The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-13
"PERIsH THE THOUGHT"

Every now and then some amusing
tenderfoot, particularly in the north.
west, rises up and swears by ali the
gods on high Olympus that the state
must and shall be divided. The gilt.
tering fragments of the once proud
jewel of the states are to be parcelled
out into an indefinite number of COM
mOnwealths, over each of which some
one or other of the enthusiasts is to
preside as governor, and represent in
the senate and congress. 1t is very
amusing to note that as soon as pol
itician from the northwest reaches
Texas, glances over her two hundred
and seventy four thousand square
miles of territory, it Immediately oc-
ours to him that if the state were di-
vided political honors would be null
tiplied in proportion, and he at once
opens up on the idea as though it had
never been preached in the state be-
fore. He is astonished when he finds
that the people have been over the
proposition, have weighed it thor
oughly and have rejected it upon
very good and very sufficient grounds.
When you ask him if the expense of
maintaining three separate state gov
ernments will not neutralize the adj
vantage of the addition of four
senators to our representative
force in Washington, he is
astonished. He had not put it to him.
self in any way half so forcible as
this. But when you go on and suggest
that two more state houses, peniten-
tiaries, asylums and other things usu-
ally considered necessary to the health
full existence of an American common
wealth are to be built and that they
will necessitate an enormous outlay of
money, and the division will lessen
the ability to pay by sixty-six and
two-thirds per cent. he begins to see
that the idea is rather an Indifferent
one, While it is charming in theory
it isn't worth straw in practice.
There is another consideration
powerful. 1t is the just and
praiseworthy pride the people feel in
the grandeur of the states wonderful
1t is something to be
able to boast that we are larger than
any three of the other states of the
union, not only that, but we are
richer, raise more cattle, more horses
and more sheep, than any of them, to
say nothing of cotton, corn, wheat
etc. The pride taken in these things
by the citizenship of the state is its
future hope, its future safeguard
against one and all of the ills which
come to commonwealth by reason of
4 want of loyalty among the people.
This is not the stuff out of which
traitors are made. There is no treason
in the splendid devotion of the people
and their satisfaction in the wealth,
power, intelligence and moral worth
Of the country. To meet the wild
wave of communism now angrily
surging to the feet of the states Of the
union, plague-tainted- from the shores
ST the old world, powerruF conserVa-
tive states must be built up here IN
the south. In this way, when the
inal struggle of law and order against
the unbridled license and the
wild passions of the mob
loes come on, Texas will
spring into tie breach with voice
and arm both powerful enough to stay
the flood tide and restore the quiet
under which only governments can
exist and people prosper.
Texas has already in her bounty
built up here the beautiful city OF
Austin. Upon the verdure-clad heights
overlooking the blue Colorado the
fathers of Texas planted the roof-tree
Of her government. Here, sanctioned
by their approval, the people have
come from the earliest days to do those
things necessary and proper to be
lone at the capital of the state. Our
state institutions are located here, and
Texas is building state house which
will prove to be, not only a pride to
her, but wonder to all the nation.
This will be but another bond for the
of the indivisibility OF her
But her strongest hold is
in the perfect unanimity of all the
people, except the few of whom we
have been speaking. Practically there
is but one sentiment on this head
the people, even the new COM
ers after they are here a short time,
imbibe the distaste of the old residents
to the idea of division. No, no! The
thing is impracticable, impossible and
surely it is undesirable in every light
in which the suggestion may be placed.