New-York tribune., 1908-02-23
MIXING THE BLIND SEE.

There are thousands of blind men In these
United States who are not known as such 10
their physicians. for they are bind only 10 their
opportunities. The majority are laborerS ei'her
unskiIled or trained only in one of the simpler
trades and all are city dwellers Many OF them
are now out of work and slowly using nj their
precious savings while waiting AROUND the
streets and factories in the hope that employ
n,ent will soon be offered them. Doubtless
goodIy percentage will have their hope fuI1lled
before the last cent has been drawn from the
hank hut thousands of others have laid by so
little through improvidence misfortune or sheer
ignorance that very short period of enforced
idenCss will bring them TO penury. And yet
with this prospect clearly seen, none 81 theSe
men has been able TO discover with unalded
eyes the eVer-preSent, ncXhallStible oppoftuhl-
ties of farming especially in the South ana
Southwest So far statistics are available TO
guide us, there is nowhere perceptbe move
ment of the unemployed from town to country
indeed. there has been a marked drift in the op-
pnste direction. largely due 10 the shifting of
vsgrants but also attributable to the laborers
fallacy that wherever men are gathered together
there work can be found.
It has remained for the State Of Louisiana TO
attempt the miracle of making thousands OF
blind men see. The wonder ought to be easily
worked if the following words of the Secretary
of the State Board Of Immigration can ne heard
by the SightleSS:
| am here to give men opportunity to better
their condition. 1 represent the state and no
land companies. We have in Louisiana 2iTtt-
GtHb acres of land and only btD0tDo are belhS
cultivated. We want families TO till the SOIL ana
study our methods. The Legislature OF LOUIS
lana is promoting the present plan, and in order
to enlarge our scope of usefulness we must get
men who are willing to work. We want men
who are progressive. and planters with large
-Tapr of ready
every man who is willing to help nlmSeIt, ana
sell small farms on ten years credit. But in the
mean time causing immigration 10 our
state by securing men who arc willing TO farm
on shares Houses are provided for families
who go. We furnish each family with horse
mule seed 10 plant fTops, ground and garden
trucking implements.
A few men. heads of families. have already
boarded trains for Louisiana. at the states ex
penSe. 10 take advantage of this liberal offer,
which carries with it oversight and instruction
of those who may need it to establish them
selves How many more will follow: 1t is for
the South 10 say. The opportunity of its immi-
grafton bureaus Is at hand and ii would he
well for North and South alike to give them the
widest possible powers. 1t is by means in
conceivable that, by careful campaigning and
liberal appropriations. the Southern States
might reap a rich harvest Of new citizens during
the present industrial depression. Times are not
so bad that many men ignorant of agriculture
will rush TO distant farms at the first mention
of the opportunity. Missionary work is still
needed To make the blind Northern townsmen
see. But the effort would yield II handsome,
permanent income if only twenty thousand fam
lies could thereby he coaXed over to the sunny
side of Mason and Dixons line aud aided and
instructed until they are made competent farm