The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-02-13
IMMIGRATION soUTHs HOPE.
Former Governor Urges South to En-
courage White Immigrants for
Farm Work.

In strong letter to the State
newspaper former Gov. D. c. Hey
ward reviews the labor situation in
the south and emphasizes the fact
that white labor is the south's only
hope. Gov. Heyward's letter comes
at time when the south is facing a
problem which will become more and
more acute as the years multiply.
His letter is well worth the thought
ul consideration of every person in
terested in the future of the south:
The letter follows:
To the Editor of The State:-
The general disposition of the
people of this country, after going
through with the tremendous up
heavals which have taken place
throughout the world during the past
four years seems to be, now that
the war is over, to settle down again
for brief space at least to old condi-
tions and allow the future to work
out the problems which are now
pressing for solution. But this is not
the safe or proper attitude which
should be taken. The war has liber-
ated world forces of such momen-
tum that they can not be stopped,
and those foolhardy enough to un-
dertake to stop them will inevitably
be bowled over and crushed by this
moving spirit of world democracy.
In our own section of the country
problems which have safely lain dor
mant for several decades are now
rapidly coming to a head, and our
people must face them thoughtfully
and fearlessly. We can not bury our
head in the sand, hoping that some
how these problems will continue to
lie dormant or work out their own
solution. refer particularly 10 the
labor problem and to the socalled
negro problem.
The labor problem in the South is
but fragment of the larger national
and international labor problem,
which is now rapidly pressing for So
luton and the solution that Is being
worked out in Europe and other Sec
tions of our own country will doubt
less be the solution with us and this
is a matter which we, need not view
with alarm, for the higher wage
which prevails in any community ne
cessarily means the greater prosperi-
ty of that community will share. The
negro problem on the other hand is
limited more exclusively to the south
and affects South Carolina yitally.
( There has been a great deal writ
ten and spoken on the negro ques-
ton, but these discussions do not get
us very far. What is needed Is, first
| Of all, clear understanding Of the
facts and then we may attempt to
offer suggestions looking towards
the solution of the problem.
Since his emancipation the negro
has more than doubled his population
throughout the U. s. and for many
reasons it is believed that he will
not gradually die out, as was once
thought, but will continue to main
tain approximately the same rate of
increase. Amalgamation of the races,
always abhorred by the people of the
South, has made no headway what
ever and this fear may now be finally
disposed of. In education the negro
has shown marked advancement, de-
creasing his illiteracy by approxi-
mately 70 per cent since his eman-
cipation. In wealth the negro through
out the country has shown most mar
ked ad vancement so he now is worth
500, 100000 or about $40 per capita
and the land which he owns, amount
ing to 21,000,000 acres, or $1,000
square miles, is equal in area to al
most all Of New England. The negro
today then is not only a freeholder
to a large extent, but he owns his
own banks, his own newspapers, his
own colleges and his own representa-
tives in almost all professions, and
occupations. It is not surprising,
therefore, that he has been receiving
with increasing rapidity large
amounts of information which has
created discomfort in his leaders and
from them spread even to the un-
educated.
Another fact is that the diffusion
Of the negro throughout the United
States while going on all the time
during the last few decades, has been
greatly stimulated by the demand for
labor growing out of the war, and
students Of the situation have OBJ
served that wherever he has gone in
large numbers, he has brought with
him the race problem and in a num-
Der Of instances it became very rapid
ly acute to degree unknown in the