE the south
erners much tor being sf,aid Of tstng OVERFLOW.
cred by the blacks in case they hal the su fgage,
bat they are very stupid not to- t-y and give
fhem lift and improve then. The negroes
about here are better iaJosers ar. bette. men In
every way than the ioTslgn lsoe. Of our grsal
cities North