The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-07-05
IMMIGRATION.
THE INDUSTRIAL CONGRESS AT
AUGUSTA
Formulate Plans for the Encour-
agent Of immigration - The
Kind Of Immigrants the South
Maids
| Wilmington Star.

Wilmington Star.
Among other things done by the
immigration and Industrial Congress,
which met recently at Augusta, Ga,
was the appointment OF a committee
to formulate plan for the encourage
ment of immigration to the South and
the investment of capital in this
section. This committe is composed
of excellent material. The pro-
liabilities are that it will recommend a
liberal system Of advertising with
perhaps the appointment by the States
separately or jointly Of agents for the
proper distribution OF printed lntorma-
ton in reference to the South in those
sections or countries from which I'M
migration may be desired, and that S
about all that we see it can do.
While there has been good deal OF
talk about immigration to the South,
there has been very little immigration,
but as much perhaps as could be
reasonably expected. But this IS a
two sided question which should be
viewed from both sides, lest an
imaginary good by indiscreet manage
ment might turn out to prove an
unmixed evil. Immigration is desirable,
no doubt, but not immigration as 1t is
generally understood, such immigra
ton as the North is having now, and
! has had for some years past. We want
| limited and select inflow, not the
promiscuous multitude which pours
into the North and which proves itself
a very questionable acquisition even
among those matter oifact people
who view nearly everything from a
practical standpoint and from its
present effect only, without any
reference to the future.
To sell cheap lands which it had in
abundance the West welcomed the
throng from whatever source it mi ght
! come, or whatever material it might
be composed, if it had money to buy
land. 10 get cheap labor the manu-
featuring States of the North welcomed
them, from whatever direction they
came but the South has no wilder
ness to be peopled and is not looking
| for any cheaper labor than she has.
She Will welcome immigration, but
| not the immigration that IS gathered
with 4 drag net. That kind she does
not want and it is never contemplated
when the subject OF immigration IS
discussed. Nor does she need or
desire more laborers, for with her
present or prospective needs there Is
muscle enough here already to meet
the demands upon it, and the kind,
too, which under present circumstances
IS best, adapted to the conditions that
surround US.
There is not much probability OF
any considerable volume of European
immigration being turned this way for
some years to come, and it is we'll that
1t Is thus, for the South is not at present
adapted to anything like that, and il
ii should happen before we are pre-
pared for it, it would be bad for the
immigrants and for the South, too
The countries from which the larger
part of the tide OF immigration now
flows are countries which send the
kind they are glad to get rid of anC
that no other country is anxious for, {
class that has within it very few of the
elements OF good citizenship. We
have had for some years past, and are
having now in the regions where the
strikes prevail, forcible illustration
of this. There is not one Of the State!
which have been the theatre of these
riots and bloody strikes which woult
not be heartily glad if the last one O
the lawless horde was back in The
lands that shipped them to us. Thei
cheap labor has proved a very cost,
labor, not only to the parties who
employed it, but to the industrie
which were affected by the strikes
and to the States which had to emplo,
armed force to enforce the law ant
protect life and property. We do no
want anything of that kind in thi
country, and that's what promiscuou
immigration means.
The immigration which comes from
Europe should be of the agricultural
classes, or of skilled artisans that Nigh
be profitably employed in our manu-
featuring industries, not because thei
labor may be cheap but because it i
skilled. The agricultural immigrant
should be people who have the mean
to buy and cultivate farms, not mer
farm hands, which would never mi
well with our negro labor and coul'
not be advantageously worked b
themselves, save by large LANDED
proprietors who cultivated large area
and employed that kind of labor only
Labor can not be mixed on Southern
farms, nor in Southern factories
must be of one color, either white O
black.
If we had the directions of a move
ment looking to seeking immigratio
we would turn our face and our effort
Westward, among our own people
who have much in common with L
and would not have to be educated t
ways or trained to the new condition
that might surround them, peopl
whom we could easily assimIlate with
out parting with any of our ow
identity. The West is the neares
best and most promising field to tn
Southern immigration seeker, an
that's where the Southern States whic
, desire immigration should look for i