Year: 1875

Our People Have Their Fortunes iu


Their own Hands-An Encouraging


Letter from the Commissioner OF


Immigration.


To the Union and American:


Permit me, through the columns of the
UNION AND AMERICAN, to offer a few
words Of announcement to those who are
desponding, and fear that, because our
Legislature did not meet their expecta-
tiOns by passing all the financial relief bills
offered by the sanguine gentlemen who
would fain have legislated US, as if by
magic, into wealth and prosperity, that
consequently we are doomed TO hopeless,
helpless bankruptcy. We by no means
take this view Of the case. While we do
not now stop to discuss the currency ques-
tiOn, as it is not geTmane to our present
purpose, we will say, in passing, that,
though deeply interested in the prosperity
of our State, and truly sympathizing
with the peoples distress, we were not Of
those who considered the passage or failure
of the various paper currency schemes OF
such vital importance, that on them depend
ed our material salvation. We felt that more
currency alone would not prove the open
sesame to the golden gates OF EldOradic
prosperity, nor would its scarcity doom us
TO the abjeet depth of LazarOnie poverty.
We realized that currency is, after all, not
Wealth-Only its representative, only the
shadow, not the substance. And, hence,
all who put their trust in legislative leger-
demain as the means Of truly increasing
our wealth, have ever been and ever will be
doomed to disappointment.


We must take steps to increase real
wealth as the only sure way to sound, sub
stantial and permanent prosperity. To
expect a State or people to be prosperous,
10 have plenty of money, who do not Util-
ize their revenues, who DO not produce and
sell more than they consume and buy, is
pure and unadnlterated folly. Money, as
we have said, is not wealth - only
its representative, its shadow. To
expect plenty of money when we don't pro-
duce the materials to purchase it with, is
as reasonable as to expect a bean-pOle to
cast as large a shadow as the trunk Of a
stately oak. That we need more currency,
do not deny, but we want more diversity
Of products, too; we want more highly cul-
tiyated fields and more Of them; more corn
in our rich valleys; more grass and cattle;
more fruit on our upland; more butter and
cheese produced; more iron mined and
manufactured; more cotton spun and wOye;
more shoes made; more wagons and plOws
of home production.


To aid in bringing about this result, our
Legislature has, for the firsttime, practically
recognized the necessity of making an ef-
fort to secure immigration, by the passage
of the act to amend the act of 1871, ere
ating Bureau of ImmigatiOn.
True, the amount of the appropriation
IS insignifcantly small, being in all only
$1,000 per annum. Hence many Of the
true friends of the cause of immigration
feel that little or nothing can be done. l
have letters from all parts of the State,
asking whether the State can do anything
for the cause with so small q sum, and
now take this occasion TO answer all these
questions.


l say frankly, no; the State can do but
little with this. In fact any one who will
study the act will see, from its whole tenor
and spirit, that it was not designed or eN-
peCted that the State would do much; more
than furnish the tools for the people to 60
to work with; and thus its whole essence |
and spirit was that OfcO-Operative effort be-
tween State and people. Hence, l say that
I l have strong hope that, if the people will
only avail themselves Of the opportunity |

offered, a great work viii be accomplished in
the next ten years. l can not, however,
without trsspassing too much on your valu- |
able space, discuss the whole plan proposed |
or point ont the means by which the work |
can be done. l will do so in future let
ter. and feel satisfied that, when lay my
plans Of operations before the people, they |
will see in them the sure prospect Of sue |
cess, and that they will at once cooperate |
and enable the Commissioner to carry out |
a comprehensive plan that will soon bring
capital and skill and energy to our aid. No |
need for dependency. / have studied the
question in all its details; 1 have examined
the field and see a bright light ahead.
Meantime, let our people be patient In a
few days l Will lay before them plans which
l think cannot fail Of success.


JOHN MOFFAT,


Commissioner of Immigration.