The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-01-20
INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF LIEUTES-
ANT GOVERNOR l.. j. STOREY.
Delivered Before the Senate and House
of Representatives, IA Joint Session,
January lS, 1881.
Gentlemen Of the Legislature and Fellow
citizens

4
January IS, 1881.
Gentlemen Of the Legislature and Fellow
citizens:
In assuming the Office of Iicuten
, ant governor, to which the pcopl
OfTcXas have seen proper to call IN,
| with trembling hands and falterin!
steps approach the discharge of il
high and responsible duties. deepl
scnsiblcoi the important and Difficult
task before me and with an carnes
desire to discharge those duties, :,
that the best interests of Texas ma,
be subserved, | humbly invoke tn,
guiding hand of Him whose right i
is to rule, and confidently ask ant
expect the forbearance and hearty
cooperation of the Senate i'll III,
discharge of every duty.
With the exercise of prudence
fOrbearance and a patriotic devotion
To our country, much good will
result from our mutual labors
The legislative halls of Texas opeI
up to us Il wide field for usefulness
and proud indeed should he bt
whose conscience and constituency
alike approve his course, and aware
to him the welcomed plaudd O.
''well done thou good and faithful
servant" But when TO this shall be
added as the fruit of his labors the
prosperity and glory of his country
1.-The record will be complete, and
the patriot statesman thus blessed
can retire to the shades of private
| Ii ~ hn -,
vain, and that the bright star OF
Texas, by reason of his labors, will
increase in lustre as time rolls on
TO light up the pathway of his de-
Ginning years and to inspire the
hope that his pOsterity, as they come
after him to enjoy this rich heritage,
win be secure in the enjoyment OF
life, liberty and property, and all
other blessings that fow from an
honest and economically administer
| ed government.
No State in the Union demands q
higher order of craftsmanship than
Texas, because in her very infancy
she gives promise of becoming q
mighty giant, whose wealth and
strength and power is TO outstrip
and oyershadow all others i'll her
onward march 10 that grand destiny
that awaits her.
In no other land or country will a
broad, brave and patriotic salesman
ship yield such magnificent results
SIS here.
Thanks TO Almighty God and tide
valOr and patriotism of the fathers
of Texas, we live in a Christian land,
IA free and independent State. sub
iect only 10 the Constitution OF The
United States" and the sovereign
will of our own people as expressed
by our laws; where no man, or
set OF men. are entitled to exclusive
separate public cmoluments or priv
ileges;" where "nO citizen can be
excluded from holding Office on ac-
count of his religious sentiments,
provided he acknowledge the eX-
istcnce of Il Supreme Being;
where ''all men haye IL natural and
iHdefeasible right to worship AL
mighty God according to the die
tates of their own cOnsciences; {"
where the right of trial by jury
''shall remain inviolate;" where mo
law ilnpairing the obligation Of
contract can be made" where the
right to the writ of habeas corpus
can never be suspended, and where
the military must always, and under
all circumstances, be subordinate to
the civil authority.
These and other rights and privi-
leges retained in The Bill offights"
insures to the citizen of Texas the
br0adest liberty consistent with the
enforcement of laws necessary TO Sc
cure TO the people the blessings of
II wise and liberal government.
TO pcrpetuate these rights and
principles, and to secure as far as
can be done by necessary legislation,
| the development OF this the grandest
commonwealth beneath the shining
sun. is the mission and bounden
duty 0fthe statesmen of Texas.
See what n vast extent of terrific
ny is spread out before us, with
more numerous and varied interests
to protect and develop than any
other State in the Union!
With an area larger than England
and Germany combined, and 1860
square miles larger than the united
area OF thirteen States ofthe Union.
comprising the six Eastern States.
the four Middle States, and Mary
land, Virginia and West Virginia of
the Southern States. Nearly as
large al the combined area OF the
seven great States of New York,
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, India
Ia, Kentucky and Missouri, whose
population aggregated i'll 1870, H.
49,, 903 souls, while Texas then had
a population ofbut SlS, S99'sO The
population of these seven States has
within the last decade increased to
3l,388,11O, or less that twenty
per cent. while the popula-
ton Of Texas for the same
period has increased TO 1,591s509
souls, or nearly niHcfd-fre per cent.
With this fast increase ofpOpulation
and with q thousand miles Of from
tier 10 protect, agd q seacnast more
extended than that possessed by the
six Atlantic States of Maine, New
Hampshire. Massachusetts,, Rhode
Island. Connecticut and New York,
who can doubt, then, the ability OF
Texas to receive and sustain popu-
latiOn equal to these seven great
States or the thirteen States alluded
Ia, or. ifyou please, any other terri
tory of equal size upon the globe:
Here, we have at least six million
of Gcrps of land, believed 10 he 90
waii adapted &" ,h, production ii
ghE- ,ueat cone . ti,c .u.IT lGuts ~
icn isiaua. sDu wht''l, "ir" pfopsi rGi-
tnrss. ouih Vi.Id 81 least IL l1iiiinn
! 81 hoxsii~Sd- ni sugar per Snhuin
| Oar cotton IuTi.i in ayers part "i
/ the State, with proper culture, yield
4 from a half bale to bale and q hall
of cotton per acre and it but (l-l3)
One-thirteenth of the area of Texas
should prove to be good cOtton-pro-
ducing lands, with sufficient labor
we could produce over thirteen mil
lion bales per annum, or nearly q
million bales more than enough
to supply the demands of the civil
lied world.
While rye, wheat, oats and barley
grow to perfection in at least one-hali
of our State, Indian corn, with ordi-
nary seasons, produces an album
l-dant crop wherever planted, ma
turing, as il does in some portions
of the State, nearly every month in
the year.
Truly the producing quality oi
our soil is equal to that of any Stat,
in the Union, while our stock range
in its vast extent, and its meat and
wool producing.power, is without a
parallel upon the American cont
nent.