Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-09-02

Each of these county organizations
will elect three delegates to attend a
State convention TO be held in Co
lumbia on Tuesday, November 10.
This convention win organize itself
into the estate Immigration Bureau
of South Carolina" adopt oonsti-
tuition and bylaws, both for the
State and for the several county or
CARNATIONS, and elect an agent to be
known and designated as "South
Carolina Immigrant Agent" This
convention will also prepare and
adopt bill to be enacted into law
at the next meeting of the General
Assembly of the State, making this
State institution for purposes here
matter stated. Each county will
proceed to collect MS large fund as
possible, and the immigrants will be
divided among the individual con-
tributors, and hence, between the
counties, in proportion to the amount
raised.
The agent above referred to should
go to Scotland, carrying with him
credentials from the State and Ma
tioual Governments, and through
our minister at tho Court OF ST.
James he accredited to the Govern
ment of Great Britain. Armed with
these evidences of his character and
responsibility, | haven't the slightest
doubt but that this agent can get as
many of the very best of laborers
as the fund he has charge of will
authorize him to employ. 1t is
rather premature to make estimates,
but, as many, owing to past expert
ences, doubtless will ask els that
scheme practicable ?" / submit the
following as entirely within the pos
sibilities of such an organization.
Immigrants can be landed in New
York at about SO each, aud it does
seem to me that the railroads in this
State, in their own interest, will
bring them to the State free or for a
nominal fare. Say that the people
of Marlboro, Marion, Florence and
Darlington wish two thousand of
these laborers, $4,000 will land them
in New York, and allowing $4,000
for additional expenses, the total
cost will be 100000. For an ad-
vance of $40 each, therefore, one can
get a laborer, in comparison with
whom the present iaborer is as night
to day. How often it is the case
that farmer has to make an outlay
of that amount before a laborer
moves upon his premises, or has to
make advances to that amount be-
fore click is struck ?"
The foregoing estimate is based
upon the theory that the immigrant
comes over on regular line as a
steerage passenger, but if "tramp"
steamer were chartered, not only
could a larger number be brought
over, but the steamer could come
directly to one of our own ports, say
Charleston, Georgetown or Beaufort,
and thus save expense.
But, says some one else, how are
you going to get around the Allen
Immigration Act, which prohibits,
under heavy penalties, the importa-
tion and migration of foreigners and
aliens under contract or agreement
to perform labor ? In the first place
this Act applies only to "any person,
company, partnership or corpora
tion," and cannot affect a State,
hence my suggestion that the State
take charge of the scheme. | am no
lawyer, and claim to have no techni-
cal knowledge of the subject, but to
my uncultured mind it seems that
the National Government could not
interfere with sovereign State in
its efforts to procure desirable in
habitants. In the second place, it
seems to me that Congress would re-
lieve so desirable an object from the
provisions of the Act.
| sincerely hope that some one else
will take up the subject and that we
may have full and free discussion
of the matter. The accomplishment
of the purpose sought is one way in
which The all-prevalent and never
eding "negro question" may be
solved, for the class of immigrants
to which | refer will make first class
citizens, untainted with socialism
and unbound by unions a God-fear
ing, liberty-loving, law-abiding and
faithful serving class of people.
That a worse class may not come,
and that our fields may be made to
"bloom and blossom as a rose," let
us get together.
Q "A. q TO R IA.
roo., a. a Th8 Kind Y0u Haya ALWAYS RnlI1hf