The Rice belt journal., 1906-05-18

state, in any considerable numbers
the class of European Immigrants
which are now reaching the shores OF
America. 1t is urged that America
was built up by foreigners. That is
true, but not conclusive evidence that
we should welcome with open arms,
the scum and Chatf OF Europe now.
The time was, when the immigrants
who came to the country were men OF
sterling worth, men Of bold, indepen.
dent, progressive spirit, who came
here to build their homes and rear
their families in the land of the free.
The great mass of immigration, in
earlier days where hardships were to
be overcome, and the burdens of
building up new country were to be
borne, was from the North of Europe.
The bold Sweed, Dane. and NOrwe.
gian, who brought with them the
spirit of the old Sea Kings. The stur.
dy BritOnand the daring sons of the
Emereld Isle who have furnished many
of our boldest warriers and wiseSt
statesmen; The liberty loving Teu.
ton and the emotional Frank, men
who sought liberty in the wilds of a
new country, rather than endure Op-
preston in the old. They were men
OF deep religious convictions. Men
whose highest aim was to build homes
for themselves and families. They
made good citizens here because they
were good citizens in their own coun-
try. But the class Of people coming
to our shores today are entirely diff.
erent. The mass of them are from
Southern Europe from countries that
have been dead for centuries, or worse
still from provinces which have never
been quickened into national life. To-
day the major part of the immigrants
reaching our shores are Italians of
the Dago variety, Ciscillians, Bava-
rianS and similar classes from South
Europe and Western Asia. A class
which is utterly ignorant of our laws,
institutions, religion or lines of think
ing. These are the people who fill our
aims housees, mad houses and penal
institutions. They do not come here
seeking to make home and become
Americans but only to pick up what
they can, and go back to their native
land to spend it. They do not make
our farmers, the tillerS of the soil. the
producers of wealth, who are the bone
and sinue of every nation. On the
other hand they furnish the banana
tand keeper, the keepers of low dives
and GROCERIES, the hand organ men,
and the pack peddlers. Instead of
building homes, they huddle together
in hoyels and rookeries like animals.
They can never intermarry with Amer
leans except at the expense of debase-
ing American manhood and woman.
hood.
If this class of people are so valu-
able an asset to country and should
be sought after by our own fair state,
why is it that the governments of the
countries from which many of them
come are more or less openly conni-
wing at unloading them on our shores.
Like every new country we need
new immigrants but we don't need to
go to Europe for them. There are
literally millions in our overcrowded
cities who only need to be shown the
way, in order for them TO seek a live
ly-hood elsewhere. But better still is
the great central part of this country
in which there are thousands of sub.
stantial intelligent Americans, who.
because OF the high price of lands in
their own states and their natural ten
dency to settle in new countries are
seeking new fields of labor. 1t is this
class of immigrants who have made
Southwestern Louisiana what it is
today.
Give to this state an American born
citizenship familiar with our laws,
lovers of our institutions, worshipers
OF our God, and bone and sinew of
the great American commonwealth,
and 1t will 20 forward on the path of
progress with mighty striees until it
has become commonwealth which
will rival that of any on earth.
Crop And Weather Conditions.
Seeding is progressing through the
rice belt, but under difficulties. The