The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-05-02
::---Influx of New Citii-
IS to Changed Condi-

we are learning to beat more in
dustrious1y on the loud drum of
pessimism and to clang louder the
discordant horn of calamity. Thou
sands of people are turning their
attention to this section of the coun-
try. They think they see over it
the light of prosperity and we are
constantly raising dust clouds to
obscure their view. Stop that noise:
Stop that kicking! We need them!
We desire their added energy, their
| added resourcefu1ness, their added
knowledge, their added capital. If
they are willing to come in conf
| dence alongside of us in the fur
row, in the factory, in the counting
house, let them come! If they pros
! per, we prosper! We need them to
help us build our good roads, to
Grain our fields, build our bridges,
improve our cities and incidentally
to tear down our shacks, put shingles
en- our barns and paint our houses.
What if Peter or Paul reaps the
first benefit of their coming? Away
| with petty jealousies! Away with
suspicious! Each one of us is
social unit and social units make
powerful bodies only by aggregation
and cooperation.
From the individual particles of
| soil to the individual cells in your
body, nature teaches that power and
| progress and well-being are found
ed On the cooperation of individual
units. All government, all society
is based On cooperation. Where
this cooperation prevails there is
prosperity and happy communities;
where it does not there is poverty
and hell. Jealousy and envy are the
marks of small and unenlightened
minds. 1t has no place in the mind
of the really big man.
We have a big state and we need
big people and as many as desire to
come. Get together, people of Lou
isiana! Forget class distinctions;
forget political agitation except when
end where it is needed. Cease to
be bound by too much sentiment and
to be controlled by too many conven-
tlonalities. They are excellent in
their place, but too much sentiment
is likely to breed mollyeoddles and
too many conventionalities to build
up human autematons. The crown
irg perfection of humanity is to
stretch out to other humans; to rec
ognize the value of their efforts; to
accept their aid and to offer ours to
them. That is what Immigration
means. Not the inviting of the nom
descript, the shiftless, the worthless,
but the inviting of the brain, the
muscle and the Drawn OF other cIimes
and other conditions. The Welding
of their knowledge to our knowledge;
their labor to our labor; their expert
ence to our experience, and their
money to our money.
But safe and sound movements
usually have small beginnings. The
foundations of a building are proper
tionately slow in their rise to that of
the superstructure. Furious stam-
pedes usually terminate in some one
getting hurt. Furious charges are
made with the purpose of dislodging
the enemy. We are not under the
necessity of dislodging enemies, but
of inviting colaborers and friends.
First by making our own homes pre-
sentable. The more of this work
We do ourselves the more will the
stranger be willing to abide. Let us,
to the best of our ability, establish
ourselves firmly and prosperousIy in
our own state, by producing and CIV
ing evidence to others that they also
can produce. Study, learn, dig and
think, and keep on thinking. If we
do this there will be a hundred agen-
cies that will arise to bring helping
hands and helpful capital.
We are not here to excite mo-
mentary enthusiasm, dissipate the
blues and make ourselves feel like
mi1lionaires. What is paramount is
action; is the getting down to
concrete everyday facts and trying.
One of our troubles is that We are in
the habit of expecting immediate re-
turns. They have come so easy that
we act like spoiled children of nature
and the pampered offspring of luxury,
and these, in the history of the.
world, have left only shirt-sleeves to
their posterity.
We should leave here with the
ploW and the hammer and the paint
brush as our coat of arms, instead of
the gun and the fishing-rod crossed
on our laps as we sit in a rocking
chair under the shade of a pecan
tree.
It is unfair to ourselves to justify
our unprogressivenes with the lame
excuse that it is due to the climate.
Our drawbacks may be due to a va
riety of causes, but we have been
taught that the only place where
there are no drawbacks, and that is
an unexplored land to all of us, is
Heaven!
In conclusion, wish to say that
while our lack of material progress
has been due to causes not altogether
under our control, yet we may honest
" and conscientiously plead guilty to
some. The chief is too great inclina-
ton to ease and a want of economy.
Correct these and add to them conf
dence in our cwn ability, and in the
resources of the state. Add to this
an abandonment of the artificial dis
tinctions that keep us apart, sup
planted by a spirit of frank, whole
souled cooperation in all things that
pertain to the common good, and We.
will then be prepared to welcome,
receive and take care of the thou
sands OF possible home-seekers that
are knocking more loudly and more
persistent1y every day at the gates
of the great state OF Louisiana.
For results, advertise in The Chief.