Speech #580070315

Already the English spinners have this matter under consideration. with a view to urging it upon the Government. If increased production is necessary to meet increased demands. let the demand be met by southern development. Having seen the great western wilderness. with its hostile Indians. its scarcity of water. and other attendant obstacles. pass. as if by magic. into peaceful. thrifty Commonwealths. and. considering that this was wrought by immigrants in little more than a quarter of a century. we concludethat with this tide of immigration once turned southwardwe may look forward to an era of agricultural development which will meet all demands upon us and allay competition abroad. In the light of experience it is evident that great activity and concert of action on the part of the southern people will be necessary in order to direct immigration southward. Of 700.000 foreigners landing in this country during the year ending June 30. 1902. less than 10.000 settled in the entire South. and 5.000 of that number settled in Louisiana. Let me digress a little here to correct two erroneous ideas which have militated very much against the South in securing desirable immigrants. The first error is that the South does not desire immigration. This is utterly untrue. While the South has never exercised itself as other sections have in securing immigrants. there is no place under the Stars and Stripes where the stranger finds a more congenial reception. The second error is that the immigrant fears he will be degraded by contact with the negro in the same line of work. In answer to this I will say that the southern white man works in the field and elsewhere with the negro and is fully respected. From personal observation I may add that the immigrants who settled in my own section are not only as highly respected. but are as thrifty and prosperous as the best of our citizens. Let me say in this connection that there is no disposition in the South to get rid of the negro. While he is improvident touching his own affairs. under the intelligent direction of the white man he is unexcelled as a laborer. When let alone by agitators he is contebted and happy and is well adapted to the warm. southern climate. He will be found as useful to the small immigrant farmer as he has proven to be to us. We will now review some of the opportunities which the South offers to the immigrant: The land area of the South is 585.810.000 acres. In 1900 the total farm acreage was 387.690.426 acres. The total improved acreage was only 145.185.599.