The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-02

 ed half dozen large plantations, most of them contiguous and fronting the Mississippi. John C. Calhoun, born and reared in the canebrake of Marengo coun- ty, perfectly familiar with plantation methods and a man of extraordinary en- ergy and intelligence, was made resident manager a salary of S9O00. His as- sistant was paid S25o0 salary. The best mules about 250 perhaps, the best tools were bought, the best cabins for the hands were built and filled with a re- markedly select body of negroes, probably 1000 in number. Fifteen years of steady loss, deterioration Of interest and univer- sal demoralization of the labor followed Finally, in 1895, an agent was sent to the papal states of Italy for 300 families of agricultural workers to take the places of the negroes.
 I specify this case because of my per- sonal knowledge of it in corr oboration of Professor F'leming's present report There is no richer land on the globe, perhaps, than Chicot county, Arkansas, no where the negro could do better If willing to work, and no environment that would so thoroughly test the merits of Italian farm labor. Buffalo gnats, mosquitoes, malaria, poor drinking water, cold weather in winter and fiercest heat in summer dis tinguished the land. The river tnundation covers every acre of large plantations for weeks at time in all that region
 The result of Italian labor here is thus described by our author ''1n 1897 two years) only forty parishes were left. Since then conditions have improved. About 2000 acres are in cultivation by Italians, whose numbers are increased every years by immigration. The man ager states they are better cotton grow CTS than the negro, but that they have not yet developed the land-owning in stinct; they expect to return to Italy. There is no friction between Italian and black; but there is no race mixture. In 1903 the owners of the Corbin plantation advanced to their tenants $4000 to $5000 to send for relatives and friends. The en- tire loan was repaid out of the (ensuing) fall crop. One man returned to Italy with SS000 in cash. never having worked over 30 acres. He left his family with supplies for a year to work his land while he was gone" The land pro- prietor is hopeful.
 It will be seen that this test of the available races. on Chicot county land, has driven out the negro, that opened the forest, in slavery, and established the matchless reputation of the soil, while It proves conclusivey that Italians can and actually do thrive there. The case IS strong.
 Very reasonable apprehension has pos
  tations in the black belt of Alabama lest Italian labor should not prove to be a practical relief in their example, because Italians will not inhabit a farm with ne- groes; and if the race prejudice of the Italian is not sufficient to keep him away from the negro. the negro will apandon the land when the Italian comes.
 That matter is ceased to enter the sifu- ation Education and other potential and incrediable causes are driving the negro off the land. There are tens Of thou sands of acres of prairie lands between Eufaula and Demopolis that are either lying fallow or that are so badly cultl- vated that a state of fallow secured TOT them would be a blessing in disguise to the owners. These lands, if supplied with white labor, would yield annually in products slO0 the acre and the result would be a growth of commerce ten times over the present. There is no room Tor comparison between the capacity Of these prairie lands and the wire grass of south east Alabama, where wonderful prosper ity has set in.
 Some suggestion has arisen of social and political danger in the influx of for eign labor into Alabama. Possibly the point may have merit. but let us realize that we are already in the middle of a very bad fix along that very line what proportion of mulattos is found Tn Booker Washington's school? Last sun day. by accident. saw three livery stable buggies, fine turnouts drive up in pro cession to a negro drug store on a main street in Montgomery. Each vehicle was driven by a full blood African, but by his side sat, in each instance, young woman SO nearly white that a second glance was necessary to discover the mixed blood in her A fashionable negro church congregation in Montgomery IS at least 9 per cent white even if not 5o per cent and the white percentage in- creases with time.
 Danger in Alabama or in the cotton state of social and political revolution from farm immigrants has this set or. Our agriculture is chiefly responsible for our present social and political character. If the same cause remains active upon pure bred Italian farmers. domiciled or the land. why may we not expect sound society and safe politics to remain with us. even with the new corners? The peo- ple of the south are English, Scotcn, Irish, Welch, French, the blood or seil- governing races. The people of the north are Irish, German, Scandinavian. Polish. Russian, Hungarian. Italian, Spanish and African. We have eliminated the freed African. or rather we never admitted nm to influence in society or politics. At the north he is very powerful. The people