Year: 1867

The immigration Question.


We published, few days ago, an ex-
tract from the Parkersburg Times, be-
waillng the lack of immigration to our
State, and urging the adoption, by the
legislature, of some effective means of
inviting foreign population and labor
aud capital to West Virginia. In COM
mentins upon the extract referred to,
we cndeavored TO show that the pro-
scriptive legislation of our State and
the blind fInaticism and folly of its
rulers operated as bar To immigration,
ana were the most serious obstacles to
the material prosperity of the State that
could be devised. The Clarksburg Con-
serratire, of this week, mentioned an in
stance which directly and distinctly
proves the correctness of our reasoning
upon this subject. 1t is only one CT
similar hundreds that might be ad-
duoed. The instance to which we al
lude is this:


4 short time ago gentleman visited
this section of the State on behalf of
himself and five other citizens of Vir-
ginia. They had beon deprived of their
laboring force, and were unable to pro-
cure another, and having become dis
gusted with the means used 10y the Rad
icals tO override the whites of that
State, they decided to abandon their old
patriarchal homesIeadS, to which they
had been so much attached, and accept
ing the issues of the late war, seek
homes in another locality. Suppssing
that the people of West Virginia would
desire to have their country opened up,
this geRtlcUan visited our State
for the purpose of purchasing land
with the view of clearing out stock
farms, which would not require SO much
labor Himself and associates had $780,
600 each to eXpend in clearing out their
farms and purchasing stock, after pay
ing for their lands. He found plenty
of lust such land as they desired, at
prices that were entirely satisfactory,
and had decided to make purchases, but
when he was Informed that having
given a support TO the de fdctO govern
ment of the Confederate States, they
were declared by the Constitution of
this State not to be citizens of West
YTginia-tbat they could indicate
no preference at the polls for their local
OF general officers: that they could not
bring a suit against any scoundrel who
refused to comply with his contracts
with them; could not employ any coun-
al 1,,.l, nA,,Il faEa fhA 81 n a1O
oath or be juror; or send their child
reD to school to any teacher who would
not swear that their fathers were infam-
Gus villains; that he could not, when
about to yield up his spirit to Him who
gave it, entrust the distribution among
his children of the goods with which a
kind Providence had blessed him, to
any one but political enemy who had
imposed these restrictions upon him
and whom it was to be presumed wonld
flch the last cent from them, he decided
against the project of coming to West
Virginia, and stated that he felt himself
compelled to so report to his neighbors.
The people who proposed forming this
colony were composed of honest, intelli-
gent, virtuous and accomplished per-
sons-just such as we want.


The Conservative very pertinently
adds "The great secret Of the lack OF
immigration into West Virginia is the
restrictive laws that disgrace our
statute books. In this one instance up
wards of $500, 900 of capital was kept
from developing our hills. The des-
potism of England, France, Austria and
Prussia is nothing to the deprivation
of large portion of the people of West
Virginia of their inalienable rights,
which is rendering the State by-word
and a reproach to the whole world. A
person whose body is about to return to
dnst. and his spirit to the God who gave
II, that cannot even indicate friend
Instead of an enemy to distribute the
goods with which God has blessed him,
among his children-his own flesh and
blood, has very little to induce him to
settle and enrich the country that
passes such iniquitous laws"


Nearly every day, instances similar
to the above come to our own knowl-
edge, and, nearly every day, we hear of
some Of our wealthiest and most valua-
BILE citizens leaving the State and seek
ing new homes where they will be free
from the exactions and impositions put
upon them by the petty tyrants and
thieves now holding Office in West Vir-
ginia. Only last evening, prominent
and wealthy citizen of Tyler county
stated, in this Office, that he was anx-
ious to get rid of his property here and
leave the State. The taxes for the sup
port of the numerous brood of office
holders who swarm in every county and
township are rapidly consuming the
substance and destroying the prosperity
of the people. This gentleman stated
that, in his township in Tyler county,
Twenty-four Hundred Dollars had been
raised by taxation for school purposes
alone, and that, after this enormous
levy passed through the hands of the
various officers controlling it, not
enough remained to be applied 10 it's