The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-13
THE SOUTH AND THE WEST.

Time was once when the south and
the west clutched each others
threats in a grip. That day has
passed away, thank God, for
ever! Morally, socially, CONNER
cially and politically we are embarked
in the same boat. The same breezes
which watt the one into port conducts
the other to her haven. Both sections
are pastoral and agricultural, and the
tariff policies which will assist the
one will encourage and foster the
other. These are not manufacturing
sections. We need no pampering gov
eminent policy to trample one set Oh
industries into powder that our wood
en- nutmegs may be rammed down the
throats of the people. Apolicy which
enables our people to buy where they
can buy the best article at the lowest
price, and which opens up the markets
of the world to our own productions,
is the policy for the south and west
1t is the old principle OF the greatesf
good to the greatest number. We have
parted with the passions and the pref
udices of the past. The bone OF con-
tention between the sections-slaVery
has been buried out of sight, and
now the people meet to study CONNER
cial and business problems generally,
not to tear at each others vitals like
wolves or jackalls over their disgust
ing carton feast.
The problem of all which interests
Texas most now, is the opening upon
a correct and equitable basis, of suffi-
Gent rail communication and
TRANSPORTATION facilities direct and
upon air lines with the commercial
centres of the west and northwest.
Incidental to this and forming pal t
of it-no uncomfortable one either
comes the problem of deep water at
Galveston. With this competent and
convenient outlet to the highways OF
old ocean, the tide of commerce which
would imme diately set in from the
: | WOul1 PIONO u NV ~~eeS-O-
to even the most advanced and pro-
essive minds Of the nation. This II
is which induces the Denver chamber
. of commerce to petition congress fol
help to deepen the water on Galveston
bar. Let us not mistake the move
1t is not made because the people OF
Denver and the west are yearning tc
rush into our arms and clasp us to
their hearts because we are southern
: men and ex-confederate5. Not one
bit of it, They do this because they
l see and know that there is a vast saw
ing in shortening their rail lines tc
5 salt water by eight hundred miles, as
this would do. 1t is commercial anC
| business advantage they seek. Let us
meet them in the same spirit. Wher
, once we have established and main
tanned close business relation ship
and are thoroughly acquainted with
each others bent and genius, then will
grow up political and social feelings
and regard, and bring the people to
! gether in other ways and in closer
forms.
In this way and for these considera
lions they are slowly abandoning theil
high tariff views and adopting those
free trade sentiments which contain
so much of promise and of hope fol
our beloved bright southland. They
do not come over to this policy be
cause of friendly sympathy with either
he south or with democracy. 1t is
cold business with them, and it must
be cold business with US. We cant
play sentiment against their cold cal
culating Judgment, or cold calculat
ing business intelligence. We art
playing a game, and the west and the
south are pitted against the north ant
/ the east. The interests at stake are
immense, and with the utmost care
and caution on our own and upon oul
allies part only, will enable US to win
There is one advantage, however, in
our favor. The west and the south
are advancing in wealth, population
and development, while the east is
either standing still or receding. A
few years more and we give the law
not only to commerce, but to the ma
ton politically, and fortunate it is
for us that the future alignment must
be made upon one of the original fun
damental theories Of democratic poll
cy. Before the great consideration
political prejudices and partizan hates
melt as frost work before the ardent
rays of the sun.
| We meet the advancing west, but
we meet it as earnest men, subordinat-
ing prejudices and preferences, social
or political, to business considerations.