Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-08-07

"I find men who say we don't
need immigrants-we need South
Carolina for our own children. I
would like mighty we'll If that would
accomplish the result Of equalizing,
to say nothing about putting us in the
lead Of the negroes In numbers; but
when I look around and see how
many negroes also are not guilty OF
race suicide, must confess the cold
blooded fact that the negroes are
ahead of us, and unless disease or
something else shall come along and
desolate these people: unless we do
get reinforcements. the struggle for
mastery as between majority OF the
negroes and a minority Of the whites
is bound to come. May come any
how, as I said, but not as likely to
prove successful if we have as MANY
white people here as they have got In
North Carolina, that Is two to one.
I say it Is the part Of wisdom and a
matter Of supreme necessity that the
people of South Carolina should use
every legitimate and proper means In
their power to encourage white immt-
gration-to obtain men Of our own
race here.
Nov, when we come to consider
the possibilities and benefits in pure
ly business sense Of the influx Of, say,
325. 900 white people, the ideas which
such a thought sets in motion are
simply startling. Such an addition
to our population Of thrifty, indus
trious, land-buying immigrants would
more than double the value Of every
acre Of land in the state, and II we
could by any means substitute 100000
of such people for the 100000 negroes
we have, the property values in the
state would quadrUple in a night.
Coupled with the political necessity
Of securing white voters, I cannot
conceive of any one being willing to
take a backward step in the effort to
obtain white supremacy in popula-
ton"
The Black Cloud That Threatens.
Commissioner Watson said Senator
Tillman had made these utterances
in the light Of his long experience In
public life. Turning to the audience
Mr.. Watson said: II have done ana
am doing my best with as difficult a
task as ever was assigned to man
more difficult because Of lack OF pop
ular understanding Of the necessities
of the hour and the purposes or the
work due to Misrepresentation bred
of ignorance. But, l want to ask you,
he said, with great earnestness'
"whether il is wiser to follow the un-
informed who scream save your land
for your children's children or to
take the only logical step that can be
taken to protect the daughters OF
YOUR children from the loathsome
coil Of the black snake? The only
step that can be taken in order that
they may have the privilege Of enjoy
ing their lands and preserving the
standard Of the race Of our forefath-
ers? AS a South Carolinian, who loves
the commonwealth and its people, l
tell you no! a thousand times no! and
I have an abiding faith that the scales
artifcially placed on your eyes Will
fall in time to enable you to so act as
to avoid the horrors that, unless in
ha ~
ed again, must inevitably surround
our descendants"
In the course of his speech Mr..
Watson directed particular attention
to the fact that all the branches OF
work of the department had been
pushed upon appropriations so small
as to appear ridiculous to people in
other states-the present annual ap-
nronriation for all eXDenSes-eXCeD eDt