Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-27
THE DEEP WATER HARBOR.
From the Financisr.


The project of establishing deep
water harbor on the gulf coast of Texas
is meeting with a favor that is unanl-
nous. There is apparently no opposl-
sition in giving It congressional aid, but
the first point to be settled is the place
where the harbor shall be constructed.
All the states west of the Mississippi and
east of the Rocky Mountains favor the
scheme, and their representatives in
congress will without exception give it
a favorable cOuntenance as soon as the
first question is settled. Mr.. Gresham,
of Galveston, a member of the deep
water committee for Texas, now in
W Washington, Is quoted as saying that
soon after the reaSsembllng of congress
resolution will be submitted providing
for the appointment of a commission TO
select a site for such a harbor, and an
effort will be made to get this
resolution through at this session.
This will be all that can be attempted
this year. If such commission is APP
pointed, all 1t can do until the sitting of
congress will be to make an investiga-
ton for the purpose of making a recon-
mendation. If this is accomplished, then
congress will be importuned to make the
necessary appropriation.
Texas, more than any other state, IS
interested in the construction of such
harbor, and were it not for the warning
factions in her own borders she would
secure it sooner than time now promises.
Texas is rich enough to build the harbor
at once instead of waiting on the uncer-
tain aid that congress may grant. Ii
the legislature of that state would take
hold of the subject fer its own good, APP
point commission itself to establish
the proper site and then make
liberal appropriation to carry
on the work, it would gain
several years of valuable time which
would more than pay for the money adj
vanced. 1t may be doubtful whether
congress will be willing to pay the whole
cost of the creation OF this harbOr, though
it could and ought to do large share
of it.
There is a growing feeling in what
may be called the east, that tie western
states are growing too strong in their
political strength in congress. Such
feeling is to be deplored, though the
jealousy is natural: the best blood of
the nation is to be found west of the Al
leghanies, and population is constantly
pressing westward. 1t will not be many
years until the center of population will
be near the center of the union. The
jealousy of the east has been manifested
lately on many occasions and probably
it will manifest itself when this
question of deep water har
Dor is presented, though it is
imperative that in few years some har-
Dor must be constructed on the gulf coast,
giving to Texas and the states north
cheap ana convenient outlet for their
superf1uous products.
The Panama canal scheme Is failure.
the Ncarauguan canal will in the near
future be success, and then the general
government will need more than one
harbor on the gulf, congress will be
more willing to help along the good
work after it has been commenced than
to come to its aid in the beginning. If,
therefore. Texas would at once settle the
question of location and start the work
herself, she would obtain better stand
ing in the country and have better OPP
p0rtunity in congress.