Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-12-24
OUTRAGEOUS FAKE.
Story Of French Canadian Exo-
dus Absolutely Untrue.
A Happy and Contented People With
No Desire to Leave.
Quebec Colonization Scheme Will Surely Fade
Away Into Oblivion.

Probably q fake" story more utter
ly absurd on it's face has never been
circulated through New England news
papers than the alleged special from
| Montreal to a Buffalo, N. " paper to
the effect that an immense number of
French Canadians will leave New Eng
land, and particularly Maine. in the
spring and settle in the wild lands in
the Quebec and Lake st. John region of
Canada, because they are discontinued
with their present condition.
1t is true that & scheme has been
started by parties who hope to make
money thereby. to induce the French
Canadians to return and settle in Que
bee and it is probable that this story
was started with the hope that it
! would have an effect favorable to the
schemers. but it will slump through be-
fore spring without a doubt. The Mont
real story seems to have started from
Rene Dupont, colonization agent for
the Quebec and st. John region. To
begin with he is alleged to have said
that 'Of the 200, 900 French Canadians
in Maine. l believe $50, 900 of them will
come back, early in the spring"
Where in this State is Mr.. Dupont to
get the 10000 French Canadians? The
| ecclesiastical records show that the en-
| tire French population of Maine is So
600 all told, This fact alone proves
without doubt that Mr.. Dupont
knows almost nothing about the French
citizens of this State, and as lie is 50
far off in this respect. 1t might be as
sumed without further proof that the
entire story has the same proximity to
truth.
But there are other things to be con-
sidered. Are the French citizens Of
Maine discontented? Mr.. Dupont is
made to say they are, but he is as
much mistaken in this as he is in the
number of our French population. our
French population are a prosperous and
contented people. They have work and
, the necessities of life and some Of them
have accumulated fortunes They like
our government and they like the Pine
Tree State and have no inclination
whatever to leave it.
These facts are cleaned from inter
views with a number of our French
citizens. one Of these. who is highly
respected far and near by his own peo-
pie and all others, ana who was born
in the State and has lived in several
different sections and whose opinion
must be regarded as the highest au-
thority, makes the following state
ment:
The story that there Will be Q great
exodus of French Canadians from
Maine in the spring is absolutely with
out foundation. l know it to he a lie as
is also the report that the French are
disconnected. They are Il happy and
contented people and as a rule have q
desire to become loyal citizens Of this
State if they are not already. Among
our people you will find very many who
take a lively interest in public affairs
who would deplore such Il movement.
Il understand there has been a move
mcnt by some parties to attempt to
prevail upon French Canadians TO leave
for Quebec. but | am absolutely certain
that nothing will come of it. If the
scheme survives the winter, l would be
wonderfully surprised if 100 families
joined in the movement
1T was stated. / notice, that French
Canadians desire to leave Maine be-
cause the Roman Catholic churches in
some places have denied them priests
of their own nativity and that the dis
bitter feelings between the French and
Irish I wish to deny that statement
most emphatically The French and
Irish Catholics Of Maine are on the best
| of terms and associate together so
| cially and in religion with no friction
whatever. The entire story is absurd
and untrue
The majority perhaps of the French
| in New England work in factories and
are accustomed to no other kind of
work. A plan to turn them out on
farms on wild lands would result in
disaster This class would probably
starve on their farms as they know
nothing about raising crops.
Very few idlers are to be found in
| New England at the present time and
those who are idlers are not working
| because they do not wish to. The re-
ported discomfort arising from a lack
of work is too feeble an argument for
| consideration.
| Mr. Dupont recently addressed
number of Augusta Canadian citizens
but his words had no effect. He might
as we'll have thrown his words to the
winds. The French Canadians are
| among our respected and desirable citi-
| zens. They are prosperous as a rule
and contented with their present con
dition of life. There is no danger Of
| their leaving the Kennebec valley for
! the wids of Canada. There is every
prospect that the French throughout
Maine will increase in numbers in
stead of diminish. AS a rule they have
large families and more and more are
continually coming over the border and
settling here. The colonization scheme
is nothing more or less than an effort
| of land owners and railroads to sell
| their land and as far as causing a gen.
eral migration of citizens from Maine it
will be a dismal failure.