Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-08-24
A,keNs POSITION AS TO IMMIGRATION.
He Explains the National Law on the Subjec,
and Tells About His Bill.

anu ieiiS ABOUT MS OIL.
Mr.. Editor: 1 have learned that the
national immigration bill, and my speech
in support of it, are subjects of COM
ment and some criticism in certain Sec
tions of this District at this time. Some
of those who see "spooks" in the bill
claim that its purpose is to bring in
foreign element who would compete with
our mill people.
A large proportion of Anderson's popu-
lation is engaged in manufacturing.
They have made this county one of the
first in the South, and they deserve in
great measure the commentator of the
whole people. 1 am opposed unalterably
to any m easure detrimental to their in
terests, but in the spirit of fairness we
must first be convinced that such meas
ure 10 detrimental to their interests.
Careful examination of both the bill
and of my speech on immigration reveals
not one line indicating policy which is
in any sense detrimentalto the interests
of mill people. The whole tenor of my
speech advocates the introduction of
farm laborers and farm owners, and that,
too, in sections of country which are
wasting away for lack of sufficient intel
ligent white labor to properly cultivate
the SOIL The bill has no bearing on i'm
migration further than to guard against
the influx of worthless immigrants, and
to provide means of selecting the best
A. A.
government has already admitted. While
the measure is an excellent one, and
could result only in good in selecting
high class population to take the places
of those who have turned from farming
to the manufacturing field, still it does
not and cannot compel any State to take
advantage of it that does not elect to do
so. In case State should elect to avail
itself of the provisions of such law the
bill requires that the United States gov
ernment shall furnish the States agent
with quarters and such information as
will enable him to guard against worth
less immigrants in his selections. The
bill is in every sense discriminative and
restrictive in its provisions and narrows
rather than widens the doors to immi-
grants. The fact is, the good people
who now operate our cotton mills were
once the main stay of our farming popu-
lation and in consequence of their change
of occupation farm lands are idle and un-
profitable. In many sections ofsthe State
we are advancing in manufacturing, but
it is too often at the expense of declin-
ing agriculture. The necessity for
white immigrants is not so apparant in
Anderson county, if indeed it exists at
ALL but Anderson county serves as a
splendid object lesson when it is COM
pared with other counties of the State
which have thin white population. Our
land is owned mainly by small white
farmers, who look to its preservation and
upbuildipg, and the consequence is it is
three times as valuable commercially as
that of counties less favored in the mat
ter of white citizens. Would any man
in Anderson county say that the county
would be more prosperous If half our
white population moved out of its
Would this not be considered an absurd
proposition? Then 1t follows that
county that has less than half the white
population per square mile is just to that
extent poorer and less prosperous than
we are when on that population produc-
ton depends. If Anderson county does
not need them you may be sure they will
not come here. If you do not want
them they cannot occupy your lands.
You are not obliged to give them place.
Is it an open question whether or not
we need more white farmers in Ander-
son county, If we do not, which is by
no means conceded, we should not act
the part of the "dog in the manger" and
undertake to block the way for those
counties which could utilize to great ad-
vantage intelligent Anglo-Saxon immi-
grants in converting barron waste into
productive fields.