The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-29

The Berlin Kreuz Zeitung, according to
a recent cable dispatch. warns German
farmers against emigrating to the south
ern states of the United States, for the
reason that German farmers are TOO
good to compete with black labor in cot
ton and rice fields" This warning will
bring a smile to the faces of Germans
who have cast their lot in the south. The
German does not have to compete with
black labor The German immigrant who
comes south soon finds that there is a de-
mand for his industry and enterprise in
other places than the cotton and rice
fields. If he is a farmer, or a farm hand,
of average intelligence and thrift, he is
soon the employer or manager Of black
labor, and not the co-laborer with the
black If the German immigrant has a
talent for trade-and most of them have
he is soon making money as trader. In
Savannah there is a large colony of Ger
mans who are well-to-do; in fact it is a
rare case where the German is not sue
cessful in business. quite number of
Savannah's German residents many of
them citizens) are now in the Fatherland
enjoying the fruits of energy and thrift
in Georgia. The Kreuz Zetung does an
injustice to It's German friends in the
south when it intimates that they have to
compete with negro labor.
The statement of the Kreuz Zeitung
however raises the question of the effect
of the negro's presence in the south upon
immigration. The black man has but few
needs, and consequently but few of the
expenses which a white man is called
upon to bear. For that reason the black
can afford to labor for a lower hire than
the white race Moreover, the black man,
as a rule, is an unskilled. workman, his
labor being confined to those lines which
command the lowest wages Possibly if
he had more wants, he would be Obliged
to do better work, and more of it. An
other, and a more potent cause of the ne
gro's present condition is, he Is too num-
erous in the south. However, if It were
possible to restrict the immigration of
low-class labor, the demand for blacks as
laborers throughout the country and the
pay for their services might both be in
creased, and at the same time the wages
of white laborers, native and foreign,
might go up. As it is now, nearly half
million immigrants are brought into this
country every year, and IS per cent. Of
them are laborers of the cheapest of the
cheap grade. This labor enters into com
petition with that already here, with the
effect of beating down wages. With re-
strcted immigration for a few years there
would be a decided improvement in the
condition of the labor market; and with
that change would come desirable white
immigration to the south AS affairs now
stand the cheap negro labor leaves no
room in the south for cheap white labor
The negro occupies all of the space where
the first step must be taken. The German,
or other foreign white immigrant who set
ties in the south must make his first step
upon a higher plane than that of the COM
mon laborer or field hand. He cannot,
and win not after he makes trial, COM
pete with the black laborer, as he has
more wants and must earn wages suffi-
cient to meet them. This appears to be
a plain statement of the immigration
question as it exists in this part of the
country