The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-11-01
FARMERS WILL Be
BROUGHT TO SOUTH
NEW MISSISSIPPI VALLEY IMMl.
GRAFTON ASSOCIATION STARTS
BIG MOVEMENT.
ORGANIZED AT NEW ORLEANS
Six States Unite in Effort TO Bying
Men From Europe 10 Cultivate
Idle Land.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
New Orleans.-With the object of
promOtinS desirable white immigra
tiOn To the South, the Mississippi Val
ley immigration Association, was or
ganizod al an enthusiastic meeting
held here.
Bring the landess man of Europe
TO the manless land of the South" was
the keynote OF many of the addresses
made at this meeting and is, in a way,
the slogan of the new organization
The association will bend its efforts
toward bringing in thrifty farmers 10
occupy the idle lands of the southern
states. These farmers will be secured
mainly from Europe and Canada but
efforts will be made also to secure i'm
migration from the northern states.
Many government restrictions on i'm
migration were challenged by the
speakers. In several resolutions the
gathering voiced its displeasure re-
garding many unreasonable measures
concerning aliens, now pending at
Washington. These resolutions are, in
substance, as follows:
All Southern States are urged to
make bigger appropriations, and send
state agents TO Europe to exploit the
states opportunities. and induce i'm
migrants to come 10 this country.
A vigorous protest is entered against
unreasonable restrictive immigration
legislation, particularly the literacy
test. Congress is called upon to alter
this legislation, so it will not be pre-
judicial TO the country's interests.
To Develop Southern Ports.
The government Is asked TO enact
legislation to force a more general
distribution Of immigration through
the gulf and South Atlantic ports, in
stead OF allowing the steamship COM
aliens In Eastern ports.
That the time for deporting unde.
sirable aliens be extended from three
to five years.
That the South as a whole, with the
railroads and the corporate interests.
establish more systematic means of
promoting colonization from other
parts of the states.
These resolutions were forwarded
TO all members of Congress, as well as.
to the Southern Commercial Congress
at Mobile. II legislation at Washing
ton is altered. speakers said IL would
open the floodgates for a steady stream
OF desirable white immigration into
the idle lands of the South.
Conspicuous among those who at
tended the meeting we're Senator Jo-
seph f. Ransdell. Governor Luther f.
Hall, Congressman II. Garland Dupre,
OF Louisiana, and others.
Railroad Man Elected President.
George II. Smith. general passenger
agent OF the Queen and Crescent, who
has been one of the prime leaders in
the move. was elected president OF the
association. W. D. Mounger. OF Match
eZ, was made first vice president. and
vice presidents were selected from
zach of the states Included in the or
ganization. as follows: Mississippi,
II. A. Camp Arkansas. j. II. Page;
Tennessee. 7. F. Peck. Alabama. VIII
liam c. Radcliffe. Eeu'ucky. Commits
sioner Newman. of IL" Bureau of AcTi-
culture, VI. B. Trezevant. Of New or
leans, was elected secretary treasurer.
and the following directorats ya-
named:
r. c. Cannink, Louisiana: LeIur
Percy. Mississippi: c. c. Kirkpatrick,
Arkansas: Bruce Kennedy, Alabama.
Senator Ransdell, in an address be-
fore the convention, said:
The people of this lower valley
must work together to pull immigrants
away from New York. We must be
thoroughly organized under good lead
ership TO get results We must guard
against strict legislation. Our irmi-
grafton laws now are restrictive
enough. The nation today is what II
Is because OF its constant assimilation
OF new blood from abroad. We have
drawn our national lifeblood from
other countries. have no fear of be-
ing injured by immigration from the
old world.
Tariff legislation will not lower the
cost Of living-it can only be reduced
by a great increase in the articles OF
consumption. Our great plantations
should be split up and settled by eau
casians. Our great cotton plantations
have been the curse OF the Southland,
because no one has been able TO make