Its mountains teem with coal. iron. copper. silver. and other valuable minerals. its streams furnish waterpower enough to run the machinery to manufacture the products of a dozenStates. and all it needs to put it in the front rank of States is an influx of hardy husbandmen. industrious miners. and skilled artisans. With them would come the capital to build factories of all kinds. to open and work our mines. to build railways. and give us the means of ingress and egress and facilities for transporting ourvaried productions to those who need them. Thousands upon thousands of people can find homeshomes where peace and plenty will reign. where neither the gaunt specter of poverty. the hand of oppression. nor the vision of the "bloody shirt" can reach them. and I should consider myself derelict in my duty toward my State if.I failed to oppose any measure which it is at all probable would turn immigration away from within its borders. The passage of this bill would. We are seeking. through immigration societies and in every other way. to attract people to Arkansas. and I cannot and will not favor any measure which may prevent it. We are trying to induce capital to seek investment in building railroads in the State. and the passage of this bill would inure against us. and therefore I oppose it. This immigration would pass us by. this capital would leave us. railroads would pass us by on the other side. not because the Indian Territory has superior advantages. but because of that seeming law of the American nature which impels us to "go West." These reasons may. as I said. be called selfish ones. but if there were no others they would control my action. I do not expect them to influence other Representatives who are not similarly situated. (there are several such.) but I think I have given sufficient reasons that cannot be called "selfish" to justify. nay. to impel. every one to vote against the passago of this bill. Mr.
Keywords matched
immigration