The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-01-20
matheson's immigration Plan.

the Freeman and Herald to publish
the same, 1t came too late for the next
issue of the Watchman and Southron,
and call attention to the matter. L
have written Mr.. ". +. Rhame,
Cashier of The Bank of Sumter ask
ING bin to receive all subscriptions on
the lists referred to in Mr. Matheson' S
letter, and Lwill call for them on my
way to the Executive Committee
meeting next Tuesday morning. MI.
Matheson's circular letter, although
dated January 1st, was not mailed until
the 10th and received by me today.
This does not give me time enough TO
make personal canvass.
Whatever may be the wisdom or re-
suits of this move, the fact is pain
fully evident that we need more and
better labor, and there is abundant
room for improvement: waste places
to reclaim that will continue to give
scanty returns until better handled.
Far better that thousands OF acres
now being scratched over be turned
out to grow timber to take the place
in a measure, of that now going
through the "insatiate nav" Of the
saw mills, than for the present lnsufl-
cient labor to be dissipated into
sbrmblebee'' cotton anu crab grass so
thin fire would not burn over the held.
But this will continue until more labor
or working along better lines makes
these waste PAGES fruitful, and causes
30 the desert to blossom like the rose. !"
That there is more in the man than
in the lands finds ample demonstra-
tion in every community. | will only
mention one instance, every obserVanS
reader can find others: Mr.. ". b.
Boyle made last year on as poor land
as there is in the county, seven ~
bales of cotton on four acres. l
DO not know how long he has been i'm
proving this particular field, but sup
pose ten years, the result warrants it.
To any one who questions the appro-
priateness Of these remarks as an argu-
ment for immigration will say get IN
your buggy as I have done, and drive
across the county in any direction,
and see how many sections there are
where neighbors are miles apart, and
see how many hundreds Of families
could be settled without any croWding,
and on lands as good as, or better
than, Mr.. Boyle's. Think how many
schools coud be lrun eight or nine
months, how many feeble churches
strengthened, how many miles Of good
roads could be built, how many thous-
ands of dollars worth of property add
ed to the tax lists. the increase IN
trade in all directions and impetus to
the general welfare by the incoming
Of several hundreds or thousands OF
such families as this movement hopes
to bring into our county, and then
point out how one single person white
or black now here would be injured IN
the least, and I will not ask single
dollars subscription, nor spend an
other cent in trying to perfect the
plans so far made.
Thanking you for your kind consider
alton (if every body we're as public
spirited as the much abused newspa--
pers there would be more substantial
progress,
E. W. Dabbs.
Mem. Ex. Com. State immigration
Convention.
Bennettsvle, S. O., Jan. |, 1904.
Dear Sir: At the State Immigra-
ton Convention which met in Colum-
bia November 9Th, last, provision was
made for organizing an Executive
of which 4 was designated
chairman, and you were constituted
member to represent your county, or
the commercial body to which you be-
long. Provision was also made for as
the committee together at
such time as may be deemed most ex-
pedient, to take into consideration
and to devise the means and measures
proper to form the association into
permanent organization and to accom-
plish the purpose for which 1t was IN
stituted.
The second Tuesday in January
(which this year falls on the 18th
inst. is the time fixed by the consti
tuition for the convening of the Gener-
al Assembly of this State, and 1T
seems to me during the session lnete
and appropriate time for assembling
our committee together to perform the
IN OOTCSuU CUllSo WO 1ofO aSSOhA "
discharge. This not only, because we
nav prepare and submit to the Gener-
al Assembly such legislation as may
be deemed appropriate and necessary
to effect the object we have in view,
Init that we may have the
aid and benefit of the assem-
bled wisdom, observation and expert
ence OF our legislators The commit
tee, therefore, will meet at Columbia
in the Senate Hall, on Tuesday, the
10th day of January, at 8 O'Clock p.
70.
In this, as in all other undertakings
of any Importance, there is necessarily
incurred some expense and this has to
be met, for the present at least, by
voluntary contributions. In accord
ance With the duty imposed upon me
by the convention have estimated
these expenses and have made as
EQUITABLE distribution of the same,
based upon wealth and population. as
best I could, among the several coun-
ties. The amount assessed against
your county is Two Hundred (s20O)
Dollars, This sum, | sincerely hope
you will at once proceed to collect,
..1I:a- ~ 1,o7r occictoooa II noc6SSSry