The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-05-02
WHAT IMMIGRATION MANS TO LOUISIANA.
Important Factor in Further Development of State
zens will Aid Our People to Adapt Themselves
tions---FolIies Of the Past Pointed Out.

Our shortcomings thus far, in many
instances, have been produced by
causes not always under our con-
mentioning shortcomings mean
only to refer to material progress.
What have been some of these
shortcomings and some of the uncon-
I trollable causes for our temporary
| failures and present adverse condi-
tions? We,- as well as all the south,
know that our material progress was
first barred by the terrific draw
| backs consequent on the disturbances
of the civil war Civic, social and
| financial conditions had been so
reVolutionized that order had first
to be brought out of chaos, and the
disturbances were So great that all
our wits, our energies and our re-
sources were spent in the rehabilita-
ton of the state and the bringing
back of conditions to a normal
course. 1t left us in that state of
mind that our care and our soli-
tude, instead of being engrossed with
the study Of industrial problems
and the secrets of material prosper
ity, were focused on the problems of
safe governmental policies and the
preservation of existing social in
stitutions. This necessity became
, an engrafted habit and these single
! issues SO absorbed our attention that
/ We became people of one political
party, adherents OF few fixed
ideas and a few standard classes of
society. The private and public
debts incident to the war lead us
into haphazard systems of credit,
| the habit of temporarily tiding over
| difficulties, with the habit of de-
pendence on the good will of him
| who had the power to help. The
habit SO grew that we tenaciously
! clung to those revenue bearing oc-
equations alone that gave the quick
est returns.
We did not dare experiment, broad
en- and develop into new lines. We
were compelled agrieulturally to ac-
commodate ourselves not only to the
terms and conditions but to the very
ideas of those on whom we relied
financially for support. When We
did manage to reach financial inde-
Tpendence, we had become so habi-
tuated to these methods that we ad-
hered to them in self-satisfied
way and were content to pursue the
course our fathers did. A generation
or two of this system so paralyzed
our initiative, our inventiveness and
our resourcefulness, that in our late
reverses We the dependent, and those
oil do
pend are at our wits end what
course to pursue.
Are we responsible? If you will
But before a broad-minded judge and
close student Of human nature, we
were more sinned against than sin
ming. It is therefore a little unjust
and unWise to condemn our sugar
planters and cotton planters indis-
criminately and without due consider
alton of the causes that produced
such effects. Why did they not fore
see and prepare for such emergen-
cies? Because the financial opera
ed on faith. All credit is founded on
faith, and the boll-weevil is no
respecter of faith and apparently
neither is the national Democratic
party. What are the remedies? The
broadening of our ideas and the
wider extension of our agricultural
operations; the exercise of our in
ventiveness and our resourcefulness
along those broader lines of en-
deavor into which our rich country
invites us.
We boast that we can produce sue
cessfully everything; that we can
feed a nation. Let us then set off
with the determination that we are
going to produce all these things and
that we are actually going to feed
that nation. I know some will imme-
diately answer, "It is easy talk, but
it is a question of tOh! my mort
cages instead of oh! my ducats. -
But mortgages are like certain mar
cotics The best way to shake
them off is not by sitting idly by,
but by moving, and moving at quick
pace. Financial death is the penal
ty exacted by mortgages from him
who is inactive. We must learn to
adapt ourselves to new conditions.
We are under the necessity Of sup
planting big ideas with big work.
Big ideas require big resources, but
stbig rivers from little rivulets flow
and little rivulets are no slouches
" hen it comes to hustling.
What we need is work, confidence
and cooperation.
There is no field where credit is
more secure and more confiding than
Sc Oh 1F q
coupled with alertness and with econ
omy.
Big ideas are too often coupled
with big extravaganza.
Here, ladies and gentlemen, is
juster charge against US. We have
been extravagant We have been
happy -go-lucky We have not been
ON speaking terms with work Ma
ture has been too kind on the one
hand, and We have been too de-
pendent on Ephraim and Eliza on
the other. AS a consequence we are
dependent and they are Independent,
and while we are playing on empty
purse strings that give no music,
they are dragging a rag-time tune
out of banjo. But all is not lost.
We still have the friendly soil be-
meath our feet and over our heads
the propitious skies that are pledg-
ed to the golden harvest. 1t be-
nooves US to stir ourselves; to shake
off pessimism and to re-establish
confidence in ourselves and our
state. When others are learning
more every day the secret of our