New-York tribune., 1874-11-11
PLAIN TALK IN TEXTS,


Agricultural Fair at Waco, Texas, on the Goth
ult was so full of timely and valuable COM
nonsense that it is worthy of notice In
stead of indulgng in stale rhodomOntade
about the Sunny South and the Lost Cause,
the speaker cried: Rotate your crops, hori-
"zontaize your hills, drain and underdrain ~
You have a SOIL" said the Lieutenant-Gov-
ernOr that can produce corn and all the
cereals, cotton, sugar, and various minor
"crops. You have innumerable herds Of
seattle" With such priceless facilities why
is Texas in debt "by the million ~ 1t
is because Texas does not know how to
diversity. 1t is because tho cry of
Texans is always Cotton! cotton !
"cOtton" So the State annually pays
$5,OOO,OO0 when she might export $10,0OOOO0.
She sends to Missouri for her -four, when she
might "grow more grain than all the North
"West combined" While Texas has soil
peculiarly fitted for cotton culture. she has
been selling "a priceless heritage for mess
"of pottage." Why should MT she have cotton
factories of her own7 Why should she 60 On
selling $3,OOO,OOO worth of hides and buying
$5,OOO,OOO worth of shoes p selling S7,OO0,0OO
worth of beef and buying $10,0O00O0 worth of
bacon7 Why should MT her people, as the
Lieutenant-GOvernOr puts it, " live at home ,"
Why should MT railway connect the pine
" ries of Eastern Texas which could furnish
lumber to rebuild London after hundred
"days cOnfagration, with Central Texas,
"with its grain, its cotton, and its
"cattle 7" Texas has an area of about
10000 square miles, while France
has only 2SO,OOO; yet France has 36,OOOOOO
inhabtants-Texas but 1850. 900 she emphat-
ically wants people! They are coming from
" despoiled Louisiana, from crushed Alabama"
coming at the tate Of $4,000 month"; Last
year over million of acres were brought into
cultivation. This year it will be more-that
is, if land is sold at a reasonable price, and
corn also. Texas wants yankee labor, Ger
"man labor, English labor, Republican labor;
"and above all she wants as laborers her own
" brothers across the Mississippi" "Texas
wants education" adds the speaker; and
then he sounds the keynote of his ad-
dress pirate less of politics !" says he.
There could not be more sensible advice than
was given upon this point of "politics" to
those Texan farmers then and there assem-
bled. "a spirit of reverence for law and
"order" was inculcated. The danger of the
mob and of all manner of violence was
pointed out. Better times for the South were
promised. 81 believe" said Mr.. Hubbard,
uttering prophecy which seems already upon
the point of ful6llment, "though sounds of
"woe come up from despairing States, that the
masses are determined to eject organized
corruption from high places, and the coun-
+" try of Washington, with the associations OF
the happier past, will be restored"
81 would not pluck single star" said the
orator, " from the flag that fOated over
"our ancestors and u.s." This was the Ian
guage addressed by Southern speaker to
Southern crowd inf 1874; and it was received,
we are told, with great satisfaction" Then,
though a denunciation Of whining, sickly
demagogues was uttered with fervid force.
nobody spoke of lynching the orator. 1t is
evident that he took it for granted that he
was before honest sensible, well-meaniDg men.
The character of the address vouches for the
character of its auditors. And this was in
Texas-a State which only o few years ago
had character which it is unnecessary for US
to describe. Evidently Texas is producing now
something better than bowie knives, horned
frogs, and fever vt is producing men! 1t
would be strange if this State, born of ultra
Southern infatuation, should take the lead in
Southern restoration upon sound principles of
political economy and of public and social
morality.