Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-29
PROGRESS IN ARKANSAS.
Senator Crockett Speaks on the Railroad
Freight Bill.


The Little Rock Ark Gazette prints
in full the speech delivered in the Senate
of that State by Col. ''Beb" Crockett on
the bill to regulate railroad freights. Fol-
lowing is one Of it's eloquent paragraphs
"Sir, for whom are we legislating? For
ourselves alone? Alas, sir, heaven will
never smile upon such selfish legislation.
In little while you, Mr.. President, and
my venerable friend. the father OF this
bill, whose snowy locks are even now
! being tossed by the breeZes OF another
| world, and Will have passed away and
quietly sleep beneath tie sod. The win
ter snow Will drape the mounds above us
with winding sheet, bat the sting OF ats
bitter cold will be all UNDECIDED by us.
The spring birds Will sing their sweetest
notes in the swinging branches above our
graz es. though their music will not be
heard by us. But Arkansas-GOd bless
heT!-like gentle mother, will 1old US to
her loving breast and drape our beds with
sweet Towering vines, sing soft iullabies
DER our dreamless rest with the low,
sweet music of murmuring winds. Alter
US Will come another generation who, II
they find our State standing shoulder TO
shoulder with her sister States In the bat
tie for development and material pros
perity, through our wise legislation, Will
rise up and call us blessed. But, on the
other hand, II they find her dWarted by
unwise and restricted legislation, they
will spit upon the graves OF those whom
tLey should honor. Let us remember that
Arkansas is u growing State and legislaie
fer her on the plan that my dear old moth
er, OF blessed memory, was wont TO cut
my clothes in my boyhOOd days. She al
ways cut my breaches two years ahead
and | always grew to them, and, alas!
sometimes got too big for 'em,' and when
/ did-but that was my mothers business.
Sirs. let us cut Arkansas bTeeches-but
see must drOp the Illustration or change
the sex of our State, which l would not
do for the wOrld-Gnd bless herl We do
not carry this selfishness into our private
life, If were to find my old friend Uncle
Bob Mcconnell putting out IruIt trees and
were TO say to him, Uncle Bob, why trou-
bic yourself to put out fruit treesE they'll
never benefit yOu,' the old man would
straighten himself to his tull height and
reply. NO, Bob, Pm old and will probably
never see these trees blossom or fruit, but
have children and grandchildren who as
they climb these trees and pluck the ripe
fruit long after Pm dead, will say grand
father planted tht Sc trees with his own
hand, and they'll bless the old man as
they eat the fruit for his kindness IN plant
ing the trees for their benefit So let ii
De WIN US Leu us lGduIc ldWS IudI VIII
build up our glorious State instead of
dwarting her by hostile legislation against
railroads, the grandest of agencies Of
modern civilization tor developing the re-
sources of new State. Let us not say
TO capitalists abroad, Come and look upon
our broad praries, our fertile valleys. our
magnificent forests, our mines and quar-
RES, which are Sleeping untouched for
want of transportation. Come, help us
develop these grand resources And when
in response to our urgent pleading thev
do come, let us not turn upon them and
throttle them with destructive Legislation.
1t is true, sir, that while we do not stand
upon our borders aud welcome capitalists
with bloody hands to hospitable graves
we do stand upon those borders and wei
come them with such obstructive legisIa-
tiOn to disastrous bankruptcy. | stand
not here to-day as the special defender OF
the railroads, as railroads alone, but do
u 1hOld and would protect, foster and en-
courage them as the means OF building up
our beloved State. 1t is for Arkansas and
her brave sons and fair daughters who
shall come after us for whom plead. Sir,
in the core OF my heart believe that this
bill and all others Of kindred character
are wrong in conception, and if adopted
would be ruinous to the railroads and, as
an inevitable consequence, the ruin of
Arkansas. | cannot support the bill and
earnestly hope that 1t will not pass"