Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-20
STEWART REFUSES.
His Blunt Reply TO Houston's Petition
10 Concentrate His Efforts on
Galveston.
He WIN Give HIS Aid TO sabine PaHs.-He
Defends tho government EnEinecrs--
rTis Rensons-


Tex; GHSTLEMEN--1 In the Houston
Post ~ the 30th Of last month and In the
Galveston News OF the same date, fnd
a communication addressed 20 me, In
which ! am substantially asked TO en-
dcayOr 20 have wbetever amount OF money
that may be appropriated by congress for
harb0r Improvement in Texas, now CON
centrated upon the harbor at Galveston
TO the exclusion of all other harbOr inter
csts in Tex ,s, snd which aleo contains an
attack upon Sabine Pass, whose people
have She honor 10 represent.
/ have waited several days TO receive
the original paper, but IL has not come
TO hand; and as | have b en- addressed
through the newspapers l shall avail my
self OF the press % maize my reply. La
the first place beg TO say that | am al
ways glad - be Informed OF the wi hes
of any nunibcr Of my constituents about
any matter likely ~ come before me for
my Official action 2nd, when compatible
with my sense OF duty, IL is my greatest
pleasure 20 comply with their request,
for | adhere with great tenaciy Co the
Democratic doctrine that any one
occupying an Official position Ia
this government liz servant of
the people and should repr. sent the
Views and sentiments Of his constitu.
ente in all matters requi ring action in his
representative capacity. But, while
hold this TO be true, 1T the same time
believe that no man hou permit this
rule of conduct 10 lead him into the per.
petration OF wrong ant Injustice; and Le
alone must ecide win ither the request is
fair expression Of th @ views OF major
lty of his constituents, and whether It re-
quires him TO do an ything Inconsistent
with his sense OF du ty, and for this de-
cislon he is re sponslble TO those
who elected him. have read
your letter with the greatest care,
and have given 10 IL that consideration
which its import ince and tn respect
entertain for thO' 10 whose signatures
lind appended the reto requires OF me,
and after having thus considered IL, iecl
assured that no reasonable man, with
knowledge Of the facts, can expect me to
yield 10 its demands, and that believe to
DO so would be incompatible with q
proper discharge of duty on my part
that am absolutely certain that It did
not receive curef I'll scrutiny and examine
ton from those who signed 1t, and that
when they COME to LOOK at the facts as
they exist, aud ls | shall present them,
they will reverse their opinion aud justi-
~ me In refusing to accede TO their re-
quest.
must be remembered that am the
representative in congress OF the First
congressional district In Texas, and that
am member OF the rivers and harbOrs
committee In the house of representa-.
tivee. As the member from the First
district am the immediate representa-
tive OF It's people and It's every interest
tina may be affected by congressional leg
islation, and certainly no one will deny
that IL IL my highest duty to guard with
Jealous care every interest, be II great or
small, that has been connded to me by
my immediate constituents, who have
honored me with their confidence and es-
teen. | feel that 10 be unfalthiul in the
discharge OF this duty would justly sub.
iect me u the condemnation of all hon
orable men, aud that would forfeit
my self-rcspect. The district have the
honor To represent Is composed of nine
teen counties, and eleven OF those conn
ties are on the cast side of the Trinity
river. In those eleven counties lying
east of the Trinity, besides large agrcul.
tural interests, there Is vast lumber in
terest, II being the great pine region Of
our state, aud In the manufacture Of lum-
Der and shingles large capital is invested,
giving employment To great number OF
persons. At present the large interests
have named have no means OF transporta-
ton except what Is furnished by railroads,
aud they are practically denied all foreign
and coastwise trade, and all other
benefits that would accrue to them
from the removal OF the bar at Sabine
Pass, which Is contiguous to them and OF
easy access. But Notwithstanding these
undeniable facts, | am asked To ignore
the wants OF my constituents who reside
IN those counties, TO turn my back upon
their interests and refuse To represent
their wishes In regard to Sabine Pass,
and to labor as member OF congress aud
as a member Of the committee on rivers
and harbors, for the concentration Of all
appropriations that may be made by the
general government for rivers and har-
bors Improvement In Texas, upon the
Galveston harbor. can not believe that
there are but few who have signed the
communication who desire me TO be
guilty of such conduct, and am
positive In my belief tn I q large major
ity of the citizens OF Houston would
Justly condemn me were guilty of such
action. cannot understand how any
reasonable man, with knowledge OF the
facts, can say that would be justified In
such conduct. There need be no appre-
hension abont my course In regard TO
Sabine Pass. SO long rs | may be hon.
ored with u seat in congress by
the people OF the First congress
sional district | will faithfully repre-
sent, TO the best of my ability, every inter
est confded To ray care, and IL shall benny
earnest aud persistent endeavor to pro-
cure for Sabine Pass as large proper.
ton OF the estimate furnished by the
officer In charge OF harbor improvements
at that point a. may be accorded To other
places in Texas or elsewhere, and II fail
20 obtain such an appropriation II will be
through no fault OF mine. am by no
means opposed to deep water at Calves.
ton. Gu the coRtrary, ! favor IL, and
win exert myself IN every Legitimate way
70 procure an adequate appropriation for
that point, and in doing this l. am not
failing In any respect TO discharge my
duty TO Sabine Pass.
In my Judgment 1t Is wrong tor any
place ON the gull line 20 fight any other
point on that line In obtaining suitable
annrOnriatiDna No y0nd can cnma fran