The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-03-01
A Plea for the Division 81 tbe state.
DALLAS, February rs, 1873.
TO the Editor OF The Herald.


DALLAS, february 2S, 1873.
TO the Editor OF The Herald
desire b. direct your attention to a
matter, he political importance and
Specification of which deem second ia
no interest in the state. an induced
to do this, not because there are seems
ingly no issues now presented TO the
dominant political party in this state
worthy of its consideration, or sufficient
to agitate, even momentarially, the calm
and listless aspect of state politics Gu,
because consider the point one OF mo-
mentous interest to north Texas and to
Dallas
The question, then, which desire to
present is this is it not advisable to
divide the state2 Upon the affirmative
side of this question | note, with as
much brevity as possible u few cogent
reasons for the consideration Of your
readers.
First-The present constitution OF the
state framed by EXTREMIST, is working
untold detrimont to the state BY one
single paragraph alone, it has driven
from Texas over twenty millions OF
money That paragraph is the usury
lava law enacted in the face of the
fact that Great Britain and other cons
mercial European powers, and the great
and conservative state Massachusetts,
as well as other states, have and are
abolishing such laws,
If north Texas were organized into a
separate state, this paragraph, which
has stricken her trade with such fear
full paralysis, would not be engratted
upon her constitution and those mil
lions would flow back again. There
are other grave defects in the present
constitution which lay burdens upon
the people too greivous to be borne,
but as am speaking briefly, they may
be passed,
Second. The division of the state into
three sections, and the erection OF north
Texas into separate state, with Dallas
for its capital, would give this part OF
the union triple strength in the senate.
1t would annihllate those diverse and
widely conflicting interests which have
provoked local legislation and bitter
feelings in the past. 1t would stimu>
late all of our tagging industries, and
pour in upon us increased capital and
emigration
Third 1t would give to the city OF
Dallas the capital, and we would
have in our midst the state.
house, the treasury the comptrollers
of the commissioner of the land office
Crowded a constitutional convention
permitted such an otlce) buildings
We would have our supreme, and posi-
bly, our appellate courts held here, in
addition 10 the federal courts. Being
the capital of the great grain-growing
region of the southwest, and the center
of surrounding counties so fertile that
the valley of the Nile is no richer, we
would invite and Immediately receive a
population that would quadruple the
size of our city and double the prices OF
its now languishing real estate. No
store house among us would remain
empty; no dwelling tenantless; no mill
voiceles.; but on all sides would rise up
around and among us stately editices
and beautiful homes.
With proper legislation on the part OF
our representatives the state would aid
in the erection of male and female uni
versities in our MIDST, and we could ed
ucate thoroughly and well our children
at home, instead of sending them and
our money abroad In fact, the reasons
that occur to me in support of division
are so decisive and, irresistible that the
question scarcely needs argument
In opposition to division only a senti>
ment can be offered-the memories OF
olden time; the pride in living in a
mammoth commonwealth. We are too
Unitarian and intensely practical now
to bow down to sentimentality. Our
every interest demands division and
sentiment must yield to the force oil
events The stern logic of want, and
necessity, and hard times and the Ger"
tainty that sooner or later division must
come, is ever present before us, and Will
not bow down.
We must divide the state, Mr.. Editor
not to increase the offices, not to give
wider fields to mediocre politicians, not
as an insane experiment, but because
hard common sense. self interest and
the wants of the people demand it. Di'
vision will come, must come in the aftei
years. Why bear the heat and burther
of the day and leave all benefits to oul
children Why arrest the progress Of
civilization, of wealth, of enterprise, fol
sentiment which we may be too proud
to say is maudlin, but must sooner OF
later confess to be impracticable, and i
blindly adhered TO, as foolish as the
whim Of child. g.