The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-09-02
TOM OCHILTREE,
On His Way to the Border, Gives Light
Reporter His Views.
HabOr improvements, the Mexican Border
Question, and Home Industries
Discussed.

Maj. Tom Ochltree, independent candidate
for congress in the eth district, arrived in the
city last evening on his way to Eagle Pass to
| open up his campaign. a LIGHT commissioner
visited the Major and was enabled to secure the
| following interview embracing his views ON
| leading topics in the canvass.
| Reporter Major, what are the main qIes-
| tons at issue in your district!
Major O.-HarbOr improvements, Mexican
border protection and, incidentally, the plotcc-
ton of our home industries. No iii strict in the
state has SO much at stake, or requires the los
tering hand of the government TO De appllGd
with as much libcraty and wisdom as the 9TH
| Indeed we are dependent entirely upon the
federal government for the advancement OF
| our national interests; that district bordering
as it does, for hundreds of miles on the MeXl-
can frontier and on the coast, Is essentially
maratime in its interests, and thus II Is DEEPEN
dent almost entirely for its present and future
prosperity ON the patcrnal care of the federal
government, as ! said to the Ga weston News
reporter few days ago, what has the coast
of Texas ever received in the way of aid either
from the old republic of Texas or from the
state! While il has given away hundreds or mil
lions of the public domain and loans of its
credit to alien cOrpOratiOns,not one Nara OF land
or IL dollar of money has ever been donated Tor
the purpose of improving our harborS, or for
the benefit of commerce. And look 1T what
Texas has received this year from the national
government.
Reporoer What border questions are immi-
nent!
Maj. o. The pleasant relations existing be-
tween the two republics at the present time Is
likely to continue, and happen to know that
the present administration is i'll perfect accord
with the republic of Mexico, and the recently
appointed commission to negotiate treaty OF
commerce, between the republics go under i'll
StructiOnS to do all in their power, not only to
maintain present relations but to facilitate
commerce and bring the two governments and
peoples in closer and more friendly relations.
diSarming Mexico of all anxiety as to our per-
lcct sincerity and deterln nation to preserve
the integrity of the Mexican republic. This
will be an important matter of legislation in
the next congress, of which | hope to become
Il member.
reporter home industries do you
allIdc to as requiring protection!
Maj. DIN the Galveston district as well as
yours we have two productive industries, one |
Of which has sprung into existence and impOr |
lance under the present protection act,
sugar interest, still in its infancy |
which will, l believe, in time become
the most important OF all the crops |
| favor the retention of the present duties on |
those articles, OF course raw material will be |
IN greater danger than manufactured articles |
tnd will require the earnest and lnceSSant |
watchfulncSS from the representative to con- |
gress. Both of these productions, wool and |
-lgar, are important to the south and to this |
state, and particularly to the people Of western |
md southwestern Texas, where the greatest |
protection of these industries is needed. II |
there is to be Il revision of the tariff let it be
the eXcressenceS that are to be Topped of, not |
hose industries like wool that have grown int,
life and Importance through national prOtCC-
ZION.
RepOrter-What would be the result of Il
or repeal of the duty on wool!
Maj. Oft would be Il serious calamity to
Texas and the Union. 1t would destroy great
not having reached any thing like its
fullest proportion. In Texas we raise wool.
not mutton, and IA reduction of the duty wOulu
reduce our sheep business to IA butcher trade
md not as it is now, great industry to clOthc
the millions.
R-What do you think W i'll he the complex
Maj. o. 1t will be strong in the support OF
The administration. The wise and conservative
course of President Arthur has brought about
the most perfect confidence - the coun-
try is prosperous to degree never
heretofore attaincd-ncw states are fill
ing up,-thOuSandS of miles of railroads arc
Oeing constructed, the public debt is being di-
at the rate of over hundred millions
/ year, and money is cheap and labor is well
paid 18th ali this why should the people desi,
change in the adm liSt,atiOn. Our people of
This particular section ought to be well salts
lied, because under this administration the
coast of Texas has received nearly round
million of dOarS-three times as much as dur
ing the whole time that the purse strings Were
in the hands of Il democratic congress, this il
exclusive of the large appropriations given to
sustain the military establishment, mostly Local
ted in the 10th district, a point | need not dwell
IN, because every citizen OF San Antonio apprc-
:iatcS the great importance of the govern III, mt
expenditures here, which has done more than all
thing else to build up western Texas, and in |
this connection want to bear cheerful tcSt- |
mOny to the great services rendered by Colonel
pSOn, your present representative. He has
been interchangeable and earnest in his EtbOrs,
md believe on two occasions il is due to Up
III that the army bill was saved, and all due
TO his Independent position, and no member
from Texas stood higher than Epson with the
Therefore | believe it will be
to the advantage of the people of my
district to elect me because | am in
accord with the administration, which
l;iS shown its carneStncSS in helping
)ut the material interests of the people, while
he democrats when we asked them for bread
gave stone, or as Gen. Dick Taylor once
Jithily observed of his asthctical army cngi-
Iccrs, "They give you Il tropical fertility of
promise, and Il S;thariic ardty of perform
incc.'
With this brilliant conclusion the reporter
OOk his leave.
A Card of Thanks.