The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-29
1t viii lake Away Many Of
Our LabOrers.
STEPS SHOULD BE TAHEN
TO SUPPLY THEIR PLACES WITH
PERMANENT SETTLERS.

Washington, NOV. -, lS9>

Homa bu IderS Only.
Washington, Nov. p, 1898.
To the Editor: Cuba is to become q
dependency of the United States. Not a
colony. or a possession, probably never Il
State: but still Il dependency to be pro-
tectcd against the encroachments OF the
great powers of the earth. Our inter
course with the island Will be intimate,
Our trade with it on the reciprocity basis.
Cuba is about as large as North Caro-
lima. Its soil is immensely fertile, and,
has the monopoly Of producing the finest
tobacco in the world, OF which cigars are
made. 1t is also almost unrlNaled III lht
production of sugar and coffee, ana all
troDical fruits. 1t will give employment
TO ten millions of laborers in the cultiva-
ton of the soil. 1t IS not now so popu-
Ious as North Carolina. Despotism anc
incessant war kept it down. American
capital will be drawn to it. and viii
draw after it American laborers. by the
ten thousand. This will begin early next
wear. The bankrupt Spaniards and Gu
pans will be glad to sell their estates.
which they are no longer able to cultl-
vate.
Labor will be in great demand, and
WAGES vii be high. It is not 50 far from
North Carolina to Cuba, as to Texas,
and the expense attending emigration IS
far less. We must then look out for an
exodus Of the cOlored population far
greater than that which took place 4 few
years ago. Recent circumstances Will
precipitatc it. The machinery employed
in sugar-planting is necessarily conducted
-, , ,rr,n C.alo Tho. Investment nnS1
belarge. and the profits are great. The
planters are princess in wealth. Cur
Northern capitalists will be drawn to il
like those Of Spain were centuries ago.
Thousands of labOrerS may go from the
Gulf States. which lie nearer to Cuba
than we do. but that Will create a va
cuum to be filed, again, by the older
States. 50 that the exodus Of our colored
population, whether to Cuba, or to the
Gulf States, is bound 10 come. And
what then!
North Caroline must look to an immi-
grafton Of Northefl men and European.
The low rate of wages III North Carolina
will not call so much for Iaborers, to
work on the farms. for hire, as for set
tiers. with the means of buying homes.
But there are millions of men, such
as North Carolina needs, who are look
ing South for homes. They like the
idea of 4 more congenial climate.
The old methods of inducing inmigra-
ton by advertising and for sale by in
dividuals. or by companies, IS Il dead
failure: and has always tailod; for the
reason, that as soon as immigrants be
gin to come in, the land owners or deal
ers. raise the prices. Such is human ma
ture.
But there is a way. if the ~people-the
State Will take hold Of it. We have
seen how the great States OF the North
west have grown up. like domains gourd.
as it were. while the Eastern States have
been dragging aiOng-SOnetimeS falling
backward. 1t was because the whole ter
ritory was owned by the General Gov
eminent. and sold out the lands, at a
fixed price. which was not raised or low
cred from year to year on account OF
the increasing demand for it. After there
grew up compact communities in any
State, or territory, even large towns, the
lands would be worth ten or twenty
times the Government price. No matter.
The Government went on selling at the
same price. and immigrants continue to
flock in. and the new State or territory
continued to grow in wealth and popula-
ton.
The great cities Of the world rank
now. III this order. London, New York
Paris. Chicago. Philadelphia. Berlin
Vienna. And vet | was & stout school
boy when Chicago was marked upon the
maps as Fort Dearborn. at the mouth
Of the Chicago river. with a United
States military company of sixty soldiers
and a Suttler. This is what uniform
prices in the sale of land has done fol
Illinois.
The LEGISLATURE meets in January
They have it in their power. vithout
running any ~pecuniarv risk. to put the
same system in force in North CaroIina
while at the same timn sayinr thoIsauG.
of tbo noon1o f,.on, Tho xro,-+ .open
\ ononrae of thoir noc,niorv onborroc.
1onrIc Tboro :. ~ aTa,r nart ~ III,
State more or less land advertised f.