The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-02-11
TnE INTERNATIONAL Road. AND
TEXAN STATECRAFT.


State enterprise it is the only single road In
which the people generally in every portion
Of Texas are directly interested By ia
own line when completed - originally con-
tomplated, and BY the various roads which
it taps and crosses, it will become the OH )
trunk railway bearing upon the whole face
of the State and which win be practically
used BY the people Of every section. Taking
Texarkana or Jefferson as its eastern initial
point, it directly concerns all Northeastern
and Eastern Texas in furnishing the most
direct route for freight and passage to Gal
weston, and as q means Of intercommunica.
tion between at least one-third Of the State
on the East with Austin, the capital, the
seat Of the General Land Office, and ali the
departments of governments, as well
as with San Antonio, and the West. While
this is undeniable it is generally true that
the whole Of the Southwest, embracing
nearly another third OF the State, is practi-
cally and peculiarly interested IN the road
as State highway, affording as it will the
only direct means of communication be-
tween the Southwest and the capital and
the whole of Eastern and Northeastern
Texas.
Running diagonally across the State,
two-thirds of the people are direct
ly interested in its construction. So
far as they are concerned, therefore, it is
not private enterprise, but great public
highway. But it is equally plain that the
whole people Of the State are as much in
terested in the completion Of the road as
those of the East and of the West. Con-
tinue the line to San Antonio, and let us
see how the people of the. North and North.
west are Immediately and personally af-
fected. The line of the road, in its exten-
sion from the northeast to San Antonio, it
will be observed, crosses nearly every i'm
portant railroad and every river in the
State. At Jefferson 1t touches the naviga-
BILE waters of Red River; at Longview it
crosses the Texas and Pacific road, and a
branch intersects the same road at Mineola,
in Wood county. At Hearne it crosses the
Texas Central. West of the Brazos it will
cross the Galveston and Santa Fe road; at
Austin it touches the western branch of the
Central, and will cross the contemplated
road from Indianola or Galveston through
Austin to the northwestern portion of
the State. The people of the whole
Of the northern and northwestern por-
tion OF Texas are, therefore, interested
in the road as if the highway
passed directly by their doors. Have they
business at the capital, or are they inter
ested in having direct communication with
the whole West and Southwestl They have
it in the North by direct communication
from Longview or Mineola with Austin and
San Antonio. All that broad slope of
country between Paris in the North and
Gainesville, Fort Worth and far beyond,
including Sherman, Dallas, Waxahachie
and fourishing towns and country border
ing on the Central, are interested in this
road as a highway for themselves to the
capital and to the Southwest. To reach tie
capital and the Southwest from the whole of
this great region of country, by the great
est saving of time, distance and money, is
by way of the Central road, and the roads
connecting with it, to Hearne, and thence by
u short and direct line to Austin and San
Antonio, the International must be built.
The saving in costs of transportation will
equal the taxes to be paid, not to speak of
the economy of time and augmented val
ues of property everywhere.
The objection, therefore, that the people
in the extreme portions of the State are
not interested in the road.i unfounded.
To illustrate: suppose you have a
large county, and it is desirable to tax the
people to keep up one or two main
thoroughfares to the court house, and to
erect necessary bridges. Win it be said
that the people in the remote sections of
the county are not interested in such
bridges, and ought not to pay any portion
of the taxesl
But, as a "national highway" its i'm
portance to the whole people Of Texas can
not be over-estimated. This international
route is the true Southern trans-contlnental
road. Extend it only to the RIO GraRde,
and see how it viii affect GH Teras. 1t will
do more to make Galveston the great city OF
the South than any other creation of states
manship. At the Rio Grandc twill be met
by the Mexican and Pierce systems OF
roads, and the grest body of the rich
Mexican trade win fall into the lap of ouI
Gulf ports. The extension Of the road tc
San Antonio will accomplish its early
completion to the Rio Grande, and
to the City Of Mexico and the Pacific coast.
Connected, as the road viii be, with the Texas
and Pacific, the Central, the Galveston and
Santa Fe, and the Galveston and San AntO-
Mo roads, every village Of Texas is deeply
interested in the enterprise as though il
passed BY the door Of each inhabitant. Il
viii do more to consolidate and uHify tho
Estate than sn other enterprises combined
more to bring all the varied interests and
sections Of the State together, socially
and commercially, more to develop tho
State into one vast, indissoluble empire,
and to foster an ennobling State pride il
the breasts Of all her people than even hal
lowed memories OF early Texan history
And will not our Statesmen, having in view
the largest and best interests Of our whole
people, comprehend the magnitude Of thii
great QUESTION as it Affects The future, ana
50 shape legislation with justice, modera
ZION and iiberality, that grand results Ger
tain 10 follow the completion Of this high
way may beat onee attained The inme
diafo settlement and extrusion from Stat
politics Of question which hangs like
nightmare over Texas. disturbing the fair
est visions Of those who dream Of the grand
81 fntnrn that ,~~~ hi..t -, ..-,,,sr, 4, N