The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-03-02
A GLOWING PICTURE OF PROTECTION.

"A Gl.o w oE NV
Senator Morrill,, the acknowledged
champion of protective tariff, in re-
cent speech in the senate, gave the toll
lowing glowing picture of Texas and
pointed to its future greatness under
the benign influence of republican pro-
tecticn:
The state of Texas, SURPRISING
empires in its vast domains, doubling
its population within a decade, and ex-
pending over twenty million dollars
within a year in the construction OF ad-
ditional railroads, with promised ex-
penditure within the next fifteen months
of over twenty-seven millions more,
has sent to market as raw material the
past year 2,262,o52 pounds of hides,
2o,671,6 500 pounds of wool and 1,26o,-
24o bales of cotton. Her mineral re-
sources, though known to be immense,
are as yet untouched. Her bullocks,
in countless herds on their way to mar
ket, annually crowd and crop the pral-
ries from Denver to Chicago. But now
posed of a liberal system of railroads,
how long will the dashing spirit of the
Lone Star State-where precious men,
cries still survive of Austin, of Hous-
ton, of Rusk and of Schleicher-be
contented to send off manufactured
her immense bulk of precious raw ma
terials, which should be doubled IN
value at home, and by the same pro-
cess multiply her population With
half as many in numbers now as had
the original thirteen, and soon to pass
our largest states, wanting in definite
quantities of future manufactures at
home, Texas should also prepare to
supply the opening trade with Mexico,
in all of its magnitude and variety, and
far more worthy of ambition than in
the golden days Of Montezuma.
No state can run and maintain rail-
roads unless the way-stations, active
and growing settlements and towns,
are numerous enough to offer large,
constant and increasing support. The
through business of long lines of rail-
roads is of great Importance to the
termini, and gives the roads some pres
tige, but the prosperity and dividends
mainly accrue from the local business
of thrifty towns on the line of the roads.
1t IS these, especially manufacturing
towns, which make freight both ways,
to and from. that free trade must ever
fail to do, and while through freights,
owing to inevitable competition, pay
little or no profit, the local freights sus-
tain the roads, and are and must be
the basis of their chief future value.
Without this efficient local support,
cheap and rapid long transportation
would be wholly impracticable.
The southern states, IN the produc-
ton of cotton, have possibly already
reached the maximum quantity that
can be cultivated with greatest profit,
unless the demand of the world ex-
pands. A short crop now often brings
producers a larger sum than a full
crop. The amount of the surplus sent
abroad determines the price Of the
whole crop. Production appears like
ly soon to outrun the demand. Texas
alone has latent power to overstock
the world. Is it not time, therefore,
to curtail the crop, or to stopany large
increase of it, while sure to obtain as
much or more for it, and to turn un-
fruitful capital and labor into other
and more profitable channels of indus
try? The untrodden fields, where capt.
tai and labor wait to be organized for
the development of southern manu-
features and mining, offer unrivaled
temptations to leaders among men in
search of legitimate wealth"
UNCLE DANIEL, of the Houston