The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-31


AUGUSTA, Ga May 3O.-The South.
ern interstate immigration congress-
opened auspiciously in Augusta to-day.
1t was called to order at noon in the
grand opera house by President Bryan,
OF Nashville, who introduced Mayor J.
81. Alexander, of Augusta, who ad-
dressed the congress upon the city.
Mayor Alexander's speech was full of
interesting history about Augusta.
1t Is the Oldest inland city in the
South Atlantic States and was the Sec
ond established by Oglethorpe. This
city, before the day Of railroads, being
the farthess inland city with river navi-
CATION to the sea south OF Virginia, was
| the point OF com munica sion with the
outer world OF all that territory en-
braced in Northern Alabama, East Ton
nessee, Western North Carolina. North
Georgia and South Carolina. Here all
| this vast section came in wagons to
trade.
| 1t was here that Eli Whitney con-
Quoted his experimental work and in
| 1913 developed the cotton gin, one Of
the most famous industrial Inventions
OF the world, which Immediately reyo.
|
this section from tobacco and indigo to
cotton as its staple crop. In 1900, seven
years after Whitney's gin appeared,
Georgia alone exported over 1000 bales
| of cotton.
Following Mayor Alexandria, Hon.
Joseph r. Lamar, president of the
Young Mems Business League of
Augusta, which secured the congress
for this city, addressed the congress and
followed with more valuable facts con-
corning the Augusta OF to. day. Taking
simply the official census figures for
1890 he showed that Augusta mad in
creased in the number of manufactur-
ing establishment in the past decade
$50 per cent, in capital employed, $50
per CONT in labor employed, ESQ per
cent and in wages paid, $50 per cent ;
that 1t had spent more money for public
improvements than any city in the
South and had the lowest death rate in
the South
gress on the part of Georgia and gave a
glowing picture of her progress. He de.
olared the readiness Of Georgia to well
| come industrious Immigrants to cast
their lot here.
Senator Patrick Walsh, whose homo
is here, welcomed the congress and ex-
tended them the privileges OF the Com
mercial Club, Of which he Ia president
He said the assem- bling Of thirteen
Southern States reminded him OF that
first convention of the thirteen original
States to declare their independence.
Tho present movement is to formulate
plans by which the most favored section
could enlarge it's citizenship and work
out Its material independence. He
thought the occasion most suspicious
and the outlook very bright for the sue
cess of the congress.
| Responses to the addresses OF welcome
were made by Governor McCorkle, OF
West Virginia. Governor Carr, OF North
Carolina. and Governor Tillman, of
South Carolina. The latter declared
that it was we'll enough to invite
| people and capital from the outside and
all that came would be welcomed, but
for every dollar Of outside capital the
Southern people must expend ten OF
their own IT they were in earnest about
the desire to build up the South. The
future OF this section depends, he said,
on the efforts Of our own people, and
| what Southern farmers netd most Is an
immigration of ideas and intelligent
| agricultural methods. Southern farm ers
would never prosper as long as they
| spent six months in the year trying to
kill the grass in their field and the next
|
and Northern States.
| At the conclusion of the address of
welcome and the responses. President
Bryan addressed the congress. He ex-
| planned the need for immigration in the
Southern States by contrasting the pop.
ulation per square mile of some of the
States as follows: Massachusetts, EST;
Kentucky, which is the most densely
populated of the Southern States, As;
Rhode Island. 264; Texas,
lie showed the material advance
which has taken place in the South and
called attention to the fact that educa-
tional advantages were keeping pace,
| the increase having been 100 per cent.
in the past decade in appropriations by
Southern States for this purpose last
year being over Sic. 600, 600.
| The total value of school property in
the South Is 100000 900; number of
teachers, So, 900; white pupils, 2, ESQ, 600;
negro pupils. 1,25o,0Oo; pupils in private
schools, 900, 600; in parochial schools,
| 10000. He thought the time was ripe
for an immigration movement in the
South, and believed that by patriotic
and united efforts on the part Of the
intelligent men composing the congress
son wise and permanent plan would be
| adopted.
At the afternoon session permanent
| organization was effected by the re-
election of President M. II. Bryan, of
Tennessee, and Secretary B. F. Elliott,
OF Florida. 1t was decided that each
State represented should vote accord
ing to its vo.e In the cleo toral college
and each territory have one vote. The
| credentials committee reported repre-
| aantad in tho c0noraaa rho fo1lnwiur