The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-01-30
A REQUEST
AND AN ANSWER.
Should We Encourage Immigra-
ton to Minnesota?

We have received request, from a
leading newspaper, for a contribution,
to induce immigration to Minnesota;
an immense edition is to be printed
and distributed all over England, Ire
land and Scotland, to persuade people
to leave their homes and come here.
They were to be told of the prosperity
of our farmers; that they control the
government; and with ease' pass
laws for their own benefit; that in
short this is a perfect Elysium, ia
land flowing with milk and honey
and whiskey. That here virtue is
triumphant and vice takes back seat.
TO this horrible travestry of real
conditions we replied as follows:
HASTINGS, Mimi, Jan. II, 1895.
DEAR SIR:-YOur valued favor is
received.
1t would give me pleasure to oblige
you in the matter referred to: but |
have conscientious scruples about adj
vsing any more people to settle in
Minnesota until present conditions
are changed. No one can deny the
great natural advantages and re-
sources Of this state, but misgovern-
ment has covered the land with debt
and poverty, until, according to the
United States census of 1890, there
were nearly two hundred million dol
lars OF mortgages on the realestate Of
Minnesota: in some portions Of the
state there is today actual want and
personal suffering. TO urge others to
come here is simply to swell the num-
ber of the miserable, and render
worse the condition Of those already
here. 1t might profit the railroads
and the boarding houses to have the
poor wretches spend their last dollars
before settling down into the univer-
sal poverty; but for one | cannot play
bunco-steerer to any such migration.
1t is better to tell the truth and
shame the devil-Plutocracy. The
vast emigration now quarreling for
ship room, in New York to leave this
afflicted land, is the best evidence
that it is unWise and unjust to coax
others to cast their lot with us.
If your paper would turn in and
the condition of the men and women
who already dwell in this country,
and we are able to restore prosperity
and stop thicvery, there would be no
necessity for bOOm-editions to encOur-
age immigration. Prosperity always
draws population, while misery re-
pels it. Very respectfully yours,
IGNATIUs DoNNELLY.
P. S.-Permit me also to say that
must dissent IRON your statement
that 1T is easy for the people, especial
ly the farming class. to enact laws for
their own benefit" The reverse is
true The farmers of Minnesota are,
and have been for twenty-five years,
perfectly powerless. The whole coun-
try is completely in the hands Of the
rings, corporations, trusts and
usurers. The Labor element in Eng
land has many representatives in
Parliament. In Congress there is not
one. We send our Labor leaders to
the penitentiary,-not to Parliament.
England is today more of a republic
than the United States: we are ad-
vancing towards monarchy, while
they are moving towards liberty. l
protest against inducing foreigners to
share our miseries. 1t is practicing a
fraud upon them. They will seek a
Paradise and find ll,-where the
bodies of suicides hang upon the
trees, the Dead-sea Apples Of misgov-
ernment: and our newspapers are a
blazing panorama of bankruptcies,
starvatiOnS and murders. ID.