The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-26
THE DEFAMATION OF TEXAS
The GREATNESS, FertIlity, Virtue, and Happi-
ness Of the state.

ness OF the Stntes
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir In the
"Sunbeams column of THE SUN there is a
paragraph WHICH reports Bishop Gilbert Haven
rs saying that Texas Is all That II is reported
to be for lawlessncss." and Bishop Haven cred
its n namclcss Judge with description OF Tex
rs by saying current there" that husbands
call upon their wives for their revolvers when
they start to prayer meetings. Then comes tho
Bishops summary Of "thetragcdes which came
under his notice during brief visit" This
summary is the Bishops rehash Of sundry
newspaper narratives Of criminal casualties
occurring at various times during tho past six
or eight months. in widely separated localities.
What Bishop Haven means by n brief visit"
and the phrnse came under his notice." II
would be hard to tell. But II both expressions
are to be taken in their ordinary Specification.
the reverend Texas visitor is q self-convcted
false witness II would require months OF
toilsome travel to visit the several scenes OF tho
events he aludes to. IL one we're to set out with
that express purpose in view and It is nalpnbly
impossible that any man could have witnessed
two or three 81 them, which happened almost
simultaneously five six hundrrd miles apart,
in sections not penetrated by railroads.
Tho truth is that Bishop Haven has drawn
upon his imagination and his largo fund OF
rreroncrptons Tor his facts; When he gets
u southern and therefore an Rnti-Grant State,
no forgcts what he actually lid sec If he visited
it,,or az least iai,s to tell us OF IT,.
what IL the meaning ana what the object OF
the persistent dotraction OF the people OF Tcxas
10 le henrd in the mouths Of such men as this
BshopP What have the people Ot Texas dono
TO them 70 justify wholesale and retail deiama-
tionf Nothing, except sturdily pcrsisting In
voting the Democratic ticket.
Texas II the largest state OF tho Union. To
say this however. does not give the mind lair
idea OF lis vast nrca. Nor are we much helped
by the ngurgs when we read that its land sur
face il PA 1856 square miles. An ordinary map
Will not give a true conception, II ia only by
process of comparison that this can be- arrived
az. 1cNns Is about ns large ns twelve OF the
thirteen original States. North Carolina being
me one excluded IRON the computation. IL is
! .G3S square miles larger than the combined
superirics Of Maine, New Hampshire. Ner-
mont Mnssnrhuseiis, Rhode Island Connect
eat. Now York. New Jersey penu-ylvania. Della
ware. Maryland. virginia. West Virginia. and
Ohio. with the District OF Columbia added. II
has 3loW squire miles OF territory more than
pre, with it, accession Of Alsaco and Lorraine
would have to add nearly 27.OuO square miles
70 compete in measurement with TcNns In
deed. II Texas hpd not seen IN to abandon its
-,ntus MS republic. u would to-day have no
insignificant place In the family Of independent
sov"reigntics. especially II tho extent of its
domain were considered.
Tho census taken in 1870 accredited Texas
with SlSjl9 Inhabitants. Tho average an
6Ss been over 100000. Last year tho nun
Dor OF Immigrants wns over 3OU.UO1. ms
the books OF the railroads penetrating the state.
and those Of tho steamship lines. will abundant
" prove. IL II ~Nlt 10 compute mo present
population ut 250o0Q0 Now. with this popu-
Hton scattered over this vast territory it Il not
wonderful that tho prevention or punishment
ol crime iS NOR" difficult than II IS in moro COM
Nuct communities. Offences involving violence
naturally have more space for notion. md there
less. tho criminal calendars of Texas will COM
pare iavorably with those Of any numor-
3liy eInnl people ON tho face Of the
here in tho CITY Of New York in month than
there are IN rrNas in year. Tho same may be
Il Of NuNf
thievng by Mexjcans ana Indians on the lilo
Grande border be- left ont OF the count And
there IL no comparison as to arson. forgery.
ihlSe preien'es mnprnrtice and other telonies.
\ decent man IN the Twenty-nRth Police Pre-
cinci runs almost as much risk OF boing dubbed
here on tn" streets. by policemen. ms ne does OF
hning insutcd or maltreated by roughs and
despcradoes in Texas groggeries. The State
has laws prohibiting the carrying OF concealed
weapons. which are rigidly enforced in the
| densrr settled sections. She has a local option
! law under which the sale of Intoxicating hey
| ernges u inhibited in many counties and town
! ships. rs to rohiiory and murder. suppose one
! were TO compile all the cases occurring during
/ u y"nr iu any section OF the United States u
| equal population. II Texas would not b. shown
| e. hc very Arcadia in comparison. sho GER
ashamed OF herself And Il some Texas divine
! were TO make such a compilation, and then
| claim That the tragedies all came under his per
| sou9l notice, what would DO thought OF his
The dciamars Of Texas seem to forget or ig-
! moro the fact that four -ilfths Of the people who
| live there now formerly lived in the older States.
! aud that their habits manners end morals arc
/ c~sentiul.y such ms tncy acquired whore they
! were born and bred. 10 ncrusr them ms "A COM
muuity II excess i've lawiessness Is To accuse the
/ whole Union ~ second hand besides being un-
! reasonably unjust. II is "a business in which no
/ fHtr-miudrd man Will engage.
! Texas Is not Paradise; neither is II pande-
/ monlum. II comes as near being the former.
! however. ms does my other section Of the Union.
/ y has an cluahle. temperate climate. avoiding
] tho extremes OF hent and cold. II Is compare
| uvely free from malnriol and miasmAtlc eN-
/ hulatious. and is in all respects healthy coun-
try. Its soils yield variety OF products not 20
! ue found elsewhere. The valley OF the Milo
| does not exceed them in fertility. Side 10y side
! in the same Holds one may see growing cotton.
/ sugar cane, maize. wheat and all the cereals
/ N'gotni los Of every variety cultivated In the
! United States, and an abundance OF native and
/ cultivated FRUITS while in the surrounding nat
/ urnl meadows countless herds OF neat cattle
/ sheep. horses. nnd other domestic animals
| grn2e ana grow fat needing no food winter or
/ summer other than tho perennial grasses. To
/ crown al. the lands IRE cheap and millions OF
/ families now impoverished by the harder CON
/ dltlous OF life elsewhere may find there homes
winch nothing Int lilcness and lmproYidcncr
can prevent from becoming happy and abun-
| dainty provided for. Why should this fair pros
! poet bee spoiled for them By lndustriously circu-
lated ncsf The newspaper press OF the cOun-
try. which Is made the medium for the circula-
ton Of absurd stories about Tcxas. Is rcmiss in
| rs mission Of promoting tho right and tho wei
! fare OF humanity II II does not provide an anti
dOtr for the poison distilled from mnlignnncy
| prejudice. and Ghuscd self-nterest. DALLAS.