The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-05
Immigration and the South.

4 =
/ IN md tcrscly known as "the off-scour-
inss OF Europe" Is the kcynotoof Pro.
| fcssor II. y. Wards paper on "fmtni-
gration and tho South" III the current
Atlantic Monthly. Professor Ward writes
| sympathetlcally and With fill appre-
citation OF peculiar Southern conditions.
| He notes and analyses the South's new
born zeal for Immigration" and points
cut some serious errors into which that
zeal might possibly be misled.
The need OF fresh labor In the South
Is, we believe, sufficiently apparent.
+! The great industrial development which
this section OF Tho world has lately UNI
/, dcrsonc has left the negro somewhat far
| aneld. The New York Sun was recently
| authority for the statement that the BIZ
mins;inm district was in need of 10000
men; that many OF the cotton factories
were running nj fraction of their full
spindle capacity, through lack of ope-
| ratorS; and that southern businesses gem
| orally. both manufacturing and ngricul-
| ,ural. as is we'll known to be tho case,
we're suffering from the snnc cause. 1T
is none the less true, however, that 1t
would be more profitable TO go on strug-y
Cling under these difficulties than to
create those new ones which would in
evitahly follow upon n general letting
down OK the bars, and the indiscldininate
welcoming of horde of undesirable Inns
migrants. 3,t6
II the negro had proved himself Of n
more vigorous and industrious breed the
South would probably find herself to-day
supplied with all the good labor that she
needs. But the negro is as he is. Only
complication of the South's present
problems could result from an open in
vitation TO low-graie foreigners pos
sessing many of theSdefects which have
made the negro an industrial failure.
The labor market would experience some
temporary relief from such an invita-
ton, but this advantage would be trivial
vixen compared with the depressing eff
feet upon the country's future.
The South now stands practically at
the threshold of a movement for new
population, and the principles which are 4
: = ( j. =
to- govern this movement must be for
mulatcd now. The South must strictly
look out for and protect herself. She
can hardly expect disinterested help from
the railroads, whose obvious interest IT.
is to keep people moving, no matter who
they are or where they are going. She
can expect 10 disnterested help from
the large cities of the North and East.
who would naturally wish to unload upon
an outside district the least desirable
OF their alien population. For the same
reason she can expect little help from
Dr.. Adoito Rossi, the italian Royal Com
missioner of Emigration. who is now in
New York examining into conditions OF
the Italian settlers in this country She
cannot even count on the public spirit
einess OF her own large employers,
whose compelling impulse Is TO get their
own work done, as probably as posi-
BILE regardless. TO a degree at least, Of
the character OF labor they call in to
do IL
At The present moment, the South is
badly in need OF new population to bear
a hand il the carrying on OF her greatly
enhanced industry. But she does not
need them badly enough to throw dis
c,etion 10 the winds. To men of the
right stamp-ttr!fty, Woodworking men.
physically III and preferably with q lit
lie money-sha is waiting to give a cor
dial welcome Thousands Of immigrants
OF these most desirable classes" says
Professor Ward, have recently been
brought into the South from the West
ern and Northwestern States. and from
Northern Europe; and ne is confident.
if the proper effort is made, that as many
more Of them could be brought in as We
care 10 take.
We have no doubt that the professors
contention IS absolutely sound. In any
case 1t should be-thcse or nothing The
South as a whole can much better afford
TO be labor-bound than to be infested
and overrun with swarm of third
class nliens.
------------- rs f6ya 3S7t.ti5
The Useful Side of Gossip.
we all decry gossp-in others. Yet VIC
/ ! ~ &c