The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-01-13

4 lance, with which YOU viii most pro
badly be called upon to deal. Is tina
of immigration.
Texas has an immense territory
yet unOccuPIed. \ large portion o
which is of great fertility anC
abounds in much natural wealth
/ The resources of our State. wheI
developed, viii exceed the most san
guine expectation. Mines of rare
value and of no small extent
are TO be developed, and mil
lions of acres. upon whose sol
the mtrOdden grass now grow.
in wild luXuriance. are TO be upturn.
ed by the pillow. Forests of valua.
bic timber are to be felled and con,
Verted TO the use of man.
Already, our great railroad com
panies have taken the matter il
hand, and, with commendable enter
prise, have united their efforts TO at
tract the immigrant to our borders
Will not the Senate of Texas also
recognize our present great need OF
labor, and exert itself to secure such
legislation as will relieve the State
government of the inactivity into
which it has been forced by the con-
stitution?
The loss to our agricultural inter
ests during the season just passed,
through the want of labor with
which to gather and harvest crops,
already grown and matured, will APP
proximate millions ofdollars-to say
nothing of the enormous addition to
our annual agricultural wealth. w hich
might have been secured through
the introduction of husbandmen
from other countries, able TO pnr-
chase homes for themselves, and
thereby contribute to increased pro-
duction more than q thousand.fold.
In the southern portion of our
state, were the supply of labor ade-
quate, sugar enough could be grown
to supply the United Srates-in the
north and northwest grain, of every
kind, could be produced in quanti-
ties to meet the wants of a popula-
ton ten times larger than that we
now have. The vast prairies of til.
west and southwest could furnish
food and raiment enough for all the
people that could be crowded with
in our borders-and almostevery-
where iu Texas can be produced
that great ssaple, without which
more than half of the civilized world
wotld almost be unclad.
Manufactures too, would spring
up, furnishing employment to the
thousands and converting our, raw
material into products suitable for
human use.
Truly the harvest is great and
ready to be reaped, but the laborers
are few-not particularly because
immigration is disinclined to come
hither, but rather because our rich,
varied and more than imperial do
main is almost a terra incognttd to
the thrifty and energetic peoples OF
the earth.
Shall it continue so? Or will
Texas respond to the liberal ideas OF
the day, and, availing herself of her
mighty but dormant strength, put
forth her matchless energisS:to secure
for herselfa population, from which
in few years will develop a citizen
ship, that will be the pride and the
glory Of the State? 1t will not be a
sufficient answer to say, that as our
great productions increase in guam
tity, their value will be proportion
ally diminished.
1t is an economic principle, well
established by statistics, that as the
quantity of great natural products
increase, their use becomes more
general aud their diminution III
value.is more than compensated by
the extent of the demand. There
fore, no danger can accrue by reason
of an over supply.
Great railroad enterprises are
being inaugurated in our midst
Capitalists are seeking, amongst us,
Investments, through which to pre-
serve and to increase their already
Overgrown fortunes.
Let us seize the opportunity, that
the hour and the occasion present.
and make ourselves, as we rightful-
ly ought to be, the foremost of the
States of the American Union. You
will not take it amiss, if I refer to
another matter of exceeding great
interest at the present time.
The effort of the day is to shorten
and to cheaper transportation. AS
the time and distance consumed in
placing our productions within the
reach of the consumer are shortened,
their value to the producer is in
creased. 1t has become a common
saying with us that the sooner and
more cheaply our cotton, grain. SUI
gar, beef and other products reach
salt water, the greater the reInunera-
ton to those from whose hands
they first leave.
That this saying is true one
fully borne out by experiencing
one will be incredulous enough to
doubt. Texas has her sea coast,
along which harbors can be found
and made sufficient to accommodate
the merchant marine of Europe and
America.
Shall the Gulf of Mexico be made
useful to us, or shall her waves con-
tinue to lash our shores unfreighted
except by the few vessels that now
come and go and will not be able,
within few short years, to carry
away 1.-THE of our productions?
Will we permit those long lines of
railroad that are now being project
ed through our state to take hence,
without competition, our products
to enrich and 10 expand the great
cities of the North, East aud West
at the expense of the producer?
This is most serious question
one that challenges the attention
of the Texas legislature with ex-
ceeding great force.
There is not producer, however
small, in our state, but is most vi
tally interested in the issue. 1t is a
great and practical subject, that
comes home TO every fireside and
reaches every hearthstone. This Is
not and can not be a sectional ques-
ton. Our citizens of the coast are not
now interested in It's proper solu-
ton than those who live in the in
terror and upon the borders.
Much of our future prosperity de-
Ponds upon the policy adopted, and
L trust that the wisdom of the pres
ent Legislature - recognizing it's
great importance and extensive
may lend its aid
to the citizen in suggesting and
devising means by which TO secure
the most favorable results.
Grateful to those OF you, Senators,
who were members of the preceding
observation-disclosures uniform kindness
and courtesy to me as your presiding
officer. and assuring the entire Sem
ate that it will be my earnest en-
deavor, during tho few DAYS that
shall be with you, to discharge the
duties of the position | now hold in