The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-01
lFor the Statesman
Shall We have any Railroad Legis
latiOn?

This question has presented itself
10 my mind since the printing of the
correspondence between the Hon
J. q. ChenoWeth, chairman of COM
mittee on internal improvements, and
the Hon. Jno. e. Brown, chief repre-
sentative OF the railroads. l have nc
part or lot with the railroads-own
neither stocks nor bonds-and know
is little about the traffic management
since reading the testimony, us
published. as l did before. But, as Il
citizen of Texas, fully impressed with
the grand possibilities that lie before
uS; having witnessed the enOrm Gus
-srOgth OF Iowa, Missouri, Kansas
ind Nebraska since the war, az a
sequence OF the rapid building OF
railways in those great states, | d, sire
to SLY but few words No one de-
MES that our present prosperity, as
evidenced 10y our wonderful growth
ia the last few years, Is the direct
result Of the building of the great
lines of roads through our ex-
tenSive territory In this respect
We are more blessed than any other
section, for we have two great inter
national thOrOughtIreS through orr
umpire state, leading from the At
lantic to the Pacific; and through our
state Is to pass the commerce to and
from our sister republic of Mexico,
thus concentrating within our limits
the commerce, not simply of CONT
nent. but of the northern heInispheres.
The works that have been so far con-
Summated are but the corner stones
of the great editice, whose colossal
proportions rise before us outlined
but dimly to our vision. Who OF us,
few years ago, when these great
roads were struggling for life, could
have thus anticipated their success as
they are tO-dayp Who could have i'm
agined that the millions upon millions
could have been concentrated within
our boundaries to work such result :?
And who is there in Texas To day who
would not have been willing to have
granted an unlimited franchise to any
one who could have given bond to
have insured such success? 1t is our
fortune at this late day to lie the
theatre upon which these great
railroad gladiat0rS have aStOniShed
the world with their mighty feats;
and the question comes home to us:
Shall we bind the limbs of these ath-
letes? Shall we, in order to show our
powers and our strength before the
world, signify to this mighty power
that a still greater one exists among
usP Shall We, likethe pope of Rome,
demand from them an acknowledge
ment that they owe their crowns
to US, or shall we bid them
go on and on increasing our
population, enhancing the values Of
our landS-cheapening the trHnSpOr-
tation of our pro lucts-until our
state shall, IN population and political
strength, be the first empire in the
great galaxy of the union? Other
states OF the union are attempting TO
bind this modern Sampson. Some OF
them have eve gone SO far that they
have shOrn him of his locks. Shall
we follow their example simply be
cause they have done so? or shall we
bid him welcome TO our border and
present i'm with 81 field CT operation
uneQualled elsewhere? Who is to
gain by such action? If they can
afford to spend their millions and wait
for its natural result for recOnpense,
We CtIbdlllAJ Cdu Stduu "dully ny duu
allow it.
When the end has been reached,
and the great wilderness of Texas,
throbs with Il civilization responsive
to her great resources, it will then be
time for her statesmen to take up the
subject and demonstrate who has been
the loser in this great game. Let us
be men. and with the minds of men
who are looking beyond the mtre
hour-men who can z asp in all its
immensity the results of the forces
that are at work around us, act as
men should, fearless and independent,
unheeding the pretended popular
clamOr of the demagngue, or of those
who are imposed upon by such. and
show to the world that we fully APP
preciate without fear the agencies
that are too potent. COLORADO.