Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-08-24
ERRORS REGARDING ,mm,saArlos LAW
Gen. NJ. L. Bonham Explains Mooted Points
in the System--Law Misunderstood.
[Andersop Daily Mail. |


that purposely or unwittiugly the
public has been given a wholly in
correct understanding Of the scope
and purposes of the act of the Legis-
lature, passed at its last session, Gre
ating the department of agriculture,
commerce and immigration.
The idea has gained currency that
the purpose of that act is to flood
the State with foreign pauper labor,
as one candidate said, "the riff-raff
of Russia" as another said, "the
scum of Europe )" that this cheap
labor will usurp the place of the
farm laborer and will drive the mill
hands out of employment. Whether
consciously or uncousciously, those
who are teaching such views are de-
ceiving and misleading the people az
to the purpose of that legislation.
The law is found on page 449 of
the acts of 1904. The following ,x-
tract from Section of that act
shows without any sort of doubt what
it was enacted to accomplish and
completely refutes the misleading
statements that have been made and
are being made
"To promote agriculture, manu-
featuring and other industries, cattle
raising and all matters leading to the
industrial development of the State,
with the collection and publication
of information in regard to localities,
character, accessibility, cost and
mode of utilization of soils, and
more specifically to the inducement
of capital and desirable immigration
by the dissemination of information
relative to the advantages of soil and
climate"
There is a clear statement of the
objects to be attained and the
methods by which they are to be ac-
complished, viz: to induce capital
and desirable immigration, not "riff
raff' and "scum," by displaying to
the world the incompatible advan-
tages and resources of our State, of
which the world is at present unin-
formed because of q lack of judicious
and extensive exploitation by us of
these resources.
Now, as to the character and class
of immigrants to be brought in Sec
tion III of the act is specific. 1t is
as follows "That immigrants shall
be confined to white citizens of the
United States, citizens of Ireland,
Scotland, England, Switzerland,
France and other Foreigners of Saxon
origin" That is, of the same origin
as those from whom we are de-
scended, and who came to America
as emigrants. The Italian, Spaniard,
Slav, Japanese and Chinaman are
excluded by the terms of the act.
Home-loving, home making, God
fearing, moral, intelligent people,
with means to buy our surplus lands
and build houses, schools, churches and
Become good citizens, these and these
alone are sought to be induced to
come here, and no provision is made
by the act to pay them "bonus" to
come, as has been widely circulated.
Mr.. Editor, those who are giving
the people the wrong construction Of
this law are Sowing the wind to reap
&he whirlwind." | have an abiding
faith and belief IN the good common
sense of our people. AS Mr.. Lincoln
said, "You may fool some of the peo-
ple some of the time, you may fool
some of the people all the time, but
you can't fool all of the people all of
the time" They will look into this
matter for themselves, and finding
that they have been misinformed
Lhey will resent it, saying, "Either
these persons desigRedly misled us
for their own ends or else they did
not know what they were talking
about. If the first, then they have
presumed that we are too ignorant
to find out the truth and have played
upon our crcdulity. We will not
stand for that. If the second, then
they are not competent to represent