Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-21
THE ALIEN LAND LAW.
VIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF INDUS
TRIAL ExPEDlENCY.
Alien Ownership If n Danger at All is Only
ProspectiveIy Remote-Injurious
Consequences.

your practical readers some thoughts on the
alien land law as viewed in the light of in
dustrial expeiiency.
Reader, is the alien land law eXpedient?
Come, let US reason together and let US
exert an honest effort TO arrive at n clear,
decisive answer to this single question. Let
US endeavor to get down to the deep, sober,
comprehensive reason of the matter.
A state is in the best condition when it
has attained that plane in which its citizens
experience in the greatest freedom the
varied privileges and blessings of individ-
ual and general progress in its proper
sense. Progress is here considered COM
prehensively and is Intended to include
moral, educational and every class of indus
tria, development.
The true welfare of the citizen, constitut-
ing in the aggregate the general welfare, is
the science and the song of all wise legisla-
ton. How best 10 plant, water, culture
and prune the tree of general prosperity and
happiness has been the perplexing problem
confronting the lawmaker in all ages of
the world.
1t Is necessarily obvious to all thinking
minds that no state, even though 1t may
achieve high moral and educational devel-
opment, can ever attain the best
prosperity in the absence of commenSur-
ate industrial growth, including its agri-
culture, its factories of all kinds. its ways
of transportation, its commerce, its mining
and its finances, as aiding and aided by these
preceding elements. All of these must de-
velop sufficiently to meet the demands Of
public necessity and convenience or there
will necessarily follow restriction or
cramping of general progress and pros
perity. thus causing partial destruction OF
individual and national ease, comfort and
happiness. This contravenes the very fun
damental purpose of political government.
These three elements of a states welfare
are closely interined, and each is measure
bly, dependent upon the other The intelligent
reader will not fail to realize that stunted
industrial development in state will IN
some degree have tendency TO contract its
moral and educational growth.
More than either of the other two ele
ments, industrial development depends up
on broad comprehensive legislation COM
mensurate with the day i'll which we live,
and as applied to Texans, wisely adapted
to the conditions existing in Texas to-day.
The almighty dollar in the hands of edu-
Gated intelligence is the life-blood of indus
trial progress. With the necessary capital
industries of every character will come in
to being in obedience to the pulsative
law of general requirement and
will increase in magnitude and
number in strict compliance with the neces
sary demands of an extending public devel
opment. But the capital is indispensably
necessary. 1t matters not how great the
demand nor how rapidly public necessities
may increase, without adequate capital in
duStrial progress must be wholly or par
italy throttled. Without argument it will
be admitted that state or nation with
a cramped industrial development on which
the welfare and happiness OF its citizens so
largely depend. has fallen far short of ac-
complishing all the benefits to be reason
ably expected of the science of true govern
ment.
The alien land law issue does
not appear to involve Immediately
any principle of politics or government, as
seems to be the impression of some people,
but to the writer it appears to be a ques-
ton solely of economic expediency. depend
ing wholly on the existing industrial condi-
tions in Texas to-day.
Texas has not attained its manhood as
state. 1t has many years of growth ahead
before it will reach its majority. Judged
from every industrial standpoint. Texas Is
only partially developed. Texas needs
thousands of miles of railroads; she has
millions of acres over which the steam
whistle has never shrieked; she has millions
of acres of magnificent agricultural lands
yet undeveloped, which can be converted
into land flowing with the milk
and honey of rich prosperity.
She needs hundreds and hundreds of facto-
ries of many kinds to convert her raw ma
terial into the manufactured article; she
needs millions to develop her vast mineral
deposits; she needs millions infused into
the arteries of business, IN its various lines,
giving additional strength and vigor to the
pulSations of the commercial heart She
needs money to lay brick upon brick, stone
upon stone, rearing beautiful and subStan-
tial edifices suitable to the demands of bust
ness, improving and adorning our cities and
giving employment to thousands who earn
their bread by the sweat of the brow.
1t requires millions of money in
cd a a
trial development to keep pace with
the broadening demands of public con-
venience and necessity. If this be not done,
the people are hampered in their individual
and general progress, and the development
of the state will be cramped just in proper
ton as industrial development fails TO keep
pace with the enlargement of public need.
There is a law Of economic equilibrium
permeating this question, which cannot be
violated except at the expense of Texas.
Give Texas legislation properly adjusted to
the conditions and needs of the hour, with
judicious enforcement thereof and these
various economic problems involved in the
substantial welfare CT i state will work
themselves out to the satisfaction
of her warmest admirers. The
unsatisfied craving for something higher
and nobler implanted in human nature by
Deity itself, aided by the comprehensive
civilization Of the Nineteenth century, I'M
fettered by unwise legislation, will achieve
our industrial and political salvation. This
inward and ceaseless longing in the human
heart for something better, SomethiRx-
higher, has been potential factor in ele-
waiting mankind from the ignorance and
brutality of the cave-dwellers of the stone
age to the enlightened civilization of to-day.
This inherent upward tendency. which is
especially characteristic of the Caucasian,
aided by our present advantages and oppor-
tunities and unchilled by deleterious
legislation, will result in q de-
veloped civilization and prosperity Of
which we to-day may scarcely dream. But
on the reverse. give Texas legislation which
FORCES legal letters about her industrial
limbs and her growth will surely be checkedtt
for the present and hampered for tl6
future exactly in proportion as the supply
of available capital is inadequate to the ee-
mands of industrial development, and 16e
welfare and progress of her citizens will D
diminished and cramped just in the same
ratio that industrial development falls short
of the actual needs of the state.
The writer propounds to the common
sense of the reader this question:
Is money too plentiful in Texas to-day7
If not, how much less so will 1t be when
the S45, 00O, 600 of foreign money now loaned
in Texas is withdrawn from the state2
Under the present alien land law, not only i,
will this vast sum be withdrawn from cirS
culation in Texas, but all foreign mouey
will hereafter be practically barred frbm
Texas.
Money we must have.
The factor of competition being irfpart
t>rrsx :