Waco evening news. (Waco, Tex.) 1888-1889, 1889-02-14
Sam Houston on Railroads Thirty.
Six Years A9o.

Sam Houston on Railroads Thirty.
Six Years Ago.
| In this hour Of excitement about
railroads it may be instructive to lister
to the men who made Texas what she
is. In the year 1853 or "a Genera
Houston and Rusk had been to Austin
to address the Legislature on The i'm
portance Of railroads. General Hous
ton spent few days at Independence
to make arrangements to remove there,
to educate his children in Baylor Uni
versity. BY special appointment he
came to my Office to discuss what he
called "a question Of vital Importance
to the greatness and glory Of Texas"
When seated quietly alone he said:
"Gen. Rusk and l, and many others,
think the time has fully come when
the people Of Texas must decide
whether Texas shall be second class
COW ranch and sheep pen or grand
empire state. If we want mere Sec
ond class COW ranch or sheep pen we
have got all we need, but if we want o
grand state we must have railroads.
We have no navigable rivers like Ten
nessee, Kentucky and many other
states, hence Texas must have rail
roads penetrating her vast territory in
every direction. But as We have
neither population, travel nor freights
to induce capitalists to come to Texas
and build railroads and we have no
money to build them, we must give
capitalists large land bonus to build
railroads and run them. Of course,
such large donations Of land will raise
a howl among the thoughtless and the
demagogues who want their votes.
Therefore, to secure the great bles.
sings Of railroads we must have the
hearty cooperation Of every true pat.
riot who thinks; whether he wears
white cravat, black cravat or no
cravat at all And We want to secure
your cooperation in this great enter
prise. We want you specially to un-
horse and demolish N. Francis Moore,
of the Houston Telegraph, now using
his vast circulation and tremendous in
Huence to crush railroads and make
this vast state second rate COW ranch
aud sheep pen, with Houston as its
only wholesale CITY," replied:
General, l have read your speach and
also Gen. Rusk's. l regard them as
true, and worthy of great statesmen,
and l will give you my hearty cooper
alton in every possible way on condi-
ton that the railroads be so chartered
as to enable the state at any future
time to prevent them from becoming
great overshadowing monopolics and
controlling the state, and at the same
time allowing the railroads all the
rights and privileges belonging to
them" Gen. Houston replied:
"Gen. Rusk and our supreme judges
have guarded those points we'll"
/ pledged the old hero and states
man my cooperation. From that hour
till this l have been the ardent friend
and advocate of railroads, as essential
70 the greatness and glory of all Texas.
With grand system Of railroads Texas
can be the grandest state between the
oceans; without railroads she will be .
second or third class COW ranch and
sheep pen, with a full supply Of wolves,
prairie dogs and tarantulas.
In 1856, during tho terrible conflict
Tor railroads, my drear friend and
brother, Rev. J. w. D. Geath, came to
me and with tears begged me not to in
jure my influence by talking and writ.
Ing SO earnestly for railroads, adding:
III is whispered that the railroad men
have paid you to champion their cause.
and while al your friends know this is
false We do not think as preacher,
and president Of Baylor University
you ought to injure your influence BY
advocating SO unpopular q thing as
railroads.
sIreplied then as now have not and
never expect to have one dollar invest
ed in railroads, but I know they are es-
sential to the glory Of Texas and I will
advocate them and every other good
cause, though demagogues and the un-
thinking may cover me with piles Of
infamy rs high as the Alps or the Ap-
pennies.
mot only never had one dollars in
terest in railroads, but l have been re-
fused courtesiss and free passes that
scores Of other preachers and teachers
had just received. Twas appointed .
special agent to negotiate with the rail-
roads in regard to reduced rates for
the delegates Of the Southern Baptist
Convention, to be held in Waco in 1884.
But l was ignored and the railroad Of
fcials said they preferred to negotiate
with Rev. DR.. who cared no
e. AZ =