The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-09-29
"WHY STAND We HERE IDLE"

Compare the Republican with the Demo-
cratic states Of the past twenty-five years, and
an honest answer will pronounce certain
verdict in favor of the former. Take them
only for the past ten years. Compare the
strides made by the group Of northwestern
states with the slow advance of the southern
group east of the Mississippi. We find in the
former cold climate much scarcity OF tim
Der, changeable temperature, and all the
disadvantage of new country; in the other a
genial atmosphere, noble rivers leading d.
rectly to the sea, immense forests and civil
ization of from fifty to one hundred and nifty
years existence. Every natural advantage
except in soil, which is about equal, is IN
favor Of the south, yet the south has practl-
cally stood still while the northwest has be-
come a giant. We are now driven to seek
an answer by an examination into the
policy of the two groups. Comparisons
are not odious if they lead to
truth. In the northwest we find a people fully
up with even 10 advance of the times. Dead
issues do not shackle them. They grapple
with the questions of the present, and over
come every obstacle that nature has placed in
their way. "They build school houses and
raise men" They open up farms and
crowd the marts of commerce with the pro-
duce of the field. They build factories and
supply themselves and their neighbors with
the luxuries and the necessaries of life. They
send up men to Washington to make laws in
accord with the highest culture Of the age, and
constantly have an eye to appropriations for
the improvement of their section. All these
things naturally and inevitably attract them to
progressive live party, and that party is the
republican. The south has been clinging to
the old past, ignoring the present and looking
back to the flesh pots Of slavery days, appar-
emily unable to grasp coexisting realities.
Their state police has been, if not adverse, at
least not encouraging to immigration; their
motto If people want to come let 'em come,
if they don't, let 'em stay away" The con-
gressonal delegations have mainly been COM
posed of men who should have died IS years
ago. The advancement they have made is
due to the almost forcible entrance of north
ern capital and enterprise. For this state of
affairs the masses of the people are blameless
but upon the leaders falls fearful response
bility. Take our own Texas in which a very
large majority are progressive and what has
its policy been under democratic manage
ment! The people have forced our state
government into every advanced step that has
been taken, and how deplorable is our con-
dition to-day in respect to our lands and
schools compared to the same interests in
Kansas and Iowa. While there are individ-
ually Objectionable features in the republican
party, as there must be in every party, is not
the almost entire policy of the democrats OBJ
iectionable. Who can conceive what the
wealth and influence of Texas would to-day
be had it been governed and led by men such
as have moulded public opinion in our neigh
Dor states of the north? The hum of facto-
ries would be heard in every city in our state.
The smoke of furnaces would darken our val
leys. Instead of getting our canned corn
from Portland and Baltimore, our
wagons from Indiana, our domestics from
New England and our stoves and skillets from
Pittsburg, we should have them under Texas
brands, and the profits would have enriched
our own people. Our agricultural college
would have had a thousand students. Our
university would have turned out thousand
finished scholars. Our public schools would
have had six to nine months sessions. Our
public lands would have been distributed
among actual settlers. Our harbors would
have had deep water, and our population
would have numbered one million more than
now. Shall Texas continue to elect mossbacks
to leadership, or shall we have state govern
ment abreast of the spirit Of the age? Shall
we send up congressional delegation welded
to the past or one alive to the present, and in
sympathy with the best elements of our coun-
try? 1t is not question of Republican adj
ministration or mal-administraton in recon-
structon times. Texas is re-constructed-has
been reconstructed for fifteen years. We do
not live in reconstruction days, nor are we
weighted with reconstruction measures. The
past is past, and we ought to live in the pres
ent and for the future.
"I'm little disfgured but still in the ring
Il Joseph E. Dryer.