The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 16.

soon come on to Washington to again
afflict Il long suffering people with his
dilatory management.
Before the census was half COM
pleted, Walkers resignation was rc-
quested ON account of
HIS FLAGRANT INCoMPErENCY
And inability and reckless disregard
for the peoples money cOnfided to his
care, but being a shining light in the
grand old party he was recently REIN
stated in spite of the fact that the
man displaced was conducting the
affairs of the office much more eco
nomically and with greater celebrity
than he. Walker learned nothing 10y
displacement and his return to official
power was characterized by the
same reckless management as
before. He commenced operations
by calling upon Uncle Sans pantry
guardians for another appropriation
of over $4,000, promising that he
would soon issue the census reports;
but competent judges claim that it
will be far in 1884 before the country
is informed of the progress made by
our population i'll the ten years preyi
Gus to 1880. \ thorough knowledge
of the inside workings of the census
office would make mighty
INTERESTING CAMPAIGN READING
for use in the fall of 1884. The
party that now fattens upon the
meal tubs of the Washington depart
mentS and hoodwinks the people with
the visions of past record would be
ventilated in a manner calculated to
disgust all honest voters. When
Walker was first wrapped i'll the
mantle of official power he disregard
ed the application of hundreds of
efficient clerks who applied for posi-
tions, and filled the census Office with
a horde of party pimps distinguished
for nothing but their ignorance
and gall. These men were
paid princely salaries, but were totally
unsuited for the work before them.
Much of the work that took them
nearly two years to compile has been
found to be utterly yalueless. and it
became necessary to hire competent
men at One-half their salary to recon-
pile the figures. But the new men
were only taken on as extras; the
party pets were still permitted to hold
their fat positions.
Thus it is, after years of wait
ing, and the expenditure of millions
of money, we are still without CEN
sus report. In European countries
the census is taken and the reports
given out in less than month, and
all is done at very slight cost to the
governments. Quickness in making
out census report is the all-impOr-
tant point; each week of delay de-
tracts from its value. and in a years
time, in Il progressive country, its
worth as statistical report is de-
strOyed. Our census report Will be
a great injury to the country.
Hundreds of copies of it will he sent
abroad and by it all foreigners will
Judge of the population, wealth and
Industries of the country as applying
to the time of issue. 1t is astonishing
to hear the vehement denunciations
in congress when the advance sheets
of the census are used in tariff de-
bates. No member will allow the in
dustries of his state to be judged by
it. 1t would be
GOOD THING FOR TEXAS
if the census for 1880 were never
issued, for in the four years from
the date of taking to the time of issue
the Lone Star State will have made
almost as much progress as in the
previous ten years, not alone in popu-
lation, but in manufactures and the
amount of farm products raised. We
do not wish to have ourselves mis-
represented in this matter.
Your correspondent. while hanging
around the hotel lobbies at night, as
is the practice of everyday life at the
nessAike appearing man moving
among the crowds. He occasionally
entered into conversation, but being
more of "a reserved and penetrating
nature he seemed to prefer watching
the movements of the wicked Wash
ington masses. The fact was ascer-
tanned that he was from Texas and
his acquaintance was made neces-
sity by this reporter. His conduct at
first was anything but encouraging,
but as his knowledge of the pencil
pusher became intimate he discarded
his reserve and soon developed into
the genial style of gentleman pecn-
liar to the
CLINE OF THE LONE STAR STATE.
Said the scribe, after enjoying
his cOmpaniOnship for few mo-
ments and suffering from the ex-
hilarating effects of Metropolitan
hotel cocktail, which was imbibed as
token of eternal friendship:
"Do you think that Texas is
proportiOnately as fertile in soil and
as well supplied with mineral re-
sources as some Of the older states of
the Union 2"
He looked at me in establishment,
his eountenance plainly showing the
amused contempt he had for my inno-
cent ignorance. "Why, to be sure"
he said; do you suppose for a mo-
ment that the countless thousands that
are flocking into Texas are simply
looking for big country? If that
were their object they could have
been better satisfied by emigrating to
the frozen plains of British America
or by purchasing farms on the sterile
mountain plateaus of the far western
states. They come to our state, young
man, because education and research
has told them that she has the best
of soil. a healthy climate, an abund-
ance of minerals, great fields of coal,
and advantages for the accumulation
of wealth not afforded by a single
piece of country of the same size un-
der the sun. For her size, 1 can assure
you there is very little steriity
about Texas. The Lone Star state
has more coal than Pennsylvania,
more forest land than North Carolina
and almost as much rich land as the
great states of Illinois, Indiana and
Ohio combined. Wecan produce dou-
BILE the present cotton crop of the
United States; we can raise all of the
cereals with ease, and have a section
of fruit country that | will stake
pinched for minerals. am specially
interested in fruit culture which has
been my lifetime following, and dur
ing that time i have grown peaches
and apples in New Jersey, Western
New York and Ohio, have seen
fruit of all kinds grown
in other states, and l unhesitatingly
declare that portions of Texas
BEATS THEM ALL.
You will find that in a few years
the canning of fruit will be "a leading
industry in some of the cities of North
eastern Texas. We. can raise fruit
there earlier and cheaper than they
can at the north, and better railroad
facilities are all that is necessary to
enable us to compete in the great
cities with fruit from other states.
Special cars built by the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad company are
already doing considerable trans
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