The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-09
Immigration to the South.

A few days ago the Morning News print
ed and commented upon a cable dispatch
quoting the Berlin Kreuz Zeitung as op-
posing German immigration to the south
ern states upon the ground that Ger
man farmers are too good to compete with
black labor in the cotton and rice fields
We asserted that It was not necessary for
intelligent and capable German immi-
grants to compete with black labor. as
there is a field in the south for the indus
try and enterprise of the thrifty German
upon a higher level than that occupied by
the black laborer. That this is true is
shown by the absence of Ger
mans in the south as laborers,
and the number of them that
are employers of labor and pro
prietors of various industries and en-
terprises. The purpose of our article was
to disabuse the minds of would-be immi-
grants of the idea that immigration into
the south means, ordinarily. competition
with the black people. For it is a fact
that in Europe. and in a considerable part
Of our own country the idea obtains that
the newcomer into the south must COM
pete with or affiliate with the negroes.
The presence of the blacks in the south
by the millions has unquestionably kept
desirable immigration away from this sec
ton of the country. one of the first ques-
tons asked by home-seekers when they
begin an Investigation of the south, is with
regard to the negroes. Too often prospec-
tive settlers do not seek from proper
et,o
cept the statements of western immigra-
ton agents, whose interests lie in inducing
settlers to go west These agents work
upon the prejudice against the negro, and
by their representations, or rather mis-
representations, succeed in keeping the
tide of desirable immigration diverted
from the south 1t may be, as the Atlanta
Constitution says, that the Kreuz Zei-
lungs article was inspired by an immigra-
ton agent. If it was. the incident would
tend to show the bad effect of the negroes
presence in the south upon immigration.
The Morning News. therefore, does not
attach too much importance to the pres
ence of the negro" who, the Constitution
enigmatically asserts "retires as the white
man advances
We must confess that we do not know
what our contemporary means by this
latter assertion. We have not heard of the
white mans advancing" into any special
field of the black mans. The blacks have
certainly not retired" as the Indians
have been forced to do. for obvious rea-
sons. No negroes, so far as we have heard
Of, have been displaced by white laborers.
Where, then. are the blacks retiring be-
fore the white mans advance?
AS common laborers. the blacks come
very near to filling the entire acid of the
south. There are instances. of course, in
which common labor Is performed by
white men, but they are the exceptions.
our effort has been. and is. TO make It
known to German and other desirable inn
migrants, that there is a vast field for in
dustry In the south awaiting labor of a
higher class than that performed by the
unskilled, common black laborer: that il
is not necessary for intelligent. honest.
thrifty white men TO become competitors
with the blacks. The white immigrant OF
good intentions and industry can almost
az once become a landowner, an independ-
ent farmer and an employer OF labor.
When these facts become we'll known.
there will be a turn OF the tide in the d.
rection OF the south. At present the pres
ence OF the negro In the south, coupled with
q lack OF Information with regard to his
position here. Is keeping the tide away
from this section.